Emery urges Villa to raise their standards after beating Manchester City

Villa beat City, but Emery says there is more to come

Unai Emery praised Aston Villa’s progress after they beat Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park, while warning that the result does not yet meet the standards his team set for themselves.

“We are progressing but we are under our expectations from the beginning of the season because we started so poorly,” Emery told BBC Match of the Day. He described the victory as “a step forward” after a run of performances in which Villa had competed well but failed to get the results they wanted.

Jackson punishes City mistakes

Nicolas Jackson scored both Villa goals. He opened the scoring inside six minutes after John McGinn capitalised on Marc Guehi’s error to set him up. Erling Haaland briefly drew City level early in the second half, but Jackson struck again after a shot aimed at Gianluigi Donnarumma slipped through the goalkeeper’s grasp.

The win made Villa the first side to beat City in three successive Premier League meetings since Liverpool did so in December 2016. Since Emery took charge in November 2022, Villa have won five of their eight league matches against City, losing three—a tally of victories no other team has matched in that period, according to the report.

“High demands” remain the target

Emery said Villa had prepared to maintain consistency and described the match as a test of the level they want to sustain. “After the match, progressively, it’s about getting better,” he said, adding that the players could make an impact when needed. “Today is one step forward.”