Unai Emery has reacted to Aston Villa’s frustrating 2–2 draw against already relegated Burnley at Turf Moor, admitting his side deserved more despite the difficult circumstances surrounding the match.
The result came shortly after Villa’s remarkable European night, where they overturned a first-leg deficit with a dominant 4–0 victory over Nottingham Forest to reach the UEFA Europa League Final. Softfootball believes the Burnley draw reflected signs of a Europa League hangover after the emotional and physical demands of Thursday’s performance.
Speaking through Aston Villa’s official YouTube channel, Emery praised the effort of his players for competing again so soon after securing a place in the final. He said he was thankful to the squad for their commitment and mentality, especially with the demands of balancing European football and the Premier League.
Despite acknowledging the effort, Emery admitted Villa needed more from the game and felt they deserved victory. He pointed to the clear chances Burnley created, explaining that conceding such opportunities made the match difficult. According to the manager, Villa approached the game with the intention to win and the players fully believed they could secure all three points.
Even with the dropped points, Emery stressed that reaching the Europa League final while remaining in the Premier League top five is an impressive achievement considering the intensity of competing on multiple fronts.
Unai Emery’s response when asked his thoughts on the game:
Thankful. Thankful the players how they are doing the effort. A huge effort to compete achieving the final in the Europa league on Thursday, after competing today to get points. We deserve more. I think we deserve to win but we conceded three real and clear chances to score and they scored two goals. We played to win and the players showed us well their wishes to achieve those three points. I am so happy because to be in the final in the Europa league is something amazing and to share with the premier league is so so difficult.
Watch the video below:
Looking ahead, the Villa boss admitted the upcoming clash with Liverpool F.C. at Villa Park will be another huge challenge as the season enters its decisive stage.
