2-1

"I am very honest if I share with you my mixed feelings. I feel like we played two good games, but the reality is that we got two points from Ipswich and Liverpool - and that is not enough. We need to win and our goal today is simple: win.

"I was happy with the starting team that came back in the first half against Liverpool, but also, I was more delighted with how Ramsey, Malen, Maatsen, Cash and Bogarde came from the bench with a hunger and mentality.

"I am optimistic about the last third of the competition because my feeling - it was not reflected YET in the scores - is that we are building a stronger and deeper team, with even more highly talented players.

Unai Emery’s programme notes.



“Of course, two years ago, last year, the first match we played this season against Chelsea was a different moment. Now, hopefully, we can feel stronger.

“Last year against Chelsea at home, in the FA Cup we were out, in the Premier League match we played more or less in February/March, we compete very well but we draw. They were always demanding (of) us a lot, always.

“This year we played there in London, we lost and we deserved to lose. We didn’t perform, we didn’t compete like I think we have to, to get to the level we achieved last year.

“This year, more or less, we are achieving something, but not consistency.

“Tomorrow is the test, and tomorrow I am motivated preparing (for) the match. I am motivated preparing, as well, our team, analysing the match we played on Wednesday.

“We analysed before the matches we played with the players we have now, with the new players as well.

“And of course, the most important, how they are responding, being as well motivated to try to help us.

“Progressively, again, trying to build a team in our structure, to get stronger.

“Tactically, in the beginning, try to feel everybody with their capacity, qualities, skills and as well with their individual motivation and wishes to be protagonists.

“Try to get collectively, tactically, our structure as strong as possible, defensively, offensively. This is the task I have, and of course the players as well, they are involved in this commitment to get it as soon as possible.

“Tomorrow, Chelsea is really a very good test, collectively, individually, very good test.

“In the table we are more or less under our target, and tomorrow we have to try to get this opportunity again to try to compete and to try to get three points.

“The mistakes when it’s obviously watching everybody, some lost balls when we are building up, some individual duels we are not winning, it’s clear I am not punishing it.

“It’s how we can build our idea, our style, our structure, getting stronger, this is the first objective I have, always, because I think, through it, we will win more matches than we will lose.

“I was speaking about the mistakes, more deep mistakes, but not very relevant mistakes.

“I was speaking about collectively and tactically, when we were not playing and focusing really how we are feeling stronger. This is tactically.

“This is of course my task, my responsibility, try to get collectively our structure as strong as possible through the players, but their individual task and decision on the field is very important.

“This is my work now. This is really my focus, how we can face tomorrow Chelsea, how we can face the next matches as well against the best teams in the Premier League and hopefully in the FA Cup and hopefully as well with Brugge, and another objective we can have in the future.”

Unai Emery pre-match.



"Andres Garcia too is helping us a lot.

“We know he still has work to do to adapt to us but we know he is competing very well with his characteristics as a player.

"He will need to get better performances in the level we are but he is performing well and I am happy how we are responding and how the players are doing all they can to help us."

“When I called him, he told me that his dream was to play in the Premier League. Every day he is training and preparing for matches.

“He has the potential. He will need time. He is helping us now and with his mentality I am really optimistic about how he will do in this way with us.”

Unai Emery on Andrés García


“The performance was really good (against Liverpool), but we’ve got to win games now and hopefully we can do that in the next few games.

“There have been a few games where we could have killed the game before conceding a goal or whatever happened.

“To be unbeaten at home for those games is good, but you want to win games and get more out of some of them.”

“They’ve [Chelsea] been really good. They have some quality players and have had some really good results.

“We’re at home and we really want to win the game to close the gap to them and hopefully to get a higher position in the table.

“These are the games we want to win and that we need to win to close the gap to them. Hopefully we can do that.”

Youri Tielemans pre-match.



“I would describe myself as a full-back who helps a lot defensively but can also be a weapon in attack, someone who can generate imbalances with one-on-ones and, above all, a good crosser. That is it more or less. Physicality, speed, supporting runs.

"He is a very detailed coach.

”He really likes to work on the video, where he can see our mistakes, and where he can give us the tools to find the easiest way to overcome the opposition's pressing, and to get to the opposition's penalty area.

