Aston Villa suffered a second successive defeat at the start of the English championship season as Unai Emery’s side were beaten by reigning English champions Arsenal.
Despite the result, Emery believes Villa produced a good performance against the London club. The manager’s assessment provides a positive note for his team after another difficult league outing, although the scoreline leaves Aston Villa still waiting for their first goal of the campaign.
“We played well but lost,” Emery said.
The defeat came in the second round of the English championship, with Aston Villa unable to turn their performance into a result against Arsenal. Emery’s team have now begun the season without scoring, increasing the pressure on them to find a response in their next fixture.
Aston Villa’s lack of goals is the clearest issue from the opening two rounds. While Emery considers the team’s overall display against Arsenal to have been encouraging, the side’s failure to score has been matched by two defeats.
The result also underlines the challenge facing a team attempting to compete with Arsenal, who enter the campaign as the reigning champions of England. For Villa, the immediate task is to convert their play into goals and points when the league resumes.
Their next opportunity will come away from home against Hull City. The fixture will give Aston Villa a chance to end both their losing run and their wait for a first goal of the season.
Emery’s view that his side played well suggests he was not entirely dissatisfied with the performance against Arsenal. However, the outcome remains the central fact: Aston Villa were beaten again and have yet to score in the current campaign.
The visit to Hull City will therefore carry added importance. Aston Villa will be looking to produce another positive display, but this time with the attacking efficiency needed to change the result. Until they score, their encouraging performances will continue to be overshadowed by defeats.
