- Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 by Fulham on Saturday
- After the game, Unai Emery expressed his frustration with the result
Aston Villa put in a disappointing performance in the final third, as they were beaten 1-0 by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday. It means they continue their winless run away from home in the league, with their last coming against Newcastle in January.
Ryan Sessegnon’s strike late in the first half was all that separated the two sides. Villa did have chances, but they were ultimately poor in front of goal.
Unai Emery was a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side missed an opportunity to take one step closer to Champions League qualification.
The result now means they still have work to do to confirm a top-five finish in the Premier League, with two wins still needed to confirm their place in Europe’s elite competition. Their attention now turns to the Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest on Thursday night.
Emery “not happy” with result
In his post-match press conference, Emery explained he was frustrated with the result, not the performance, but insisted Villa need to be more clinical.
“I am not happy that we lost. Not to do with the performance.
“The match we expected was more or less on the field. Difficult match. The first half they dominated more. We tried to do a high press, but even through it they scored a goal.
“We were then compact and disciplined and through it we had two chances, one for Morgan and one for Watkins. We also had corners. We couldn’t dominate like we want because they were getting man-to-man, like lots of matches we are playing.
“We conceded one goal and we were losing, but the second half changed as we dominated more and we were more in the attacking third. We created two very good chances to score – Watkins and Tammy Abraham.
“Those four chances in 90 minutes, it was something to be clinical in to score a goal, but we were not clinical. We have to continue practising to score a goal with the chances we had.
“My work is how we can improve things. Today we didn’t work well, in the moment to shoot to score. In Nottingham, we had the same chances for Watkins, it was the same. Being responsible myself to practice and correct it.”
Ultimately, this loss highlighted a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. While the performance showed flashes of control, the inability to convert key chances underscores a growing frustration for Emery.
They must now rediscover their clinical edge immediately, as the focus shifts to a high-stakes European semi-final. Reclaiming their momentum and putting this result behind them is essential if they are to achieve their top-five ambitions and turn their European dreams into reality.
