Rabiu AminuUnai Emery Post-Match Interview: Leeds United 1-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was full of praise for his players, particularly match-winner Morgan Rogers, after the team fought back to secure an important 2-1 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road.On the Match and the Comeback
Emery acknowledged the difficulty of the match, especially the first half, but expressed happiness with the team’s capacity to change the dynamic after the break.>
“We had the challenge in this match, how we were coming back after our international break. The first half we struggled. Leeds United deserved the first half; we weren’t dominating and competing like we did in the second half. Leeds were playing fantastically.”
> “The second half we changed some things. They tired a little bit in the second half, and we dominated the ball more. We scored quickly, and that helped us a lot. It was key to equalise the match and then we had chances to get the second goal and we did.
“> “Overall, 90 minutes, I am so happy how we competed. Even the first half, we didn’t play brilliant, but we were always trying to set our game plan on the field, and progressively we did it. This win was a big challenge for us to get the average [points] for our ambitious objective to be in the top positions, and we did it.”
> On Morgan Rogers’ PerformanceThe manager singled out Morgan Rogers, whose two goals—an early second-half flick and a stunning free-kick—secured the victory.
> “He was playing fantastic. Today, he was brilliant after scoring his goals. I try to get of him his qualities and make him feel comfortable in our structures, on the left, in the middle, and as a striker.”
> “He is so competitive as a player. He always accepts everything we are trying to do with him. His impact was positive with goals. He was both hungry and angry to add more goals to his game this season.”
> On the Supporters and Team MomentumEmery concluded by thanking the traveling fans and stressing the need for consistency.
> “I am so proud of the players. Of course, thankful for the supporters, because they were pushing us, and they were helping us, and they travelled here to be with us. And I think, we could help, to be happy then as well.”
> “We are trying to set as high a standard as possible. My players were fantastic. We must be consistent. We must be strong. Tactically it is very important, and individually we have to show our quality.”>
Aston Villa’s victory moves them into the Champions League positions (fourth place) in the Premier League table.Would you like to see a summary of the match statistics?
