Unai Emery gives important warning to Aston Villa stars
Unai Emery warned Villa’s players they must learn to control their emotions following a chaotic finish to yesterday’s 2-1 win at Brentford which saw Boubacar Kamara sent-off.
Ollie Watkins bagged the winner against his former club but then sparked the first of two melees with a goal celebration he later revealed was aimed at a supporter who had been abusing him all match.
It is understood the fan had been shouting personal abuse about the striker’s mother.
Villa, who came from behind to win after Brentford defender Ben Mee was sent-off for a challenge on Leon Bailey, were then reduced to 10-men themselves when Kamara was dismissed for shoving Yehor Yarmoliuk in the face.
Substitutes Nicolo Zaniolo, Jhon Duran and Emi Martinez were all booked for off the ball incidents, the latter for starting the trouble which led to Kamara’s red. The midfielder will now be suspended for three matches, while both clubs are likely to be in hot water with the FA after tempers flared at the finish.
Emery, booked himself when trying to play peacemaker, said: “I need to analyse the circumstances after the match for what happened with Watkins, Martinez, Duran and Zaniolo.
“I want to explain to the players how we can react to pressure and provocation from them. It was something I don't want in our behaviour.
"Tomorrow we are going to meet speaking overall about the analysis of the match. One part of it is to talk about what happened in different moments of the match.”
Watkins’ headed home from a corner after Alex Moreno had cancelled out Keane Lewis-Potter's first half opener.
The win was Villa’s fifth in their last six Premier League matches and means they can go top of the table by beating Sheffield United on Friday night.
Asked about his celebration, Watkins said: "It was a feisty game, it spurred from my celebration but that's not down to a lack of respect for the fans.
“I've not got a bad word to say against them. But there was one person who was abusing me all game, the celebration wasn't to anyone else but him."
Villa, indebted to Martinez for keeping the deficit at one when he saved from Yoane Wissa, had been struggling to break the home side down before Mee was dismissed for a lunging challenge on Bailey.
Referee David Coote initially showed Mee a yellow card, before upgrading it to red after consulting his pitchside monitor.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank, booked for his reaction, said: "It wasn't a red card, not at all."
