“It will be the same [against Bournemouth]. We have 16 players and three goalkeepers, two on the bench. We have six on the bench. It’s enough.

“We have now three players injured; Dendoncker, Coutinho, Kamara, and Carlos is coming back. He will play progressively. At the beginning he will train with the team.

“It’s enough but, of course, the idea is progressively, in one year, when we are starting to play Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup and, of course, hopefully in the future, Europe, we have to take more players in the squad for some circumstances during the year. But not during this moment, not yet.

“I don’t have regrets. No, not really because we were very, very clear inside. We only added players thinking to improve the squad or the team but not being in a hurry to do something, rather than really adding someone who will not improve the squad like I want.

“We had three players (Moreno, Duran, Traore) in January and I am happy. There was a different situation with each one. The best quality was to respect the players we have now and give them the opportunity to improve and show his progress in the squad.

“We finished the two cups and we weren’t playing in Europe and we only had the Premier League. It’s enough for what we have.”

Unai Emery pre match.


“After the matches we lost to Arsenal and Leicester, the reaction has been fantastic. Today is maybe the best 90 minutes we played here since I arrived. We conceded some chances to them, but I think it is normal because they are in a good moment.

“Three points. Clean sheet. Some individual performances adding and going up. We are progressively improving with the style and the idea; trying to keep good ball possession and controlling the game with good positioning on the pitch.

“Also trying to be passionate with our idea. Of course, being competitive. That’s the way that we can’t lose - to be competitive in each match. To adapt to our rivals and to impose our ideas.”

“I’m happy today and I want to share it with the players and supporters.

”He [Jacob Ramsey] is young, improving; He’s from Birmingham, the academy. I think potentially he is a strong player in our squad who can progress a lot.

“He made a very good step ahead; taking confidence, scoring his goal and trying to use his characteristic in the position we are putting him; driving, driving, breaking the lines defensively. I think he did that but in the last matches we have played he didn’t get his performances completely happy. Today he did it.

“He is here and involved at Aston Villa. He has the potential to learn some things and understand tactically what we want. Today he played the best match since I’m here.

“Today I am very happy with Douglas Luiz. His skill, characteristic in the squad is very important.

“Every match he is very focused on how we can manage 90 minutes keeping ball possession, keeping good positioning, taking our time with our central midfielder and his characteristic is necessary in this team. Today was the match, I think, overall with the performances, was the best with us since I arrived here.

“His improvement is to be strong in the structure I am creating. Offensively, strong structure trying to occupy good spaces, trying to take passion to get the ball to them.

“Don’t lose this structure offensively then, when we have to react defensively as well, he’s in very good positions to start pressing against them. Of course, sometimes we can have more possession of the ball, sometimes less.

“The idea is to try and keep ball possession for a long time. If we are not doing it, we have to keep our structure defensively strong. We’re being very competitive starting in our structure. Away from home we’re showing it. At home, there’s not the balance I want.

“Maybe the last 10 minutes was when we connected with our supporters. Really, we were feeling very good on the pitch and that is maybe the moment where we enjoyed it more with the supporters.

“After the second goal maybe it’s easier because we were thinking that the three points were for us. We have to connect with the supporters in the 90 minutes to be passionate. Sometimes, when the opponent is pushing us and creating chances. We have to be strong. If football was easy, our work is not important.

“My challenge here is to improve. To get our objective to be ambitious and impose our style, being strong. We have to do it one way with passion, take our time, help the players and practice a lot. That is the work we have got.

“When I analyse the team before I arrive here the supporters were always with the team. They were always with the team, pushing and being excited. Sometimes winning and sometimes losing. Here, the atmosphere here was amazing and it’s amazing now.

“We have to connect with them and be responsible on the pitch before we are working and we have to be strong. We have to work and be totally focused with our job; individually and collectively.

“Then, the supporters have to be with us. That is the connection. The connection is not only one connection being here; it’s doing something and doing our work. The connection is always: I want that connection to be in this way.

“When I played in the first match I connected with the supporters here against Manchester United. It was different.

“Progressively, I think, we have to add here as well our experiences we had in our career. We have some players here with big experiences in football; Ashley Young for example, winners and winners in Europe as well. We have to use the experiences and create a new way here. Being consistent in our work… being consistent in our ideas.

“Sometimes we will lose; I remember against Leicester and Arsenal and Liverpool and we conceded a lot of goals. We didn’t play those matches how I wanted. We have to create our strong structure. In the future, I want to lose less and win more.

“Today, I am happy with one thing: maybe we can feel completely safe from the bottom teams. That is the first. When I arrived here we were struggling more at the bottom.

“Now we can add a new objective and step: to get at the teams in the top 10 now. They have an advantage over us and we have to fight starting behind them.

“But we are going to play here against Fulham, at Brentford and in Chelsea in the next match. It’s going to be very difficult. But we’ll try to add a new target in our minds.

“It’s very important. It’s the first time since I have been here that both [Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens] have been here.

“Nassef has come to other matches we’ve played but I appreciate their visit a lot. The players are the same.

“It’s good to be together here sometimes. Today is a very good day because they watched our victory here and enjoyed it with the team.

“They are the owners, we are the professional coaches and players and we have to be together.

“The supporters here are really the owners of the club. They’re the owners of the club, really, the supporters.

“Nassef and Edens as well are here respecting our supporters. We have to be together to do something and, at the beginning, it’s to do good work and to enjoy in our way.”

Unai Emery.



“We controlled the game in the first half. I needed that goal for the confidence but the most important thing is the three points.

“It is different under this boss; my role is to get forward, create chances and get goals and assists. I did that today.

“Me and Ollie Watkins have been working on the training ground. Everyone has had to adapt to the new gaffer’s style; under Steven Gerrard I was playing deeper and now I’m higher up. I need to improve but I’m enjoying it.

“Where the club wants to go, we need a strong finish. We need to improve our home form.

“Every time I’ve played for Villa the atmosphere has been very good. Everyone’s got to adapt to a new playing style. Today they did that and got behind us.”

Jacob Ramsey.


“Three points, clean sheet, assist, no composure in front of goal.”

Tyrone Mings.