Unai Emery lauded Aston Villa's resilience following their thrilling 3-2 comeback victory against RB Salzburg in the Europa League. The win, which secured Villa's place in the top two of their group, was hard-fought, with the team having to rally from a two-goal deficit.
Despite already being assured of a spot in the last 16, Villa demonstrated their ambition and fighting spirit in the match. However, the game wasn't without its concerns, as Ollie Watkins was forced off with an injury in the first half. Salzburg capitalized on Tyrone Mings' error, allowing Karim Konate to give the Austrian side a lead going into halftime. Moussa Yeo's flick early in the second half further compounded Villa's woes, seemingly putting them out of contention for the top spot.
However, Villa showcased their characteristic determination, mirroring their Premier League form this season. Morgan Rogers ignited the comeback in the 64th minute, and Mings quickly made amends for his earlier mistake by leveling the score with a well-placed header. The turnaround was complete when 19-year-old Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba scored his first senior goal, sending the Villa Park crowd into raptures.
Emery expressed his satisfaction with his team's character, while also acknowledging the challenges posed by European competition. He emphasized the difficulty of securing victories both home and away against strong opponents. He also noted that Salzburg, needing a win to qualify, presented a tough challenge with their direct and physical approach.
The Aston Villa manager said that he was very happy with the collective performance, and highlighted individual positives, but also pointed out areas that needed improvement. Emery also acknowledged the importance of giving opportunities to young players, allowing them to showcase their progress. Harvey Elliott was given his first start since October.
While recognizing the significance of the Europa League, Emery reiterated that the Premier League remains the club's priority. However, he emphasized the importance of the European competition as their second objective and praised the connection between the team and the fans, noting the positive atmosphere created at Villa Park.
In other news from Villa's Europa League campaign, Unai Emery downplayed an incident involving himself and Youri Tielemans during their 1-0 victory against Fenerbahce. Jadon Sancho's first-half header secured the win in Istanbul, guaranteeing Villa's place in the last 16. However, the moment that caught the attention of many was when Emery appeared to push Tielemans after substituting him late in the game. Emery brushed off the incident, referring to Tielemans as "(like) my son". That win against Fenerbahce saw Villa secure their spot in the round of 16 with a game to spare. In fact, with that win, Unai Emery reached 20 European wins with Aston Villa in just 31 matches, making him the fourth fastest manager to achieve this milestone with an English club.
