Cliff Notes – Aston Villa must build on long-awaited first win
- Unai Emery emphasises the need for consistency following Aston Villa’s 1-0 victory over Bologna, marking their first win of the season.
- Ollie Watkins’ penalty miss extends his goal drought to seven games, but Emery remains confident in his ability to regain form.
- Defender Ezri Konsa acknowledges the pressure from the Villa Park crowd and aims to use the win as a catalyst for the team’s season.
Emery: Aston Villa must build on long-awaited first win
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has challenged his side to back up their first win of the season with consistency after a 1-0 Europa League victory over Bologna.
Villa scored their first goal at home this season after 12 minutes when John McGinn fired into the bottom right corner from outside the area.
Ollie Watkins had a second-half penalty saved by Lukasz Skorupski as he failed to open his account for the campaign.
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Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot was busy in the second half as Bologna piled on the pressure and he scrambled across his goal to keep out Martin Vitik’s header in stoppage time to ensure the hosts clung on to all three points.
Emery says his side now have something to build on heading into Sunday’s Premier League match with Fulham.
He told TNT Sports: “At home I felt always here, in three years since I arrived, strong and confident. Creating and building a great atmosphere with energy with the players and supporters and today I felt it again.
“Bologna played well, they demanded us a lot, but then we adapted and tried to dominate and I think we deserved the win.
Unai Emery has challenged Aston Villa to find some consistency after they claimed their first win of the season against Bologna. Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images
“Today we won and it is important we have to try and keep consistent on Sunday. Different match and rival, but a lot of things tactically we have to keep on building.
“Today this win will help us to try and continue working and being positive, but each match coming is a challenge, to fight to try and prepare as best as possible, be demanding with the players.
“This year I am excited, positive and motivated about the Europa League, but I know how difficult it is to win.”
Watkins came off the bench in the 58th minute and looked lively, but his goal drought extended to seven games with the penalty miss.
Emery is confident the forward will return to form, though.
He added: “He worked today like he is [confident] and this is the first step to recover confidence.
“Then he had a penalty and he created chances as well, but the most important is to recover confidence and do your tasks like he did today. Today was the first step and he did fantastic.”
Defender Ezri Konsa admits the Villa Park crowd have been “tricky” to deal with following a tough start to the season but wants to use Thursday’s win as a starting point for their season.
He said: “We are feeling it as players [the tension], especially me at the back. My first season here we went through a similar thing fighting relegation.
“The crowd can be really tricky here. The boss always speaks about us getting them behind our backs, you can see at times they get a bit frustrated. As players we need to deal with that.
“We’ve been in the game a long time a few of us, you have to try and block it out. I try and stay as positive as much as possible.
“Today is a win we needed and use it as a starting point.”