Unai Emery makes 'bad emotions' point as Aston Villa prepare for Manchester United return
Unai Emery believes the “bad emotions” from last season’s costly defeat at Manchester United can be motivation for his team in Sunday’s top-five showdown.
Villa return to Old Trafford for the first time since seeing their Champions League hopes go up in smoke on the final day of last season with a controversial 2-0 defeat.
Needing only a draw to finish in the top-five, Emery’s men had goalkeeper Emi Martinez sent-off and saw Morgan Rogers denied the opening goal due to an error by referee Thomas Bramall, before United struck twice late on.
Villa are once again in the race for Champions League football but are behind the third-placed Red Devils on goal difference after seeing a once comfortable lead eroded.
Emery said: “It was the last match last year and we had a target in front.
“It was a so, so emotional match but we lost. Losing, our emotions were bad emotions.
“Everything we are doing, we must be proud of it, winning obviously more than losing.
“But when we are losing, we must learn, in terms of how we are responding and not achieving the good result.
“The match we lost last year, we learned. Of course, the referee’s mistake was very, very important and sometimes things are not in our hands.
“But we are ready, we are motivated and in the Premier League we are playing for the top positions.”
Villa were 12 points clear of United in January before a run of just two wins in nine league matches.
They head into the game after claiming a morale-boosting 1-0 Europa League win at Lille on Thursday and Emery said: “We want to face them (United) with the capacity we showed on Thursday, the same mentality.”
Matty Cash will be assessed on Saturday as he bids to return from a calf injury.
