Aston Villa responded to Unai Emery's home truths by winning five on the spin
Our dedicated Aston Villa reporter is always on the pulse of all things claret and blue, from major talking points to transfer news to match action, John Townley will bring you the very latest from Bodymoor Heath and Villa Park.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
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Aston Villa were at their lowest ebb in Unai Emery’s tenure exactly one month ago.
When Matty Cash scored the club’s first league goal in their sixth match of the campaign, it felt like Villa might just about battle through to their first victory of the season. It didn’t need to be pretty.
But just minutes later, the 10-man Black Cats pounced on some shambolic defending. As Villa players stood motionless around the edge of the penalty area, Granit Xhaka cushioned the ball forward for Wilson Isidor to fire beyond Emi Martínez.
What followed were some home truths from Unai Emery, who rarely criticises his players in the media - and for good reason, considering the level his side have played at over the past few years.
Emery was furious with his team’s “lazy” defending, and he was more frustrated by the performance than the result, which in isolation doesn’t look like a bad point considering Sunderland have won their other three league matches at the Stadium of Light.
The Villa boss also slammed his players for failing to compete in duels and for lacking a clear identity on the pitch - both unacceptable in Emery’s eyes.
“We have to recover our identity,” Emery said in his post-match press conference. “I am not frustrated with the result, but disappointed and frustrated about how we are playing. We are not feeling comfortable with our style. We have to try to recover our personality and confidence to play like we are training.
"We were lazy sometimes defensively. Lazy. For example, the goal we conceded - we were lazy. Maybe it’s because we didn’t play in our style.
"Some attitude in some moments - usually the players have attitude. But sometimes, because maybe they are a bit upset or not feeling good, they are not fighting.”
Emery’s rant could have gone one of two ways. To their credit, his squad took it as a wake-up call and responded by beating Bologna a few days later.
John McGinn stepped up to score the club’s first home goal of the season at Villa Park, before completing the comeback against Fulham at the end of that week following Ollie Watkins’ impressive equaliser.
With three more victories to follow, Emery’s frank criticism after the Sunderland draw now feels like a long time ago - but it was clearly a turning point early in the season.
Away wins at Feyenoord and Tottenham, either side of a home victory over Burnley, are particularly impressive. Villa now approach matches against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Bournemouth before the November break with real momentum.
How Emery's players have responded to his criticism demonstrates that he still has full buy-in from his squad, despite a difficult summer in which the futures of some players were uncertain.
Emery's power base at Villa remains strong, even after Monchi’s departure, as Roberto Olabe - a close ally of the Villa boss - replaced him earlier at the end of last month.
What has been the key to Villa's turnaround? Tell us here
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