Unai Emery has dedicated his side’s 2-1 victory to Fulham to one Aston Villa man as they moved back into the Champions League spots.
Villa returned to winning ways on Saturday afternoon as an Ollie Watkins double was enough to take all three points at Craven Cottage.
It was a much-needed victory for the West Midlands side who have had a poor start off and on the pitch in 2024. The club have suffered through an inconsistent run of form while injuries have also taken a toll on the team.
This week, Emery confirmed three Villa players would not play again this season after picking up long-term injuries throughout the campaign. Boubacar Kamara was the latest player to pick up an injury as the club confirmed that he suffered an ACL injury against Man United.
In the wake of the news, Villa showed support for their teammate ahead of the Fulham fixture. Emery then dedicated the victory to the midfielder after the game.
Aston Villa’s victory dedicated to Boubaca Kamara
The Fulham game was Villa’s first fixture without Kamara since his injury. Emery’s side showed their support for the teammate before kick-off as they donned shirts saying “stay strong Bouba”.
The team then did the job in the capital as they overcame a tricking tie away to Fulham to move back above Spurs and into the top four.
After the game, Emery wanted to dedicate the victory to his injured midfielder after the club bounced back from their defeat to Man United.
He said: “I want to dedicate this victory to Boubacar Kamara. This is for him.”
Touch of class from Unai Emery
A long-term injury can be damning for any player. Kamara had proved to be one of Villa’s most vital players so far this campaign. Therefore, his season coming to an end so abruptly could have a damning impact on the midfielder.
However, Emery has clearly gone out of his way to ensure Kamara still feels a part of the team.
With Kamara not expected to return to the side until next season, it is vital that the manager doesn’t make him feel like an outcast over the coming months. It is clear Emery is doing everything in his power to ensure this doesn’t happen.
By dedicating the victory to him, it just shows how much the manager wants to create a closely-knit squad at Villa. This togetherness could easily be the edge they need to get into the Champions League by the end of the season.
