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Losing against Monaco 'a bit troubling'published at 11:29 22 January
11:29 22 January
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Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha believes losing against Monaco "is a bit troubling" as Aston Villa head towards the knockout stage of the Champions League.
"Villa have had a really interesting tournament so far. They beat the likes of Bayern Munich, they travel away to certain places and have looked good as well. They look like they belong there," Onuoha said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"But then you go to a place like Monaco and don't really give the performance that you want to.
"Losing that game is a bit troubling as you head towards the knockouts.
"Maybe it will be a lesson. I don't think Unai Emery, as somebody who is so experienced, will overreact. Hopefully the players they keep their confidence up as well."
Liverpool victory good news for fifth Champions League spot hopespublished at 10:56 22 January
10:56 22 January
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
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Liverpool's victory over Lille last night was fundamentally good for them in that they are through to the last 16 and have secured a top-two seeding.
However, that is also a positive for English clubs as a whole.
The countries who finish top in the European Performance Spots table will get five teams in next season's Champions League.
England are currently top - clear of Italy, Spain and Portugal - and while Aston Villa's defeat did not help, bonus points are applied for every position in the table, with teams in the Champions League getting the most.
So Liverpool are heading for a chunky 12 or 11.75.
There has been so much talk about how well Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth have done in the Premier League this season. Their chances of Champions League qualification will increase if English clubs keep doing well in Europe.
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:34 22 January
Prit: An opportunity missed for Villa and another lethargic performance. Too many times this season we seem to lose all energy and make mistakes all over the pitch. The subs didn't really work and I would like to see Unai Emery try Lucas Digne at full-back with Ian Maatsen playing ahead of him. On the plus side, we have 13 points and a home game against Celtic. If we can win that we still have a very good chance of making the top eight. Glass still more than half full!
Paul: We were sloppy all over the pitch - they won all the second balls. We kept losing the ball and nothing created up front. Got what we deserved - nothing.
Richard: First half wasn't bad. The second half, particularly after Jhon Duran came on to partner Ollie Watkins, was devoid of any creativity and drive from Villa. Monaco did well to crowd the midfield. Predicting an end-to-end, raucous finale against Celtic full of goals, but will it be enough?
Graeme: I think Villa went to Monaco expecting to win. Arrogance made them come unstuck!
Jonny: Because Villa funnel most of their possession through Youri Tielemans, when he has a bad game, Villa do too. Too many of his passes weren't up to snuff and it meant we couldn't get support through to Watkins. Villa looked tired and too many loose balls again cost us. On the bright side, Emi Buendia looked more like his old self.
Ian: Very disappointing performance from Villa who looked out of sorts and tired. But if you had offered Villa this position at the start of the campaign, then they would have taken it. Encouraging display from Buendia but we did not do enough to win. Perhaps we could have taken a point? Hopefully our additions in the transfer window and having injured players come back will get us back on course for a strong finish to the season. Keep the faith.
Gossip: Celtic unwilling to meet Barry asking pricepublished at 07:30 22 January
07:30 22 January
Celtic are unlikely to match Aston Villa's asking price for forward Louis Barry, 21, after having a £10m bid rejected. (Football Insider, external)
'Missed opportunity' for Aston Villapublished at 22:42 21 January
22:42 21 January
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
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Unai Emery smiled for possibly the only time all night when he was asked at the start of the news conference to sum up why his team had lost: "We can be here for two days explaining it. In one minute is difficult."
He then spent several minutes attempting to do so, but essentially his message was that Villa were doing reasonably well until midway through the second half, when he brought on Jhon Duran to join Ollie Watkins.
In Monday night's news conference, Emery had talked up the two-striker option, more than on many previous occasions, as a viable choice. After he introduced Duran for Leon Bailey however, Villa's attacks became less, rather than more, coherent. "It was my mistake," Emery said.
Perhaps more concerning, Emery seemed irritated with the "mentality" shown by some of his players, without naming them. He did name several others who he felt had shown the right mentality - including Emi Buendia, who started for the first time in either the Premier League or Champions League since his serious injury in the summer of 2023.
