Unai Emery Claims Aston Villa Deserved More Than Draw Against Crystal Palace

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Aston Villa managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Villa Park, coming from behind twice. This result extends their winless streak to six matches across all competitions, matching their longest run without a victory under Unai Emery. Despite the draw, Emery felt his team deserved more, citing missed opportunities and mistakes that need addressing.

Ollie Watkins played a crucial role in keeping Villa in the game, scoring to level the match after Ismaila Sarr's early goal for Palace. Later, Ross Barkley equalised again after Justin Devenny put Palace ahead. However, Villa missed a penalty and hit the woodwork, leading Emery to express disappointment over not securing a win. "We deserved more, but we made some mistakes that we need to correct," he told Sky Sports.

Youri Tielemans had a chance to give Villa the lead with a penalty just before half-time but his shot was saved by Dean Henderson. This allowed Palace to counter quickly, with Sarr setting up Devenny for a goal just before the break. Emery acknowledged his team's defensive vulnerabilities during transitions and emphasised the need for improvement.

Despite dominating possession and having more chances than their opponents, Villa struggled to convert these into goals. They led comfortably on expected goals (xG) with 3.18 compared to Palace's 1.27. Emery noted that while they played well against teams like Arsenal and Manchester United, mistakes have cost them points.

Crystal Palace's Resilience

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner praised his team's resilience despite missing key players like Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton. "I'm very proud of the team's performance," he said. "We were missing some key players in attack, but we still scored two amazing goals." Glasner was pleased with how his team worked together and fought hard for a point.

Villa's recent struggles at home are concerning given their previous strong form there. Emery highlighted their past success of winning 15 consecutive home games as something they aim to replicate by regaining confidence and executing their game plan effectively.

As Aston Villa looks ahead, addressing defensive lapses and capitalising on scoring opportunities will be crucial for breaking their winless streak. The team remains determined to improve and secure victories in upcoming matches while learning from recent performances.