"He wants to create a super compact team with a very clear structure. He is showing us a way of playing and his staff are all united in the idea, working with us individually. He is very competitive with that hunger that you need to achieve your goals."

Andrés García on Unai Emery



"I am so happy.

“The performance from the team was incredible. The atmosphere was top. I want to thank the fans for the effort that we do together.

“We need to continue but the team is going in the right way. I am very happy for my first goals and for the win.

"It's incredible. We knew today was important and we had to win. And we did. So I am very happy. We have to continue. On Tuesday, we have another match. The mentality we need to have is to win every match.

"We are working hard. We have new team-mates. We are building something new. We are in the right way and we have to keep working."

"I looked to Marcus and he told me that he was not offside. I trust him. He told me that it was not offside.

"We know all the qualities of Marcus. He helps us a lot and thank you also to him for the two assists."

"It is a very important move. It is a step forward. The club, Unai [Emery] and the staff all trust me. That is the most important thing for a footballer."

Marco Asensio post match.



"Very pleased, especially the way he is performing now and with the two assists today. Marcus is someone who can threaten everyone one versus one and even one versus two. He is very important for us in the way he plays because he gives us something different on the left-hand side.

"You could tell today every time he got the ball he was dangerous and hopefully with many more minutes in his legs he will only get better.

"It was a big, big win against one of our rivals. It is so important. I can't put it into words.

"The manager has improved me a lot. His tactical analysis of the game has helped me to improve my game and has helped em to express myself and improve on the details.

"Last season when I was maybe not playing as much at the start I worked on the training pitch a lot to focus on the details and work hard to fit into the team. Once I did that I fit in perfectly and understood exactly what the manager wanted from me. Now I feel really good and in the rhythm to play many more games.

"It helps us a lot when you seem them tow linking up for both goals. We know they are only loans but hopefully we can get more from them if they play well and stay fit and help us to reach our goals.

"We have to enjoy tonight but there is still a long way to go. Hopefully we can get some momentum going towards the end of the season and get there in the end."

Youri Tielemans post match



"Of course if we had lost we would be worse [in the table]. Today we started very bad and conceded a goal, second in the duels, were late and slow on the press, not getting the players on the field as we planned.

"Then we progressively got better. Better in the duels, better in the second half overall. In the dressing room before we spoke about being ready for 90 minutes, how we wanted it to go, we wanted the sub players to be ready.

"We played on Wednesday and maybe we were getting tired. Morgan Rogers maybe has a little injury, Tyrone Mings went off, and we needed the subs to have a good impact and they did.

"The last two games we had chances at the end of the match and did not score. Today we had chances at the end and we scored."

"We had the neccessity to improve the squad and to have more players to help with our objectives: trying to be in the top seven or eight and trying to compete in the FA Cup and the Champions League. Of course we brought the players in thinking about improving it. Then we have to try and adapt quick, a lot of meetings and getting information on the field."

Unai Emery post match



"[We want to] Support him. Help him. Try to help him to feel comfortable here. Try to help him get confidence with us. Try to use the skill in our tactical idea, try to be demanding with him. He is in this process.

"Of course he played a fantastic 45 minutes. We now want to be consistent.

"Hopefully he is going to be important, like today, but then more and more and more.

"The most important for him is to try to be here with us and be confident and comfortable in a good atmosphere and this is my objective."

Unai Emery on Marcus Rashford



“In the last match at home [against Liverpool], we were playing more or less good but it wasn't enough. We can get points by playing well but also by trying to avoid mistakes.

"Playing Chelsea today was a very good test. We started very badly - conceding the goal and not winning duels. But we were improving and in the second half, I was thinking we could be tired. But we were confident and dominated the match more or less. The players did a fantastic job. That was our plan. We played 90 minutes very consistent and focussed on our game plan. We had chances against Liverpool and Ipswich Town but we didn't score.

"Chelsea had a very good chance with [Cole] Palmer but then we were getting offensively better and were getting two or three chances to score and we scored in the end. Getting this victory today is very important.

"Energy is very important. We were speaking in the dressing room at half-time we needed to recover energy. On the field, they had to transmit energy and in the second half, they did it. They did everything. The impact players were fantastic.

This was the objective when we signed those players in the window - trying to improve our squad with the quality and skill these players have and how they can adapt with us quick.

