Aston Villa v Burnley - Match preview
Villa boss Unai Emery isn’t the type to dwell too long on wins or defeats, no matter the circumstances.
So his message to players after Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United was a simple one: “Keep going.”
Much as the current two-match winless run constitutes Villa’s biggest wobble of the season so far, Emery knows it will quickly be in the rearview mirror should his team overcome 19th placed Burnley tomorrow.
The Spaniard’s mood in the immediate aftermath of the collapse at Old Trafford was a curious one. By any measure, the defeat ranked among the lowest moments of his reign to date, Villa having dropped their first points from a winning position this season and missed the chance to widen the distance between themselves and their hosts in the table.
Emery, for the most part, was more reflective than frustrated, keen to point out his team had hit the midway point of the season with a point tally far exceeding expectation.