The greatest irritation after tonight may be the sense of a missed chance.
Emery felt that Villa were controlling the pace of the game for much of the first 70 minutes, but at no stage did it feel as though this was full-throttle Villa. They were often blunt going forward and showing weakness in set-pieces. With Monaco unable to finish some of their best chances and on a mixed run of form themselves, there still could have been a route back to taking points home.
In a way, no great harm was done here, as Emery pointed out - "We are in the next round. And we have to be excited. We are in Champions League, and we have to be motivated. Playing against Celtic with our supporters? Playing in the next round? Wow, fantastic."
And it is. But the missed opportunity here was to bring a top-eight finish clearly within reach and, depending on Wednesday night's results, that chance may have gone.
Villa will still be in the Champions League, and Emery will convince them they have as much of a shot at it as anyone else. But advancing to the last-16 - and taking two games out of their schedule - was a bonus worth winning, and they are no longer in control of that.
'I made a mistake when I decided to play with two strikers'published at 21:12 21 January
21:12 21 January
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery: "I think we played 70 minutes like I want. The opponent of course have a gameplan as well. They were good in transition.
"We created three or four good chances to score. Of course if we want to be at this level we have to take the chances we had. But despite that, I was more or less positive.
"The last 20-25 minutes we were playing with two strikers and we were not threatening like the first 70 minutes.
"I was especially happy with Emi Buendia today. He has the option to leave but we needed him. We played fantastic with his qualities, his mentality and his commitment to this squad.
"The last 20 minutes we played with two strikers and with two strikers we are not being organised with the positioning like I want.
"We have two good strikers. Playing with two strikers is my challenge. Both are very good players but today it didn't work well.
"I made a mistake when I decided to play with two strikers. Until that moment, we were more or less controlling the game."
'We were just not good enough'published at 21:08 21 January
21:08 21 January
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Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings: "No excuses. I gave a poor ball away leading to the corner, didn't defend the corner very well. We couldn't get back in the game and couldn't take the chances we had. That is the fine margins of football.
"We were just not good enough.
"We will certainly take the positives that came from the game but we have to be better. We have to try to stay balanced and be the same if we won as when we lose. We need a consistent mood and attitude.
"It wasn't a good night, there's not a person here who feels good about that - the fans have travelled a long way. We will go again.
"In the big moments we came out on the wrong side of them."
Aston Villa energy 'just disappeared'published at 20:39 21 January
20:39 21 January
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Pundit and former footballer Pat Nevin, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "It was tiredness for me. They did not look like the Aston Villa that I have watched at various points this season.
"There are one or two players who looked fabulous early on this season and last season, like [Morgan] Rogers, like Leon Bailey, but they are looking like a shadow of their former selves now.
"If you are going to go get away wins in the Champions League, you need a little bit more than that.
"I have some sympathy for Villa because they tried everything they could after that goal and they looked really good at one point.
"But that edge and energy that we associate with them when they are at their very best, it just disappeared. As the game went on, it looked less and less likely that they would get back into it.
"A real disappointment for Aston Villa. In the wider sense, the next game, they win the next game against Celtic, they have still got a chance of going through in the top eight.
"It has still been a good campaign for them, even if it wasn't in this moment."
Did you know?published at 20:10 21 January
20:10 21 January
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Aston Villa have now failed to score in three of their past four Uefa Champions League games.
Prior to this, Unai Emery had only seen his side not find the back of the net in two of his previous 35 matches in the competition as a manager.
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa - opportunity missedpublished at 19:52 21 January
19:52 21 January
Gary Rose BBC Sport journalist
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Aston Villa went into this game knowing they had a big opportunity to put one foot into the Champions League knockouts.
Prior to the game they would have fancied their chances of getting the win given they were in decent form while Monaco had been struggling with one win from their last eight games.
But rarely did Villa look like getting a result in Monaco with their passing not as fluid as it has been recently.
