Unai Emery takes aim at 'lazy' Aston Villa after Sunderland draw

Matty Cash netted Villa’s first Premier League goal of the season to put them ahead at the Stadium of Light after Reinildo Mandava had been sent-off for kicking out at the right-back.

But Wilson Isidor levelled things up with 15 minutes to go to leave Villa still searching for their first win of the campaign.

Emery accused his players of failing to match the fight of the hosts.

He said: “We were lazy sometimes defensively. Lazy. For example, the goal we conceded, we were lazy. Maybe it’s because we didn’t play in our style.

“When we play away we have to fight, but we were not fighting for the duels. We were lazy in the goal we conceded. All the team, not just the defenders.”

Mandava appeared to have given Villa a golden chance to claim their first win when he saw red for kicking out at Cash just past the half-hour mark.

But the latter’s goal, at the midway point of the second half, was their first effort on target with the man advantage.

Sunderland had earlier come close to breaking the deadlock when Omar Alderete hit the bar and Emery hinted his team had been intimidated by the atmosphere.

“Usually the players have attitude,” he said. But sometimes because maybe they are a bit upset or not feeling good, they are not fighting. 

“It is not something I can tell them like a punishment. Collectively we have to try and understand and feel better. 

“Sunderland at home in this stadium are playing so motivated. Even playing with one less player, they were feeling strong. 

“Sometimes we were playing under the pressure for the supporters and not: ‘OK, I can close my ears and play’.”