Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was pleased with our performance in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal, despite being left to rue missed chances as we lacked a clinical edge to our play.
Ollie Watkins had two glorious opportunities in particular that he was unable to convert, while Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers also went close as there were plenty of positives from a Villa perspective before the opening goal.
READ MORE: Why key decision is another statement of intent from Villa and influential figure
However, having failed to find a breakthrough while on top in the game, that sense of concern was growing that we would ultimately get punished for being wasteful, and it proved to be the case.
While it’s a frustrating loss and a missed opportunity given we had the chances to get something from the game, Emery, as ever, was keen to focus on the positives and what he learned from the encounter to help us improve moving forward, and it’s hoped that we can bounce back in strong fashion at Leicester City next weekend to show our resilience and winning mentality.
“We played competitively and faced them. We were more or less safe and we had our chance to score and had even better chances than them. The first half was a little bit more them than us. The second half we created two very good chances to score,” he is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “If we score one goal then maybe we win the match. I accept the result today because I think we are doing our way and trying to improve our things and develop as well. It is the second day in the Premier League and we can learn and improve more.
“We want to be here with our supporters here in Villa Park, playing and getting comfortable and keeping the same way as we did last year. There’s still work to do. We will improve and use those matches we played against West Ham and today to understand our way. We will try to be in the top 10, the top six.
“I am happy and if we were scoring goals then maybe we would be winning. With Arsenal, we feel we are close to getting a performance. The players will stay calm and have two days rest and then get ready for the match against Leicester.
“You have to accept Arsenal they are more experienced, more mature. They are strong, the last two years they have been very competitive in the Premier League, contender in top four and even to win the Premier League. Today was a test for us to understand who we are.
“We competed, we faced them, we could have won, drawn or lost. I think it’s going to give us a lot of information about the team, the squad and players and how we can close this week in the transfer window and finish this month playing Leicester and challenge to get point.
“I think the way we played today will be a good way to understand how we can process our style, our competitive way.
“Ninety minutes is long and sometimes we were controlling ball possession and sometimes they were controlling with their ball possession. We try to reduced corners for them, free kicks for them and we did, we only conceded one corner and this is the way we can think we were controlling this match.
“We created three very good chances, like them, but our chances were more clear. We competed like we could do, I have to be proud of the players. We have to keep building. Not the result but the way we did [play] this is what we want.”
As noted above, Watkins had two golden chances to get on the scoresheet in either half, the first of which he scuffed wide with the goal gaping in front of him, while the second saw his header force a top save from David Raya, but the Villa striker will certainly be disappointed that he didn’t convert.
Our talismanic frontman missed the entire pre-season schedule after his exploits with England earlier this summer, and it’s fair to say that it’s still showing in his performances.
Aside from his misses, his touch looked heavy and his timing looked off in his movement and link-up play. However, there is no doubt that he will find his feet the more he plays and subsequently gets back up to speed, and he’ll hopefully get a confidence boost next time out to get himself back on track in front of goal.
“The most important thing is to create chances, of course he is not finishing them all but I am very happy how he progressed from the first match at West Ham,” Emery added on Watkins. “His progress has been performing better, and creating chances. Ollie Watkins, chances like that in the future, he will score.
On remainder of transfer window: “Not busy but we have to try and close our squad, try to be as clinical and get the best decision. We are now with the team I want. Not busy but we have to be alert.
“I don’t know the injury he [Matty Cash] had, but we have to be ready.”