Emiliano Buendia, making his first Champions League start for Villa, played a couple of good through balls that should have been finished off by Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, but they were two of very few chances the visitors did manage to create.
It is an opportunity missed for Villa but they will still fancy their chances of securing a top eight place as they host Celtic next week in their final game in the league phase of the competition.
Monaco 1-0 Aston Villa - send us your thoughtspublished at 19:43 21 January
'Emery is gently raising Aston Villa's sights in Champions League'published at 12:47 21 January
12:47 21 January
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter in Monaco
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"Protagonist: the main figure, or one of the most prominent figures in a situation," says the dictionary. It is a word Unai Emery has taken to using a lot.
"We are very motivated playing Champions League," he said on Monday, after Villa arrived in Monaco. "For me, it's very special, and I am transmitting it to the players as well, trying to feel it, to play Europe... We want to compete and try to be a protagonist in this competition."
In his quiet way, Emery is gently raising Aston Villa's sights in the Champions League, just as he did in the Premier League after taking over in November 2022.
First, he stabilised them, banishing fears of relegation, but then he was among the first to talk up the possibility of a run for Europe. Last season, he was more measured at first, but as the possibility of a top-four finish took form, Emery talked them up without ever suggesting over-confidence.
So it has been with this campaign: first talking of being competitive, then of trying to qualify, and now of finishing in the top section of the grand table.
Generating enough confidence in your players so they believe they can achieve great things, without over-inflating them, is an art.
Ezri Konsa, one of those whose career has pushed forward under Emery, testifies that it works.
"He's put so much confidence into us. Going into every game we believed we were going to win, no matter who we were up against," the defender said of their Champions League run so far.
"So I wouldn't say it's a surprise. We're a good team, and I think we've proved it."
Many Villa fans I have spoken to on this trip seem on one level amazed that the top eight is such a real possibility now, but also feel their team entirely deserves it.
"Maybe 17 is the points we need," says Emery, and a draw here and a win over Celtic next week would take them to that. But, in his now established way with Villa, Emery challenges his team to aim higher.
"Our opportunity - and our objective - is to try to get 19 points, because with 19 points, for sure we will be there."
Emery fine tuning to make 'robust' European challengepublished at 11:58 21 January
11:58 21 January
David Michael Fan writer
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"My dream is to win the Champions League," said Unai Emery in a pre-match press conference at the end of 2023, as Aston Villa re-entered European football after a lengthy absence. For a manager who boasts four Europa League titles - three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal - it's the natural next step.
Few outside Emery's football department believe Villa can win this season's Champions League. Yet, all would have dismissed the possibility of Emery winning three consecutive Europa League titles with Sevilla (2014, 2015 and 2016), as equally implausible.
Villa's European journey this season has mirrored their historic pedigree. Winners and quarter-finalists in the European Cup more than four decades ago, they've re-established themselves among Europe's elite, sitting comfortably in the top eight of the league stage - even topping the group at one point.
Their recent turnaround in away form has come just in time for their crucial trip to Monaco, ahead of their closing home game against Celtic. A visit to the Emirates last week saw fifth place Villa take on third in the Champions League standings, a game that showcased their potential resolve against top-tier opponents. In recent weeks, Emery has also started to play the defensive midfield screen provided by Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana, a partnership designed to make Villa robust for the knockout rounds.
Villa have bolstered their squad in the transfer market by adding Donyell Malen. Alongside Ian Maatsen, they now have two players who featured in last season's Champions League final, as Emery fine-tunes his team for the challenges ahead.
With two months until the last-16 round, Villa are hopeful of emerging as a stronger version of themselves. Emery's first words to his players when he took over at Villa, repeated to the press before their league-stage win over Bologna, still resonate: "I don't want to waste my time here."
The longer Villa stay in the Champions League, the more his time will be anything but wasted.
Changes won't weaken Villa - Nevinpublished at 10:48 21 January
10:48 21 January
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Former Premier League winger Pat Nevin says Ason Villa "are in a great position" to qualify in the top eight of the Champions League and they should be able to overcome Monaco no matter what changes Unai Emery makes.
