Aston Villa suffered a morale-sapping defeat to Arsenal on Saturday in a game that could and should have been very different.
Win, lose or draw, Unai Emery is always level-headed, so he will be calm about Aston Villa‘s mixed start to the new Premier League season.
Aston Villa beat West Ham on the opening day to get the ball rolling, but the first home game of the campaign was disappointing.
As Andy Gray touched upon, Villa didn’t create much, even though Arsenal were in the same boat and they had ‘a lot of respect for each other’.
Ollie Watkins’ huge misses against Arsenal made the headlines because he should have left the pitch with two goals to his name.
Gray thinks Emery needs to have a word with the player, put his arm around his shoulder and ensure him that everything is going to be alright.
Watkins was Villa’s best player last season scoring 19 Premier League goals and also supplying 13 assists – more than anyone else in the league.
But after playing zero minutes in pre-season following his run to the final of Euro 2024 with England, he has looked off the mark during the early stages.
That’s why Emery has hooked the England international off in the first two matches, but he isn’t the only player in that boat.
John McGinn only lasted 65 minutes against Arsenal – and was also subbed at the London Stadium – and Andy Gray feels he has had a ‘poor start’ to the new campaign despite, like Watkins, being a ‘big player’ for his team, as he told beIN SPORTS.
John McGinn and Ollie Watkins form
“Did they create a lot? No. But neither did Arsenal,” said Gray. “I think it balanced itself out. Two good teams. A lot of respect for each other. A lot of quality. It was a grind. It was a battle. Highly contested. A lot of intensity in the game. And Arsenal, as opposed to last season, got over the line.
“He (McGinn) has had a poor start. He was poor last week. Watkins for me as well. John McGinn and Ollie Watkins, two of the big players last year, I think both were taken off against West Ham. Whether they are feeling the effects of a long summer, I don’t know.
“You have to stick with him (Watkins), don’t you? If a forward isn’t getting chances, and he is your main man, then you worry about it. But if he is putting himself into positions to miss chances, then you are less worried. He got himself into positions to score twice and should have done. He didn’t. You take him, you like to put an arm around him, have a little chat with him and tell him he is good. Tell him he is alright. We aren’t worried. We know it’s going to come. Then, hopefully, next week, he gets one and is off and running.”
Aston Villa squad
Villa make a short trip across the Midlands on Saturday because they travel to the King Power Stadium to take on newly-promoted Leicester City.
Matty Cash is injured for Villa, so there will be at least one change to the XI, but you don’t suspect Emery to make anymore changes, even though he has the squad to do so.
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Someone like Ross Barkley is an option in midfield, whilst Jhon Duran scored that winner against West Ham and has pushed for more starts.
This is where Emery needs to stick with the likes of McGinn and especially Watkins because class is permanent for a reason.
