1-1

"We are so happy when players come back after they were injured. But as well we have players who are playing well. Lamare Bogarde is progressing and he played a fantastic two matches. With Kamara, we are adding one possibility to play as well with his experience and his qualities. But of course, when there are some players that are performing like Lamare, I am feeling as well comfortable and confident. For Sunday, he's [Kamara] coming back after he played 20 minutes against Brentford. Of course, it's good news for the team to have him available for us.

"We are going to focus on Sunday 100%. We are preparing and players have to do their best. We need the points. We need on Sunday to continue performing and to continue competing and doing something better than what we did in the last two matches because we didn't achieve the results we wanted.

"Every player has to work and to feel important in the squad and of course Morgan Rogers how he's progressing, he was fantastic and still he has the same challenge to continue improving and keeping the level he had last year.

"It will be difficult. They are excited and motivated. I watched their documentary on Netflix about their recent history. They are so, so motivated.

"Now we have to do one thing, we have to try be more clinical with the ball in attack, better than we did. Of course, we scored the first goal against Brentford on Tuesday but it wasn't enough because we didn't win but it's the way we are working and focusing.

“A little bit. A little bit. But keep going. I’ve had lots of [difficult] moments, even here. Three years ago we lost three matches in a row to Arsenal, Leicester and Man City.

“In that moment, I was focusing on our reaction. Today is the same. We have started four matches with the circumstances we had. Now we are progressively getting better, and the last two matches, I felt that progress.

“Now we are working, and we are working really hard and focusing on how we are and what we have to do.

“We are Aston Villa with our circumstances, and we were in a different moment two or three years ago. We are going to start the Europa League next week, and we have a lot of positive things in front of us.

“I am excited to keep and recover consistency in the Premier League, and then there are other competitions. The Europa League is something so special for us.”

**Unai Emery, pre-match.**


“It’s been difficult, there’s no hiding that.

“I might have been a surprise package last year, but now people know about me and they know about my game.

“They try to stop me and now it’s about how I can progress to the next level and combat that. Good players still get found out when they don’t try to improve and get better.

“It’s been difficult. As a team we have struggled a bit, but that’s part and parcel of football. It’s the Premier League and anyone can beat anyone on a given day.

“We just haven’t been good enough in any of the games to win, but that’s the beauty of football and the love and hate that comes with it

“You want to win, so when you don’t you’re not happy. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, but at the same time we know we need to improve.

“At the same time, that’s the challenge and it’s so motivating as a group because we know we have loads more to give and we haven’t shown anyone anything yet.”

**Morgan Rogers, pre-match.**


“He was playing two years ago in the Championship,”

“He started here playing in the Premier League and in Europe, also the Champions League. It is, for him, how he is reaching his demands. To keep it is the next challenge.

“He is performing under the level he had, and he is, as well, trying to recover level — but getting balance.”

“Fatigue in September? That is difficult! He has played lots of matches, but for him, and other players as well, we played 54 matches last season. Adding the matches of the national team, maybe he played 60 or 65 matches.

“We have to be aware how we manage every player for the season, but for now, he is so motivated. As well, he wants to start performing better with us. He is showing us each training session.

**Unai Emery on Morgan Rogers.**
###

“Now in offensive positions we have different options. We need to get fit Jadon Sancho, we need to adapt to us Harvey Elliott. I think we have a lot of work to do in the next weeks, the way we improve and we need to get result.

“Of course, Watkins, he wants to score. Morgan, he wants to score. The wingers, they want to score. We didn't score [in the league], but we are progressing and of course, the objective we have is clear, and the challenge we have is so, so clear.

“We had circumstances that didn't help us, mostly in August. But now we are in September, we are progressing.

“After the break, we are playing matches. And we are improving. The players are working well. We are focusing on each match. We are aware about how we have to raise our demands and our level.

“Confidence is something you have to create every day, and creating every day, working, is (the) first step to build it.

“And then when you are playing matches, of course, when you are winning, the confidence is coming better than not.

“But for me, the confidence (is) something, winning and losing, we have to build every day.”

**Unai Emery, pre-match.**


“Firstly, I’m grateful to the supporters who came here to support us and to help us, like they are doing the whole season.

“We are disappointed and frustrated – not for the result because we should win this match playing with one player more – but the most important thing is how. And we have to try to recover and work again with our identity, playing with a style we want to build and a style we had positive experiences with, being successful.

“It should have been easier to take advantage [vs 10] but we were not playing with our identity, with the ideas we have been building in the last three years.

“My frustration is more with that. There is still work to do; some players are adapting in the squad and our idea, and they will need time. Other players were here last year and know how we want to build the team and how we were being successful in the last three years.

"Some players need to adapt, for example Harvey Elliott was getting the ball and passing behind the defence without options. He needs to understand that he has the skills to play more passes and then do the [final] pass with options.

"Watkins is not having chances to score. He had the last chance in the last minute. If he scores, maybe that’s the click to change everything.

“This is the way I want to recover.

"There is still work to do with the point we achieved, it’s not enough, of course, after playing with one more player for 60 minutes, we should be happier, we have to work and be demanding, to get our consistency through our demands.

"With some new players we have to adapt with the players we have, and we know we want to control the game, to dominate but I am disappointed and frustrated more for how we were not achieving our identity.

“We are good because we are playing in Europe in the Europa League. We are playing in the Premier League as well and we want to try and keep consistency through the season.

“Our start, we’ve not been doing well. The last three matches have been away and it’s always a challenge to win away.

“We drew and we didn’t lose, that is a positive thing but it’s not enough. We need to create our structure stronger – not only tactically but individually when we are on the field.

“I have to try to analyse with the players and I will be demanding with them. We have to try to recover some confidence.

“We want them to feel comfortable in everything we are doing. Now, I’m a little bit worried, not for the result and how we are in the table, but more so how we are not playing with our identity, trying to dominate and impose with the players we have, playing in our style.

“We are not playing like I want. We have to adapt some new players in the structure, and we will need time with them. Others know we want to control the game with the ball.

**Unai Emery, post-match.**


"We were lazy sometimes. Lazy. The goal we conceded, we were lazy. Perhaps that’s because we didn’t play in our style.

“We have experiences in three years, and how we felt confidence through it. Then, we can get better chances to dribble and be close to scoring.

"Ah, lazy - sometimes lazy when we are playing here away, we have to fight the duels, and we were not fighting all duels.

“I watched the goal we conceded and we were lazy. We were lazy, but all the team, not the centre-backs or Cash. We are lazy.

“Some attitude in some moments, usually the players have attitude. But sometimes because maybe they are a bit upset or not feeling good, they are not fighting. It is not something I can tell them like a punishment.

"Some attitude in some moments … maybe it’s because they’re not feeling good, they are not fighting. There is not a punishment, but collectively we have to understand how to feel better.

“Collectively we have to try and understand and feel better. Sunderland at home in this stadium are playing so motivated. Even playing with one less player, they were feeling strong.”

**Unai Emery, lets rip post-match.**