Unai Emery, the manager of Aston Villa, expressed that his team wasted a "remarkable opportunity" to secure three points against Manchester United after squandering a two-goal lead in the Premier League on Tuesday. Aston Villa suffered their first defeat in 11 matches across all competitions, as sixth-placed United came from behind to win 3-2 at Old Trafford.
Villa, currently third with 39 points from 19 matches, missed a chance to level points with league leaders Liverpool. Emery commented, "It's the first half of the season, and the way we played was fantastic. We wasted a clear chance tonight to gain three extra points after the first 60 minutes we played."
Emery, who revitalized Aston Villa's fortunes within a year of taking charge from England legend Steven Gerrard, stated he wants to move past the disappointing result quickly as they prepare to host 19th-placed Burnley at Villa Park on Saturday. He said, "The players felt disappointed, but our reaction can be against Burnley on Saturday, and that is the next challenge we have to face after the result we achieved tonight. It is very important for us to be fully ready and have the support of our fans. It is crucial to recover mentally and physically for Saturday's match."
He added, "After tonight's result, it has become a bit more difficult, but we have achieved many positive things in our journey that give us reasons to be optimistic."
