Aston Villa manager Unai Emery expressed disappointment after his side’s 1-0 loss to Monaco in the Champions League, stating that the defeat may have cost them a chance to secure a top-eight finish in the group stage, which would guarantee direct qualification to the knockout rounds. The match’s only goal came from Wilfried Singo, and despite Villa creating chances, they failed to capitalize on them.
Emery highlighted that the loss significantly impacted Villa’s ambitions, with the final group match against Celtic at Villa Park now critical. A win is necessary to avoid entering a two-legged play-off for qualification to the knockout stage.
Despite this setback, Villa have been in strong form recently, winning seven of their last 12 matches across all competitions. They are also competing for a top-four finish in the Premier League, with strikers Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran playing key roles. However, Emery has faced challenges in getting both players to work effectively as a partnership.
Emery admitted that his decision to play with two strikers in the second half of the Monaco game didn’t pay off, as the team struggled with positioning and organization. He acknowledged that although both Watkins and Duran are talented, the two-striker system did not work as intended in this match.