"He is not weakening the team if he plays Jhon Duran instead of Ollie Watkins as both of them score goals and are super players," said Nevin on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"Wakins is back in good form, but they have so many options upfront when you look at Morgan Rogers, Jacob Ramsey and their new signing Donyell Malen.
"They could make changes and it shouldn't make any difference as they are capable of winning this game. It won't be easy and I think there will be goals, but it is winnable.
"They are in a great position. They are playing well and if they win this one it's almost certain they will finish in the top eight. They will want that as it will give them two extra days of rest, so it is a big game."
'Getting top eight is very important as we play fewer matches'published at 07:50 21 January
07:50 21 January
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says he has told his "players to try to feel" how special Champions League football is when they travel to Monaco on Tuesday.
"We are very motivated playing Champions League as for a long time we didn't play [in it]," said Emery. "Europe is very special so I tell the players to try to feel it.
"We want to compete and be protagonists. We need three or four more points to get top eight and that is our target.
"Getting top eight is very important as we play fewer matches and we can try to enjoy it and compete at our best, individually and collectively.
"But it will be very difficult."
Gossip: Villa reject £57m offer for Duranpublished at 07:06 21 January
They have guaranteed a place in the play-offs at least and now face Monaco on Tuesday to put themselves in a strong position for automatic qualification heading into the final game.
"It is terrific [our position]. Finding out the teams we were going to play, we knew it would be difficult. We are a team that believes in ourselves, especially with the manager we have.
"He has put so much confidence into us. Going into every game, we were confident we were going to win, no matter who we were up against.
"I wouldn't say it is a surprise [we are up there]. We are great team and I think we have proven it. Long may we continue doing that."
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:29 20 January
11:29 20 January
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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Aston Villa.
Here are some of your comments:
Arsenal fans:
Pauline: Arsenal are not been led by the right manager - Arteta needs to be gone at the end of the season. Unfortunately Arsenal will win nothing under him this season. Extremely disappointing. Liverpool would never give up a two goal lead, they fight right to the end. Arsenal don't do this.
Matteo: Same story... Not enough movement up front, combined with not enough determination to run forward and a reluctance to take shooting opportunities! Defence almost perfect, but not quite. Outstanding Martinelli, Trossard and Lewis -Skelly. It not over yet, but worrying!
Martin: William Saliba was definitely missed. Such poor character to lose a 2-0 lead, and we need to cut Thomas Partey loose. I didn't think Havertz handballed, looked like it hit his stomach, but still we shouldn't have been in that position, and it makes the league more difficult now.
Dan: Sadly, like last season, I think that was the game to lose us the title, given how good Liverpool are right now. I, like many others, am really losing patience with Arteta. In just over five years, he's only won one FA Cup, which was with a squad mainly built by Emery and Wenger! It's simply not good enough. I think we'll only keep him if we somehow win the Champions League.
Aston Villa fans:
Samuel: The greatest improvement that Emery has made in his time at Villa is the unbelievable mentality this team has. Even when we're 2-0 down at the Emirates, and not playing particularly well, we don't give up and get things done!
Ian: Good all round performance and I think if we were a bit more positive we could have sneaked it. Showed great character to come back from two down but I think it was a fair result against a good side in Arsenal. Hopefully we get the right result in Monaco and when we get some of the injured players back and perhaps one or two additions in transfer window we can look forward to good second half of the season. Keep the faith!
Paul: Battling performance against the tide of Arsenal pressure. At 2-0 we were dead and buried but Unai changed tactics, went on the attack and in the end we could have won it when Bogarde should have put his foot through it. Immense team performance and Monaco here we come!
Steve: Backs to the wall for the larger parts of the opening 60 minutes before Tielemans got us back in the game. Watkins loves scoring against Arsenal and all Villains are delighted he extended that record with the equaliser. Cash exposed for both opening goals and it remains an area of defensive concern for Unai Emery.
Image source, Getty Images
