Unai Emery issues Aston Villa message after exciting Liverpool draw
Unai Emery urged Villa to remain positive after admitting the point from Wednesday’s thrilling 2-2 draw with Liverpool was “not enough” in their quest for a top-five Premier League finish.
Villa went toe-to-toe with the Premier League leaders but were unable to force a victory despite goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins putting them 2-1 up at the break, after Mo Salah had opened the scoring.
Trent Alexander-Arnold levelled for the visiting Reds in the second half and it was the visitors who then probably should have won it, Darwin Nunez blazing over an open goal with 20 minutes remaining.
Villa, who are now winless in five league matches, remain ninth in the table ahead of Saturday’s visit of fifth-placed Chelsea.
Emery said: “I can’t really be happy when we are not winning the match because we played a good match.
“This draw is adding one point in the table which isn’t enough but we need to keep going and keep improving with the players who are joining and the style we want to play.
“The result is fair for both teams, we had chances at the end and in the last 10 or 20 minutes we maybe deserved it more but over 90 mins it’s probably fair. We have to accept it.”
Emery handed Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio their first Villa starts and was encouraged by the way both performed.
Rashford was denied a first goal for the club Ibrahina Konate’s goal-line clearance early in the second half, when Villa were 2-1 up.
Asked about their performances, Emery said: “Getting better, getting minutes, confidence, good feeling with the club and supporters, team-mates. I think they performed well for 65 minutes and progressively they are helping us more and more.”
