Aston Villa manager Unai Emery could not hide his disappointment after his team were defeated 5-4 on aggregate by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last night.
The best football betting sites did not give Villa a prayer of overturning a 3-1 first leg deficit in their quarter-final tie, but they nearly upset the odds.
What Happened in the Second Leg?
Their hopes looked shattered when PSG raced into a two-goal lead at Villa Park, but Emery’s side refused to believe they were out of the competition.
Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, Villa scored three goals to reduce the deficit to one with more than half an hour remaining.
Three vital saves grom PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma scuppered their hopes of completing a remarkable turnaround and ultimately ended their interest in the competition.
Emery looked deflated at the end of the game, demonstrating the demeanour of a man who thinks ‘glorious failure’ does not exist.
The Villa manager had mellowed a little by the time his post-match press conference was staged, telling reporters he was ‘proud’ of the way his team had played.
“To get to this level is the best step forward to get to where I want to be at with Aston Villa,” Emery said.
“We competed well in the first leg, but not enough. We were even better today and close to coming back. The last step forward is still missing, and this is the only aspect I want to [work on for our process.
“The players showed capacity. We beat Bayern Munich and we won tonight. The players showed their capacity at this level – they are here because they deserve to be here and facing matches like today.
“I want a club with same the challenges as I have – adding more quality players if we need it – so proud of these players, confident we will get our objectives until the last match we’ll face.”
The manner of Villa’s performance in the quarter-finals cannot be underestimated, particularly given PSG’s previous results in the competition.
The Ligue 1 side outclassed Manchester City during the league phase, before producing a dominant display in their last-16 tie against Liverpool.
While PSG caused Villa plenty of problems during the two games, they were also forced to spend long periods of the tie on the back foot.
But for Donnarumma, who was outstanding at Villa Park, the French outfit would have suffered yet another heartbreaking Champions League exit.
Emery’s insistence that he was ‘proud’ of his players masked the fact that he hates losing. He will be keen for this result to be the catalyst for greater things.
Given his previous track record of success, it would be a brave move to back against Villa becoming a big-hitter at home and abroad over the next few years.
They are not too far off the pace in the Premier League and there is undoubtedly an opportunity for them to upset the established order in English football.
Current Aston Villa Position in Premier League
Liverpool will win the title this season despite being one of the poorest teams to achieve the feat, while Manchester City are no longer the all-conquering force of old.
Arsenal lack the mental fortitude to mount a sustained title challenge, while several other big clubs are punching well below their weight at the moment.
If Villa can add a little more quality to their talented squad this summer, challenging for the title is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Success in Europe is also an achievable target, especially when considering Emery’s previous track record of winning trophies on the continental stage.
John McGinn is Unai Emery Choice as Villa Captain
His ability to get the best out of his players is epitomised by captain John McGinn, whose willingness to lead by example makes him a force to be reckoned with.
McGinn was an under-the-radar signing when he joined Villa from Hibernian in 2018, but he has proved to be one of the best value-for-money buys in the club’s history.
The midfielder was central to everything Villa did well last night. While his disappointment at the defeat was palpable, McGinn had every reason to hold his head high.
“I am proud of my teammates – proud of the club,” McGinn said. “We have come a long way. We were so, so close tonight. We just fell a little bit short.
“We had chances to take the game to extra-time but we’ve got to be proud about the way we came back against one of the best teams in the world – to fight to the end.
“We want more. We want to be back here next season and we will try our best to do that.
“We never gave up. It was chaos, but we gave absolutely everything and I think every Aston Villa supporter will leave with a huge sense of pride.”