Villa fought back to claim their first win at City in the top flight since 2007.
Unai Emery felt Villa’s excellent final day win at Manchester City perfectly summed up their season.
Trailing to Antoine Semenyo’s first half strike, the visitors fought back to win 2-1 thanks to two goals from Ollie Watkins, playing the role of party poopers in Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge of the hosts.
Victory secured a fourth place Premier League finish in a campaign where Villa recovered from a dreadful start, which saw them fail to win any of their first five top flight matches.
He said: “The performance was outstanding and the reaction was a summary of the season.
“We started poor and then reacted. Then we struggled again.
“We recovered our identity and through it we finished beating Liverpool - which was fantastic - and then against Man City.
“The first half we didn’t shoot or have offensive corners. We were defending and we were resilient.
“This is an issue which the team learned during the process which we are here. In the second half we had our moments. We had possession and we were scoring, bringing the result back.”
Watkins was one of only three players to keep their place from last Wednesday’s Europa League final win over Freiburg, with Tammy Abraham missing out through illness.
Villa had only returned to training on Saturday following the celebrations which followed ending the club’s 30-year wait for a major trophy.
And Emery praised the character of his players after they battled back at the Etihad, having failed to register an attempt on goal in the first half.
“It was difficult, but we were speaking yesterday and today the respect we needed during the season.
“The respect was for us because we were not involved with more teams. For Manchester City was done, it was for us.
“Only of course we were fighting for fourth or fifth position today but the respect was inside with the players with the squad.
“We needed as well to show today playing seriously, playing discipline, and playing as well being together, and I think this is the best summary. I can feel myself so, so proud, how the players responded on the field today.”
Emery continued: “We are here four years and this is the best season we have done here together.
“My objective here is to be consistent. We finished in the Champions League and then in sixth.
“Now we finished fourth and we are being consistent. When you compete in Europe and in the Premier League, this is the most difficult challenge you can have.
“The first priority next season is the Premier League, then the Champions League, then the other cups.
“We broke this year to win a trophy - it was something we needed.
“Now we are going to increase our demands, trying to get more trophies and be consistent to get the top seven positions for Europe or the Champions League.
“This is the challenge and how we want to be demanding - the club and the supporters. Next year the club will work to add 8,000 people in the stadium. Hopefully this process will help us to be challenging, always looking forward and up.”
Continue Reading