Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was visibly frustrated on the sidelines during his side’s clash with Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
The Villains have been enthralled in a busy week that saw them held to a frustrating draw away at Ipswich in the Premier League before a huge win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
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With that euphoria at Villa Park in midweek, there were plenty of hopes that Aston Villa could take that momentum into their next clash.
Man United were the visitors, off the back of their own tough week that saw them battered and bruised against Tottenham before a difficult draw with FC Porto in the Europa League.
While it seemed as though the Red Devils were there for the taking, it wasn’t quite like that early on for the home side.
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Unai Emery manger / head coach of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Manchester United FC at Villa Park on Oct…
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
During the first half of the tie at Villa Park, one thing that became clear was the lack of intensity from both teams in the game.
The two sides were fresh from European exploits in midweek and were forced into some key changes to their teams.
Those things may have contributed to a low-key affair, but it was clear that Unai Emery was left furious with the lack of aggression from his side.
During a passage where Aston Villa slowed down in their build-up, the manager jumped up and down the touchline at his players before throwing his hands in the air in frustration.
It was a clear sense of annoyance at the pace of the game, with Man United deciding to dig in and counterattack instead of going toe-to-toe with Villa.
It summed up a rather frustrating encounter that needed some change and fresh energy for the home side.
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Unai Emery, Manager of Aston Villa, reacts during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Manchester United FC at Villa Park on October…
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International break is coming at an ideal time for Aston Villa
After the match against Man United, there will be an international break for Aston Villa that may be coming at an ideal time.
The Villains now have fresh injury concerns to deal with as several of their key stars missed out on Sunday afternoon.
With some extra time to bring those players back to fitness, there may also be some rest around the corner for those who need it.
As that arrives, Emery should have some space to assess the recent run and prepare everything for another month of intense fixtures ahead.
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