“It’s a derby and I think we felt it on the pitch. There are a lot of Aston Villa supporters with us. There was a great atmosphere. On the pitch, maybe in 90 minutes we felt this derby and we felt sometimes that the match was not going very clear. We tried to focus on the match, playing in our game plan and trying to win the match.

“We are ambitious and very demanding. Myself, I want to be with the players. We started very well but we lost a little bit of control and we lost a bit of our good positioning on the pitch.

“I was very demanding with them trying to get good positioning and to get the ball to some players and then get it in the box better than we were doing.

“We were giving them opportunities to get ball possession and to get in our box. We weren’t really controlling the game like we prepared before and like we tried to do on the pitch. That was the moment I was a little upset and frustrated.

“Of course, we were very focused trying to not let them score first because scoring here first they were feeling very good. It is difficult to come back with the result. We reacted very quickly and I think that was the key. In 90 minutes, we created more chances and got into the box more than them.

“We controlled maybe better the match but they had some good transitions and chances to score as well. Less than us, but I think more clear.

“When they had the red card and we had one more it was the moment we tried to get an advantage with the number of players. We tried to push them and we had chances. If we were winning in the end, it would be a fair reward.

“Here, to win is very difficult. It was a tough match and we were respecting them. We tried to impose our game plan in the first and the second half.

“When you’re playing with one player more then maybe you can do better, but for us it was a very good opportunity. We knew before the match that it was going to be difficult to stop the transition.

“Pedro Neto did it before against other teams and he did it again today. I think we did everything to impose the game plan and win the match, but in the end we didn’t get it and we have to accept it.

“I wanted to mark him [Craig Dawson] good trying to avoid his potential with his heading in each set-piece. John McGinn was really, really marking him well.

“In the second half we changed it because he [John McGinn] had a yellow card and it could be dangerous. He is responsible and mature.

“I don’t remember, [what I told John McGinn] but maybe was something telling him to occupy the areas attacking and defensively that we were preparing.”

Unai Emery.



"Nothing. It was a lot of nothing. I was moaning at the fourth (official) about playing for 114 minutes and Unai didn't want to wait for the handshake.

"So he went to walk down the tunnel and I just said: 'No problem, go down the tunnel.' I've waited ages for people.

"I mean my conversation with the fourth official was about eight seconds long, so he wouldn't have had to wait very long. But I understand if he doesn't want to, no problem. I've got no problem with Unai at all.”

Gary O’Neil misunderstands the natural hierarchy of life. Gary, Unai is busy.


“I was waiting to tell him congratulations and give my hand. He was speaking with the assistant referee and I left. Simple.”

Unai Emery moves on.