Aston Villa manager Unai Emery admits his side need to come out of their disappointing 3-2 defeat to Manchester United on Boxing Day. Ahead of the game, Villa had the chance to tie the Premier League with top-placed Manchester City through a win, but despite leading 2-0 at half-time, they were beaten by Manchester United in the second half. After picking up just one point from their last two games, Villa are now third and in danger of being overtaken by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Unai Emery said in an interview that his previous belief that Villa were not a true title contender has now been confirmed. He believes there are other teams that are more capable of competing for the title, although Villa have been consistent this season and have been better than many teams. Unai Emery urged his players to bounce back from this defeat and asked them to be even more themselves.
He expressed his desire for them to work hard and strive for more. The defeat at Old Trafford ended Villa's winning streak, which has been running for 10 games since November. Looking ahead, Villa will face Burnley on Saturday, who currently sit 19th in the league table. Unai Emery and his team will be looking to bounce back from their recent setbacks and regain their winning momentum to maintain the upper hand in the title race.