“We increased our demands in the training sessions and in meetings. I was worried one month ago how we were performing because it was a bad, bad moment and our performances were poor.

“I was so worried. I transmitted to the players my worries and tried to get solutions. We were working hard to come back from the bad form we had.

“Progressively we are getting better. Now is the moment we have one problem if we are relaxing because we are performing better, we can get confused.

“My worry now is to try to be very demanding and keep being consistent like we did the last matches we played.

“Tomorrow, if we want to be with the level Liverpool have, we have to be so, so demanding, clinical and focused in everything we have to do.”

“I told them with my face! I was so, so worried, and the players as well.

“The solution, usually I did in my career as a coach, was to firstly analyse with the coaches, and then with the players.

“Every analysis we do about how we have to improve things, is through the analysis in the videos and then on the field.

“Then, speaking individually and collectively with the group. Sometimes I need to speak individually with some players to explain to them exactly our demands, and exactly their task. Mixing the demands and the task they have to do.

“Collectively, we try to get good meetings speaking about everything. After a long time, with my experience, I am telling the players that we can’t waste time now.

“I don’t know about your feelings, but my feelings are clear that I want to use my time in football to try to be a protagonist in everything I am doing and we are doing. The players, they have to follow the same message I have.

“Don’t waste time. It means to work every day and get focus 100 per cent in each moment, competition and match we are going to play.

“Even in the training sessions being serious, and try to train to improve things that we are analysing to do. Through it, more or less, we are increasing our level getting better. My face is getting better as well!

“The responsibility and maturity I want to set is a high standard.

“Yes, but even how we tell them good morning. In everything we have to show our energy and our positivity, our wishes to train and improve.

“When we finish the training session on the field and then through the video, even after when we meet to have lunch together, show our positivity or our smile. I think it is something more than showing it on the field in 90 minutes.

“It is as well being together, or being here in the press conference, I have to transmit my positivity and my wishes to play tomorrow as best as possible.

“I have to transmit our consistency to our supporters and capacity to play, competing at the level we want.”

**Unai Emery, pre-match.**



“We are professional, and we have to respect it [criticism], and then get balance. Cash is a very sensitive player, and usually shows emotions deeply, or clearly.

“He is a very good guy. He is a fantastic man, and as a player, he is progressing a lot. His commitment here with Aston Villa is a huge commitment.

“He decided to stay here when he had offers to change and get other challenges away from here, but he decided to stay here and sign his new contract.

“We are very happy, he is happy, and when we are playing well or not playing well, we can be under the supporter’s view, whether we accept it or not.

“Overall, his performances and development have been fantastic. He is playing well and more mature.

“He is controlling better his emotions, and he has done a step forward, improving himself.”

**Unai Emery on Matty Cash.**



"We are creating the Aston Villa that we had the vision for when we met [owner] Nassef Sawiris.

"Trying to change some things that were different than we expected or we wanted, but also, and this is very important to us, keeping the essence of the club. Keeping the people that are really good people that there were in the club.

"Maybe they need a different guidance to give the best, and I think that Aston Villa always have been a big club but now it's a big club that is getting results.

"You need to do a big effort to keep going because maybe it can be luck at the beginning but to keep the level, and this is the most difficult, this is why I think that Unai has been a genius. His spirit, his work, the coaching staff also, has been unbelievable because they are never satisfied. They always want more and more and more.

"I think that is difficult because there is of course a empirical correlation between expense and success. As much you can spend with good management, you are closer to get the trophies. But I think that there is other ways to get success that is through the hard work, through the culture, through the good academy.

"I don't think that we have to put limits in our dreams, but it's going to be harder than for another club. But, I close my eyes and if we scored the fourth goal against Paris Saint-Germain, we were not far to be there.

"Big money is important - it's the most important - but big money without good management is worse than good management without money."

**Director of Football Operations Damian Vidagany.**



"The strikers like to score goals but I feel good when he is doing his task and working for the team. I know from the experiences we have that the goals are coming. His most important quality is his consistency and he has to continue being consistent and getting confidence."

**Unai Emery on Ollie Watkins.**



“We have massive respect for Liverpool. They have had moments where they aren't getting good results, but the manager has experience and how they played last year was amazing. This year, it is the same coach with better players, but they are adapting and building the team. I know it will be very difficult to get something there."

**Una Emery, pre-match.**



“I am happy with how we competed and how we started the match in the first 30 minutes, playing with personality, dominating and getting chances to score.

“We were stopping them and breaking their high press and we were feeling comfortable. In the final 15 minutes [of the first half], we conceded metres on the field and they were pushing more, and we were defending slow.

“Through it, they scored one goal that was offside, and we were defending well. We made a mistake for the first goal when we were finishing the half and it was important to try and keep it 0-0.

“After it, we needed to react in the second half, playing the same way we played the first half. We didn’t start the second half like we started the first half and then we were close to changing something with our energy before they scored the second goal.

“After it, we reacted keeping the same gameplan we had, but it was difficult to come back the result.

“How we competed and how we were trying to be in the game again, I am happy for it. The result was not good and we are disappointed with it, but not with how we are building our structure and how we are getting players minutes and confidence to help us during the season.

“Now we focus on the next match against Maccabi in the Europa League and try to separate this competition, trying to compete with the demands that we have.
“Then there’s the next step against Bournemouth in the Premier League, a very motivating match and a challenge we have.

“How we got points against Tottenham and Manchester City gave us confidence to continue improving through our demands to get balance in the table.

“I’m really thankful for the supporters because they came here to support us and to help us. We didn’t achieve a good result, but we’re always thankful how they are travelling to every match to be with us.”

**Unai Emery, post-match.**



“We need to try to play with personality through our structure and through our roles and take good positioning.

“Pau was getting his position to play with this pass and then through those passes to feel good and in that case lost the ball. Of course, to build in our structure strong and not conceding the chances we conceded.

“It was easy for Salah. It was a huge mistake but one thing in our process under my responsibility. I accept it and we build a team here through the style we want to keep in our process in the club and in the next matches.

“We must avoid huge mistakes like we made today in the first goal we conceded. But it’s something part of our process and we are going to analyse, to identify how we will build in these circumstances for the next matches.

“But of course, through it we are feeling comfortable and strong. The players are getting the level through our position and our idea.”

**Unai Emery on Emiliano Martinez.**



“I never lose. I either win or I learn.”

**Emiliano Martinez, post-match**



"We competed and we dominated at times. We were feeling good, created some chances, hit the post and were more or less getting confident, but here at Anfield it is hard to dominate like we did in the last 30 minutes.

"We conceded one goal which was a clear offside and the second goal we conceded by making a mistake. We have to be so demanding in how we're trying to stop the opponent, we are trying to get better. In the first half, the goal was very important for them. We had some chances to get in their box but we didn't score. We have to accept this defeat and try to keep going while looking forward to the next matches.

"We need to keep working and keep being positive after starting the season so poorly. Now the next challenge is on Sunday against Bournemouth.

"We have to get our structure back, but some need time to recover their form and be more clinical in everything they are doing. The goals will come if we keep working like we are working."

**Unai Emery, post-match.**



"I think we can take some positives from the game. We created some chances, but two sloppy passes and they scored two goals. We have to keep going, stick together and focus on the next game now.

"Mistakes happen in football and we made two of them today. When you give the ball away so cheaply, against a top side like this, you get punished and that's what happened.

"We had won the last four games prior to today so we have to keep believing. Liverpool have been on a bad run themselves and they really needed a win. They got it and we didn't."

**Ezri Konsa, post-match.**