In a very competitive match, we saw how Sunderland, despite the difficulties, are still surprising in the Premier League. They seem to surprise their rivals on every matchday.
This time, they surprised Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, which led the Spanish coach to harshly criticize his team after the frustrating 1-1 draw.
Regis Le Bris’s team played practically the whole match with ten men after Reinildo Mandava’s red card. This left a bittersweet feeling in Sunderland, who knew it would be a difficult match.
However, they did not expect to face an Aston Villa very different from past seasons, a team that, according to Emery, showed a lack of commitment from their star players.
Frustration and disappointment for Unai Emery after 1-1 draw against Sunderland
Unai Emery declared:
We are not playing as I want. We need some players to adapt; we will need time with them. But the others know that we want to control the match with possession, not without it. We conceded many chances, chances they created with their goalkeeper or with long passes, which generated corners in our area, and of course we conceded goals.
These criticisms were very harsh regarding the current playing style of Aston Villa, very far from what the Spanish coach wants to implement.
Sunderland achieved the draw thanks to Wilson Isidor’s goal in the second half, showing the strong mentality that Regis Le Bris is instilling in the team, something that Unai Emery does not seem to achieve with his squad.
Emery also declared:
We did not dominate the match with one more player, we did not control possession, we did not take advantage of the best moments to attack. Defensively, we were weak; for example, when we conceded the goal. Perhaps these are the consequences of not having control and not playing with our style.
Sunderland undoubtedly took advantage of Aston Villa’s current frustration. The latter are in the relegation zone, in 18th place, while Sunderland, in 7th, know they have everything necessary to continue their rise and compete with the best teams in England.
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OSCAR DANIEL CORTES RINCON
Oscar Daniel Cortés Rincón holds a degree in Sports Management and works as a sports writer, with experience at outlets such as FanSided and Palo Verde Media. His coverage has spanned teams and leagues, including Toronto FC and MLS, the EFL Championship (with a focus on Stoke City), and Ligue 1 (specializing in PSG). His analytical approach blends statistics, tactical insight, and commentary. He currently covers Sunderland AFC for On SI.
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