Unai Emery explains key factor in Aston Villa resurgence after derby day win

Emery’s men sat just above their rock bottom rivals in the table in mid-September, after failing to score in any of their first four matches, with the boss admitting he was “worried” about their form.

But they now look like one of the strongest teams in the division, with Emery praising his players for how they responded to adversity during the tough opening weeks of the campaign.

“I was worried and I was responsible,” he said. “I tried to share my responsibility with words from the players.

“Now we are trying to set our standard high. We are trying to set our level high in everything.

“Working, taking time to prepare each game, having meetings, as well analysing individually and collectively how they are doing and of course taking responsibility, being mature.

“Being mature and being players, responding like a man. Responding like the team needs in each moment and in different competitions. I think the most important thing is how the players respond.

“This is the most important thing because if they were not responding in the message I was sending or in the way I wanted to say it, it was completely impossible to get the last way or the last matches, how we performed, how we got points. 

“The players are now getting the commitment we need. Before they did as well, but we were in some circumstances not helping us.”

Another fine performance from Emi Martinez was key to Villa’s derby win, with the keeper pulling off four big saves including a stunning stop from Yerson Mosquera on the stroke of half-time.

The Argentina international began the season with his future at the club in serious doubt and he missed August’s 3-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, with Emery claiming he was not fully focused.  

Sunday was his fourth clean sheet in the Premier League since and Emery said: “Now, watching how Emiliano Martinez saved two or three actions. How today, when we were scoring the goal everybody was getting emotions together. 

“I think, in the dressing room, this is really the part of football we needed to add – like we are doing now.”

Boubacar Kamara scored the only goal of the match in the 67th minute, his 20-yard strike the ninth Villa have netted from outside the box this season.

Asked if he was concerned about his team not scoring enough from inside the area, Emery replied: “Always I am worried for something, or something we need to improve. 

“In our demands, we are trying to identify where we have been weak or where we can get something to clearly improve, even when we are winning.

“We are not scoring a lot of goals. Now we are getting the balance of competing. We are being defensively strong and keeping clean sheets. We want to score goals and individually get numbers.”