"I made a mistake when I decided to play with two strikers," said Emery after the game.

"The last 20 minutes we played with two strikers and with two strikers we are not being organised with the positioning like I want."

Unai Emery post Monaco.



“The first requirement is to be a TEAM. And in this beautiful four-lettered word there is no place for anyone that won't be a good team-mate, for anyone that won't understand the meaning of effort, generosity and responsibility."

Unai Emery responds to his concerns from the Monaco result.



"The Premier League is the most important thing for us. We're respecting West Ham because they have very good players, a new coach and they are going to feel better.

"Here at home with our supporters, we try to create a strong atmosphere supporting us and we have to try to play on the field with our personality.

"We are open to try to improve the squad until the last moment and we are open as well in case someone is leaving.

"Of course, Diego Carlos we have to replace him. We are focusing with the sporting director and the club on which players could potentially replace Diego Carlos.

“Very important, those three points on Sunday against West Ham. Very difficult, because all matches in the Premier League are very difficult.

“Of course, West Ham, they are not being consistent, but they have now a new coach. Tactically, they are going to improve, playing matches, and they have very good players as well.

“Maybe they have some important players as well, injured, but for us, Sunday is very important, how we can face them, how we can prepare the matches as well as possible to try to be consistent like we are at the moment at home.

“The most important [thing] for us is the Premier League, and to be in the table’s top eight positions, and of course, always close to try to have the opportunities in the future in the table, to try to threat the top four or five positions.

“Consistency is our objective, and we can improve on it, only facing each match and focusing on each match. If we are not winning Sunday, again, we are not being consistent at home. We lost in Monaco after two very good matches we played at Everton and Arsenal.

“The consistency we have to try to get, there is still work to do. It is thinking each match, and focusing each match, and trying to work every day, transmitting this message with the players and with the club and with the supporters and with every worker we have here at Aston Villa.

“[Andrés García]] is a right full-back, potential, young player.

"He was progressing so quick, and I knew him before. I know how he was doing, as a person as well. We decided to sign him because we were thinking it was a good opportunity, just in this moment, a really good opportunity, how he is progressing so quick in his career.

“And of course, being a potential young player, we are not in a hurry with him. Hopefully, with Andrés García, we can progress quick in his adaptation, and how he can understand everything in the Premier League about the level we have.

“It’s a process, because when we arrived here, the mentality was more or less to be in the top 10, and after Aston Villa played in the Championship, of course always remembering that moment to be in Premier League was the first objective they had.

“Of course, for the history of Aston Villa, to try to be a contender, building the team, getting the structure stronger, trying to be contenders in the future for trophies as well, is another objective we have to add.And of course, to play in Europe was another objective. In that moment, difficult, we needed to have in our mind, and we are in this process.

“We started two years ago, and we are in this process we planned, but the process is through the players, through the mentality as a team. In our objective, we can be demanding, setting very ambitious objectives. We have a lot of players with very good mentality, and a lot of players, they improved a lot, being demanding in the right mentality we want, but there’s still work to do.

“In Monaco, I was feeling something from some players, lacking it. But, of course, I know the players, they are following the messages we are sending, we trying to set in the dressing room, and as well, the club. And of course, we are more than less being successful in our way, and even in this season, we are being consistent. Not the consistency I want to achieve, but more or less, we are being consistent.”

Unai Emery pre-match.



I don’t think you’re getting the best out of Ollie Watkins with him knowing Jhon Duran is going to come on.

Jamie Carragher as Ollie Watkins contributes his 100th Premier League goal involvement



“After training, I just think about what I have to do. I’ve really enjoyed it [so far], and I’m really looking forward to it. I remember I played [at Villa Park] with [Arsenal] 23s. It was one of the first stadiums I played in as an academy player. I was like: ‘Wow, this is very big.’

“To work there 10 years later is really nice, and I’m really looking forward to seeing it with all the fans. I’ve seen a few games, and how the stadium was against Bayern and Man City, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

“[Unai Emery]]’s a great coach, with the prizes he's won and the players he's developed. The forwards he had under him always provided good numbers. That is what forwards need."

Donyell Malen.



"Good evening. Firstly because they are a good team, good players. They were always a threat and Tyrone Mings was injured. Lucas Digne helped us but we lost a little bit. In 90 minutes we missed some fresh legs.

"I don't know sadly but hopefully not a lot. With the left centre-back it's very important with Pau Torres. He can play with his left foot. Today we have another centre-back. I needed one left-footed player. We were winning 1-0 and started very well. To keep the result in 90 minutes without one more goal is always difficult. They created one or two chances. I think the result is fair.

"Pau is injured, we are trying to get another centre-back after Diego Carlos left. We are in the process as well. We started the second part of the season with two wins and two draws, we have not lost. We wanted to win today. We have to continue building and trying to learn.

"Some circumstances, of course, they are not helping us to focus 100%. Jhon Duran is our player and I want him here."


Unai Emery post match.



**Unai, was Mings' injury a turning point in the game?**

“After Tyrone Mings' injury we did struggle a little bit in our process. How we started the game was fantastic. We created chances and scored a goal. After the injury of Tyrone, it was more difficult to win. The second half, we tried to recover what we had in the first half but we didn't feel comfortable like we did in the first half.

"When they scored we tried to get on fresh legs, but it was not enough. Of course, at the end of the match we had to accept the result and keep going. The last action, we were so close to losing."

**Is it important to add new options in the final week of the transfer window?**

"We are trying to be intelligent and make the better decisions transfer window. It’s not easy to change some players in this window. We did with Jaden and Malen and with Kosta - he is close to leaving - and a centre-back we didn’t do because we are now involved in it.

"If we can then add some players to improve the squad we have to do it, but how we are performing, we’re in the right way. We are missing four, five, six points but those points aren’t coming. We have to recover in the matches we are going to play and to be positive. Today was not enough but we have to accept it and be positive, try to work more because we are playing a lot of matches in a row. Now we need to recover tomorrow and be ready for Wednesday."

**How is Tyrone Mings?**

"The first test we did, I think it’s not really bad injury for a long time. Tomorrow we will test again and we will know how bad his injury is, hopefully not a lot. We are positive."

**Did he think it was serious at the time?**

"You have to accept the injured moments from different players but when they’re out for a long time it’s the worst. I was upset because we are without Pau injured and we didn’t yet replace Carlos and we’re playing the last month with two centre-backs. Lamare Bogarde can play midfield, right-back and centre-back on the right. I wanted a player to build up with the left so I decided with Lucas because he experience and he can play as well trying to keep the same structure we want."

**Were you frustrated to lose Carlos before replacing him?**

"We are doing everything we can and we have to control everything that is in our hands. This transfer window is not easy and we didn’t want him to leave. But he decided to leave because he was accepting an offer from Turkey. We are trying to take these consequences, analysing and bringing in one centre-back to replace him. Still, there are days to decide how we can do it."

**Are you confident of getting a new centre-back in before the window shuts and would you like to sign Juan Foyth?**

"We are with Monchi and the club analysing different players and their profiles. I know Juan Foyth because I have worked with him. He is one player with his quality, he can play with the performance we want to add into the squad."

Unai Emery, post match.