Aston Villa put in a lacklustre performance against Brighton this afternoon during their 1-0 defeat at the Amex, fortunately, Unai Emery was there to provide some entertainment.
It was a day that epitomised the amount of football Aston Villa have been playing recently, as Unai Emery’s side looked jaded during their 1-0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex.
There was hope that the Villans could secure three points against the Seagulls to all but confirm their place in next season’s Champions League however, the Midlands club were unable to get the result they dreamed of.
Unfortunately, Villa looked incredibly burned out due to their increased number of fixtures and added injury pressures within the squad, with little threat shown throughout the game.
While it was a dreary game for the visitors, who had just two shots on goal in the entire fixture, not everyone associated with the club failed to bring the entertainment factor, as Emery was spotted providing some theatrics on the sidelines.
What Unai Emery was doing during Aston Villa defeat to Brighton
It was clear that the Spaniard was not happy with the performance levels from his side, as BBC Pundit Stephen Warnock pointed out.
On BBC Radio 5 Live, Warnock said he was ‘loving’ what the Villa boss was doing on the touchline.
“I am loving Unai Emery today, he has just gone nuts. If there was a camera on him today, it would be so funny, some of the reactions he has pulled today.”
It’s not surprising that the manager was active on the touchline, as he watched his side unable to create or grab a hold of the game, making it a frustrating watch.
Earlier this week, Emery was spotted shouting at Douglas Luiz during Villa’s defeat to Olympiacos, showing his passion for the game and his desire to achieve at Villa, making this week an agonising one for the Spaniard.
Unai Emery will want to see more from his Aston Villa players
It’s difficult for Villa, who are operating with limited squad options due to injury, making the gruelling Thursday-Sunday schedule all the more difficult to navigate.
Now, the Villans must pay as much attention to the Premier League as they are to the Europa Conference League, with today’s defeat giving Spurs the chance to limit the gap in the race for the top four.
Of course, the race for fourth is still very much in Villa’s hands however, the boss would have certainly wanted to see his team take the pressure off by mathematically securing qualification as early as possible.
It’s unsurprising to see Emery making his presence known in his technical area, particularly on a day when the 52-year-old would have undoubtedly wanted to see more from his squad.
