Unai Emery Reflects on Aston Villa’s League Cup Defeat, Stands by Team Selection

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery addressed the media following his team’s defeat by Crystal Palace in the League Cup, discussing his squad choices. He stated, “We started with 11 players in the first-team squad.” Emery highlighted the strength of his starting lineup, noting, “We started with Tyrone Mings and Diego Carlos, they can play in the starting XI playing against Bayern Munich.” He further detailed the players involved, adding, “We started with [Ian] Maatsen and Kosta [Nedeljkovic]. We started with [Boubacar] Kamara, with John McGinn, Leon Bailey, Jaden Philogene, Jhon Duran, [Emiliano] Buendia, I don’t know if I can have some regret.” Emery emphasized the ongoing process of team development, stating, “We are with our way, building the team, building the structure. Today we competed, but we lost.” The Aston Villa boss expressed his personal feelings, acknowledging, “Of course I am disappointed and frustrated, but we competed with the players to get the performance.” He concluded by affirming his unwavering confidence in his chosen squad, declaring, “If I am repeating this match 100 times I am playing with the same players.”