"I think today and in the last matches as well, they are getting to the level we want. They have the experiences at the highest level. Be it Marcus [Rashford], Donyell [Malen] who played in the Champions League final and [Marco] Asensio. Lamare Bogarde was very good today and Andres Garcia also played 20 minute and was feeling very comfortable.

"He is a number 10. He can get the tempo we need. He can get assists and also score goals as he did today. I need that."

Unai Emery post match



"You could see in the end the atmosphere was amazing. Us coming back into the game made it more special. We fought really well until the end and it was really important to get that win.

"We had a bit of a slow start. But we grew into the game. We had a few chances in the second half. We didn't threaten enough in the first, but were much, much better in the second. We nullified their threat. They had a few chances but we were there to win the balls and win the game.

"You could tell tonight that they have a lot of quality. They are very hungry and they want to help the team. That is what we want from them."

Youri Tielemans post match



**Unai, your thoughts on the win…**

"The last three matches we played at home in the Premier League, we were being demanding about why we weren’t achieving points as our collective performance was not enough to win.

"We analysed the three matches and in the meeting we spoke about our demands and the reality. We identified yesterday how to play today with our objective to improve.

"We started very badly, even worse than the other matches we played here at Villa Park against West Ham, Ipswich and Liverpool. We were upset in the first half how we were not organised to press and recover the ball.

"We got better and created some chances. What we spoke about half time was how we could respond. It was to play with energy because supporters can transmit it and us coaches can demand it.

"On the field, it was up to the players to transmit energy and wish to win. In the second half we did it, but even like that we could have lost it. Konsa made a great save [block].

"We dominated and we were progressing up the field and getting positions on the field to attack them. Really, I am very happy with how we reacted in the second half. We had chances against Liverpool in the last minutes and we didn’t score. Today we did score."

**How pleased were you to see your January signings link up for the goals?**

"The idea was that when we were signing different players, it was to help us. They have commitment and they are doing the work we need. Tactically as well to get strong. We have to set them a task, but then they have to play with their skill and play, feeling that they can adapt well to our structure. Today was very good in the second half.

"Marco is a very good player as a number 10. He can play in both situations. He can play assisting and scoring goals. Malen as well can be versatile in different positions. He had chances to score against Liverpool and today too. The most important is how they are getting their responsibility in the structure."

**How are Tyrone Mings and Morgan Rogers?**

"Morgan is playing a lot of minutes because physically he can get it. Today he had a kick and asked me to replace him. Hopefully he can play on Tuesday against Palace."

**How hard is it to balance risk and reward by playing so many attacking players?**

"It is important if they are getting confidence and comfortable. They are versatile. Marcus can play striker or left side. Malen can play right side and striker. Asensio can play in different positions, Morgan as well.

"It was important how well Bogarde played when he came on for Tyrone Mings and Leon Bailey, who hasn’t been as well liked we wanted, he played 20 minutes and the best 20 minutes of the season. From now until the end of the season hopefully he can get the skill like we need and like he did today.

"McGinn and Youri Tielemans, we have three players out in this position, Onana, Kamara and Barkley. They played fantastic.

"The three points today, we deserved them more or less. Thinking about how we played and how we got the last two matches, overall we deserved it."

**You said Villa had to win today…**

"The Premier League is our most important competition. The points we lost along the way, we need to recover. There is still an option and opportunity to compete at the end of the season for a European position.

"Winning or losing today was completely different. Why? Firstly, Chelsea was doing a big gap with us and secondly because our confidence could have gone down. Today, our players and supporters, we are a little bit excited with the possibility of being close to the European positions.

"Hopefully at the end of the season we can be close to it. The Champions League will be difficult, but hopefully the Europa League or the Conference League. We have another two competitions where we can be excited."

**You must have been very pleased with the mentality of your players?**

"The mentality we showed against Ipswich was fantastic. The mentality we showed against Liverpool was fantastic. The mentality we showed today was fantastic.

"The players are being responsible and mature about how we have to work hard to get our high demands. We have done one step forward, playing better and better."

**How nice is it to have so many options in forward areas?**

"They are versatile players. Malen played right wing and then striker. Rashford is playing left side, but he can do both. Morgan too. It is good to have versatile players and specific players, like Bailey and Ramsey on the left side, Watkins. We have to get 90 minutes with starting players and players coming off the bench making an impact."

Unai Emery post match