Premier League: Head Coach Emery Claims Aston Villa 'Controlled and Dominated' Against Man City
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Birmingham, Dec 21 (NationPress) Aston Villa ascended to fifth place in the Premier League standings following a 2-1 victory against Manchester City. In light of the recent challenges encountered by the defending champions, head coach Unai Emery commended his team's performance and asserted they were the dominant side.
“We are striving to maintain a positive outlook, and while our performance may not always meet expectations, today was different. We felt strong, particularly in the first half where we played exceptionally well. In the second half, we maintained possession effectively and managed to penetrate the box for our second goal. We truly imposed our style and dominated the match,” Emery stated in an interview with TNT Sports.
Currently, Manchester City sits in sixth position on the league table, having recorded three draws and six losses in 17 matches. They find themselves nine points behind league leaders Liverpool, having played two additional games. Nonetheless, Pep Guardiola expressed his “unwavering trust” in his players to recover from this difficult phase.
“Aston Villa is a team performing well in both the Champions League and the Premier League. It is a challenging venue to visit. Last season, we secured the Premier League title, but we faced a defeat here. We must maintain a positive mindset, and I have immense faith in my squad. Many of them possess remarkable pride and determination. We will find a way back, step by step,” Guardiola remarked.
Villa took the lead in the 16th minute with a goal from Jhon Duran and extended their advantage in the 66th minute when Morgan Rogers found space in the box to score with a left-footed finish following some impressive build-up play.
“We anticipated a tough match. Although they have struggled recently, we expected them to come out aggressively. We knew we had to respond similarly. Every player was outstanding, and I believe we earned this victory. I thrive in high-stakes games and enjoy showcasing my abilities during such moments,” Rogers stated.
