Unai Emery explains why Manchester United lost against Aston Villa with tactical observation
On Sunday, Manchester United lost 3-1 to Aston Villa, giving Unai Emery a winning start at Villa Park.
Unai Emery highlighted that Aston Villa targeted the open places on the pitch that Manchester United had abandoned.
Emery was just named as Steven Gerrard’s successor at Villa Park, and he won his first game in command on Sunday, defeating United 3-1 due to goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne, and Jacob Ramsey.
Luke Shaw cut Aston Villa’s lead in half just before halftime, but the hosts were up by two goals by the 50th minute. Prior to the weekend, United had gone undefeated in nine games, and the nature of their performance was surprising.
Emery, who motivated Villarreal to defeat United in the 2020/21 Europa League final in Gdansk, was asked about his team’s performance after the game and commended his players for their reaction in training to his arrival.
The Spaniard also spoke on his team’s setup, stating that it was more necessary to target the gap that United had left behind.
“I think the players demonstrated to us that they were hungry, that they were feeling good emotions, that they were thinking about our match today [in training], and they did a really nice job,” Emery said of his first week in command of Aston Villa.
“They played in their positions, and I want them to feel good about themselves and their abilities. For me, the design is unimportant, but we tried to utilize the places where Manchester United might allow us to do our work.
“The fans helped the squad a lot here at home, and the enthusiasm was incredible. They convey to us, that our answer is to play in excellent areas and with a good rhythm. I believe the players are enjoying themselves at home, and I intend to capitalize on this result.
On Thursday night, United will face Villa in the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford.