Unai Emery: Exasperated Manager’s All-Time Battle After 4-4 Draw
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery clashed with a reporter at Old Trafford after Villa blew a 4-2 lead and drew 4-4 with Manchester United. Zirkzee and Dorgu scored late for United, who remain 18th in the Premier League on eight points.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery fought an exasperated manager’s all-time battle with a reporter after Villa let a 4-2 lead slip and drew 4-4 with Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scored in added time to rescue a point for United. Emery had already walked down the tunnel two minutes before the final whistle.
The interview
Reporter Patrick Davison asked Emery whether he could believe what had happened. “Yes. It happened,” the Spaniard replied.
Davison then asked about Emery leaving before the end while VAR officials were still checking. “More, more, more questions?” Emery said. Told it was the last one, he answered: “They scored in minute 96!”
Davison asked whether he thought the goal was unfair. “No, no. Not unfair. Please,” Emery said. He explained that the kick-off after the goal came at 96 minutes and 30 seconds, with six minutes added. “My English is so poor, but it’s clear or not?” he asked.
Davison said he had explained it well. Emery signed off with “Have a good Sunday.”
How the match swung
Villa scored twice inside the first five minutes. A Bruno Fernandes penalty and an equaliser from Youri Tielemans pulled United level.
The second half turned on a needless foul. Diogo Dalot brought down Alysson for a penalty, and John McGinn scored from the spot. Five minutes later Leon Goretzka tapped in after sloppy United defending to restore Villa’s two-goal lead.
United kept pushing. Zirkzee slotted home in stoppage time, then Dorgu headed in after Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki flapped at a corner.
The draw leaves United 18th with eight points. They sit above Sunderland on goal difference. Sunderland claimed a first league win since August by beating Chelsea 1-0.
Manager Michael Carrick had won a midweek boost, as United came from two goals down to beat AS Roma 3-2 in the Champions League.
Brighton up to second
Elsewhere, Brighton and Hove Albion moved second with a 2-0 home win over Brentford. Diego Gomez struck a left-footed shot into the top corner in the 15th minute. Brentford striker Igor Thiago was sent off midway through the first half after a VAR check on a tussle with Chema Andres.
Pascal Gross made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute. Brighton, led by 33-year-old German Fabian Huerzeler, have their best-ever start to a top-flight season. They head into the international break on 22 points, behind Arsenal on 27 after a 1-0 home win over Hull City.
Crystal Palace dropped to the bottom after a 3-1 home defeat by Liverpool, who climbed to fourth.
