What Aston Villa boss Unai Emery said after his side’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United speaks volumes.
Unai Emery insists Aston Villa’s point against the newly-promoted Leeds United was a good one, though the head coach admits he can’t quite put his finger on why his team have been suffering on home soil lately.
For a team in the upper echelons of the Premier League standings and supposedly favourites to achieve Champions League qualification, it has been a concerning patch. And, most worryingly, the atmosphere at Villa Park has been as flat as a pancake for much of 2026 so far.
Unai Emery assesses Aston Villa’s home form
Emery, who has been trying to work out why Villa’s home form has dipped, attempted to explain the situation to the media after the Leeds draw, a game in which Tammy Abraham scored an 88th-minute equaliser to lift the crowd after a frustrating afternoon beforehand.
“We can see it in two ways. One way, losing two points at home,” Emery began via Birmingham Live. “We felt strong here, and it was hard to get points here, even the best teams like Arsenal and Manchester City - we beat them. Now, four matches at home, we only beat Brighton. Then, how we are overall, in the table, we can analyse everything.
“Today, the match we played, more or less, we planned the first half how they competed and performed. They played through their competitive way, idea and style. They understood what they needed to do. Everything that happened in the first half we expected.
“We were losing, and we had to try to be positive. The second half changed because they defended lower. We scored in the 88th minute - this is a fantastic point. It is a good point. A good point. Keep going forward to improve things, getting confidence progressively in matches and in training. We need to try to understand how we are and why we are like we are.”
Regaining the fortress is Emery’s priority
Villa Park has so often been a fortress for Emery’s men in recent seasons, with the club’s remarkable home form a cornerstone in qualifying for Europe three seasons in a row. But now, at a pivotal time ahead of the Premier League run-in, the wheels are beginning to fall off.
Emery insists Villa must regain their focus to improve their Villa Park form. “We need to work hard like we always did,” Emery added. “We are third, and it is very good for us. Our objective is clear - focusing on each match. The next step forward is against Wolverhampton.
“Sometimes we performed like now and were still winning. Maybe we were more clinical or our energy is full. Now, we are trying to recover energy and our mood. I am happy with how we are reacting. Before, we had bad results against Brentford and Everton. Everything that happened, we are trying to understand and correct it.
“We are trying to focus on how we can improve and get better with confidence, feeling more comfortable. We have to be motivated about how we are in the table.”
Continue Reading