Aston Villa manager Unai Emery gave a perplexing post-match interview following his team's 1-0 defeat to Everton on Sunday. The loss at Villa Park ended Villa's run of 11 successive home wins across all competitions. Thierno Barry's goal in the second half secured the victory for Everton.
The defeat meant Aston Villa missed an opportunity to close the gap on Arsenal in the Premier League title race. Villa remained seven points behind Arsenal, who drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Emery's interview with Sky Sports was described as "bizarre" and "odd" by pundits. When asked if the result surprised him, Emery simply replied, "No". He attributed Everton's victory to their strong competitive performance.
The most notable part of the interview was Emery's declaration that Aston Villa are "not top five contenders". He stated, "We are still not being contenders," and suggested that other teams have more potential. When pressed for an explanation, Emery remained silent, creating an awkward moment.
Former Aston Villa player Ashley Young said Emery "looked really angry" during the interview. Young speculated that Emery's frustration might stem from injuries to key players like John McGinn, as well as the absence of Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana. He also questioned whether Emery was signaling to the club's owners that he needs more players. Jamie Redknapp echoed Young's sentiment, calling it one of the "oddest interviews I have ever seen". He suggested that Emery might be genuinely devastated by the performance and result, and that Villa needs more squad depth.
Despite the defeat, Aston Villa remains in a strong position in the league, sitting third and level on points with Manchester City. They are nine points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea. Emery has received praise for Villa's progress this season, particularly given the club's financial constraints in the summer.
This isn't the first time Emery has downplayed Villa's chances. Even after beating Arsenal in December, he insisted his team wasn't in the title race.
