Emery’s Dream Shattered — Can Villa Still Crack the Top Five?
After 3 crushing setbacks, Aston Villa’s top-five hopes hang in the balance as Premier League pressure mounts under Unai Emery.
Unai Emery stormed the tunnel at Molineux.
Rodrigo Gomes had just ended a bad night for Aston Villa – substitute Rodrigo Gomes gave Wolves a deserved win with his finish.
It was too much for the head coach, who refused to wait for the final whistle and left Wolves boss Rob Edwards wondering where the post-match handshake was.
Friday's 2-0 defeat continued Villa's poor form – they have won just three of their last 10 Premier League matches and remain in third place.
They now face a crucial season-defining period, in which their hopes of returning to the Champions League – and ending a 30-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League – are largely in jeopardy.
The next match in the Premier League is between Chelsea and Manchester United, the two teams just below Villa, and if United beats Crystal Palace on Sunday, they will move into third place.
The bottom-placed team missed the chance to move six points clear of United and nine points clear of Chelsea, who had just one previous win this season.
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A Europa League tie with Lille in the last 16 is also coming up, and a season that promised so much could soon fall apart.
However, Emery defended his team and insisted that even though their title hopes are over, they are achieving more.
He said, "We are losing the chance to win the Premier League title. Two months ago, we were competing with Arsenal and Manchester City, and you were asking me about that."
"Someone, even me, can say 'maybe we can'. Some supporters, maybe they were dreaming of it. Now we don't have a chance to fight for the Premier League. Some people may feel disappointed, including me, because I have my own dreams.
"In September, I was upset and the goal was to stay in the Premier League. In December, I was very happy and excited to finish in the top five and win the Champions League." "A month ago, I was probably dreaming of winning the Premier League. Now we're within an average of finishing in the top five.
"Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, they're trying to catch up to us; reaching the Champions League is a priority for them."
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Villa are fortunate that others have stumbled earlier and for longer periods this season – which has ensured they've maintained a solid grip on third place so far.
Chelsea have dropped 17 points from winning positions at Stamford Bridge this season and 19 points overall in the Premier League.
They will travel to Arsenal on Sunday, hoping to capitalize on Villa's recent slump – before heading to Villa Park on Wednesday for a game that could decide both teams' seasons.
Lille in the Europa League on March 12, and a trip to Old Trafford on March 15 will be major issues for Villa.
Individual form has also dropped, with Ollie Watkins having scored just one goal in 11 games – reminiscent of the period when he scored just one in his opening 19 matches – while Morgan Rodgers is also on a similar streak.
Injuries to Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn, and Youri Tielemans last month began this decline, exposing Villa's lack of depth.
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Players argued among themselves as Ezri Konsa – who also had an altercation with fans at the end – and Amadou Onana asked Emi Buendia to leave the pitch early after he was substituted.
Cracks are showing, and the players admit they're feeling the pressure.
"It does affect us, but it shouldn't," Rodgers said. "We deserve to be here, and we shouldn't forget that."
"Our recent performances haven't been as good as usual, but that's the battle in the Premier League. We'll get back to our winning ways."
"We've set our standards high and have the ability to win every game. Obviously, it's not realistic, but overall we're playing good football, and there's nothing to worry about." "These [next matches] are the games you want to play, and with so much at stake, we have to show why we deserve to be where we are."
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