Unai Emery has said Tyrone Mings’ calamitous gaffe which condemned Aston Villa to Champions League defeat at Club Brugge was the biggest mistake he has witnessed in his managerial career.The centre-back inexplicably picked up a short goal-kick by Emiliano Martinez without knowing referee Tobias Stieler had restarted the game.Brugge captain Hans Vanaken converted the resulting 52nd-minute p...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery had no regrets about his team selection after watching his much-changed side crash out of the Carabao Cup to Crystal Palace.Emery made wholesale changes to his line-up, with Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martinez, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley not even in the matchday squad.And it came back to bite as Palace booked their spot in the last eigh...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery thought his side deserved to win after Bournemouth’s Evanilson snatched a late equaliser in a 1-1 home draw.It is the second time Villa have dropped points in the league immediately after their European exploits.This time Ross Barkley’s 76th-minute strike looked like it would hand Villa maximum points until Evanilson levelled.The hosts were denied an opene...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery had no problem with Jhon Duran’s reaction to being substituted during the 2-0 Champions League win against Bologna.The Colombian is used to coming off the bench this season, making a name for himself as a super sub, but he was given a start against the Italians and helped fire Villa to the top of the standings.His classy finish nine minutes after John McGinn&rsq...Full Story »

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has spoken about loaned out star Samuel Illing Jr.The attacker has not been given the first team chances he sought at Villa so far in his career. However, he is so far impression during a loan spell at Italian side Bologna, who Villa play in the Champions League on Tuesday. Emery told reporters: "He is a young player and he needed a plan where he could get more...Full Story »

Unai Emery labelled Emiliano Martinez as “the best goalkeeper in the world” after his penalty save helped Aston Villa to a 3-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.Fulham broke the deadlock through Raul Jimenez who showed great strength to claim his fourth Premier League goal of the season and fifth overall.Morgan Rogers’ deflected shot off Calvin Bassey drew the scores level ...Full Story »

Unai Emery praised Jhon Duran after the striker sent himself into Aston Villa folklore by scoring the winning goal against Bayern Munich.Duran’s 79th-minute goal saw Villa produce a memorable repeat of their famous 1982 European Cup final victory over the German club as they won 1-0 in the Champions League at Villa Park.The Colombian continued his role of super sub, with a 79th-minute stri...Full Story »

Unai Emery acknowledged Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw at Ipswich was a fair result, but had hoped they would end the day joint-top of the Premier League.Villa looked set to warm up for Wednesday’s visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League with another comeback victory after first-half efforts by Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins cancelled out Delap’s opener.Kieran McKenna’s n...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said his side’s first-half performance in their 3-1 win over Wolves was the “worst” of his reign at Villa Park.Villa appeared to be suffering a Champions League hangover against their midlands rivals as a lacklustre showing saw them trail to Matheus Cunha’s 25th-minute opener.But they came to life after the break and goals from Ollie Watkins, E...Full Story »

Unai Emery dedicated Aston Villa’s debut Champions League win over Young Boys to former striker Gary Shaw.Villa’s return to the top table of European football was overshadowed by Monday’s death of Shaw, a golden boy of the club’s past success at this level when he helped them to European Cup glory in 1982.Emery wanted his current crop before the game to win it for Shaw an...Full Story »

Unai Emery admits he has a “challenge” on his hands to make the most of strikers Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins after both scored in Aston Villa’s 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Everton.Watkins struck his first two goals of the Premier League season either side of the break to cancel out Everton’s two-goal lead, given to them by Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.Du...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is “happy” to see healthy competition between strikers Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.Duran has come off the bench twice this season to score goals in games against West Ham and Leicester and help Villa register wins on both occasions.Watkins has not scored in the opening three games of the campaign but had magnificent opportunities denied by David Raya and ...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is happy to finish August with six points on the board after his side secured a 2-1 win over Leicester to return to winning ways.Amadou Onana’s tap in at the back post and Jhon Duran’s header put Villa in control before Facundo Buonanotte brought Leicester back into the contest.Referee David Coote had awarded Leicester a penalty in stoppage time after Ezri...Full Story »

Unai Emery hopes Jhon Duran will stay at Aston Villa after the striker climbed off the bench to sink West Ham, the club he wanted to join this summer.Colombian striker Duran was so close to moving to east London that he even had to be reprimanded by Villa after doing a ‘crossed Hammers’ gesture with his arms on social media.However, new Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui could not agree a ...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has urged his side to finish the season by booking Champions League football after their European dream ended in a Greek tragedy at Olympiacos.Villa were eyeing a first European final since 1982 but, with the ancient Acropolis in the backdrop of the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, their hopes are now in ruins after a 6-2 aggregate defeat.They travelled to Athens needing ...Full Story »

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has no interest in monitoring Tottenham’s results after his side’s quest for Champions League qualification was dealt a blow by a 1-0 defeat at Brighton.Villa travelled to the Amex Stadium knowing victory combined with a Spurs loss to Liverpool later in the day would guarantee a fourth-placed finish.But the visitors laboured for large parts of a tight s...Full Story »

Unai Emery has not given up hope of Aston Villa still reaching a first European final since 1982 despite losing 4-2 in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final against Olympiacos.Villa, playing their biggest occasion in Europe since winning the European Cup 42 years ago, suffered a Greek tragedy as they crumbled on home soil.Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick and Santiago Hezze&...Full Story »

Unai Emery hailed a “fantastic” win that capped a “very good week” after Aston Villa came from behind to secure a 3-1 home win over Bournemouth.Having gone a goal down through Dominic Solanke’s 31st-minute penalty, the hosts turned things around with Morgan Rogers equalising in first-half stoppage time and second-half efforts following from Moussa Diaby and Leon Bai...Full Story »

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery knows his side have plenty of work to do in next week’s Europa Conference League quarter-final second leg in Lille.Villa will travel to France with a 2-1 advantage thanks to first-leg goals from Ollie Watkins and John McGinn gave the on-looking Prince of Wales something to cheer about.But Lille showed they are no pushovers and Bafode Diakite’s late header ...Full Story »

Unai Emery says Aston Villa have to work on their mentality after their Champions League qualification hopes took a huge hit in a 3-3 draw with Brentford.Villa looked to be consolidating fourth position after goals either side of half-time from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers put them in the ascendency.But they hit the self-destruct button as three goals in nine minutes from Mathias Jorgensen, B...Full Story »