Alejandro Garnacho’s season takes a tough turn as Unai Emery delivers a clear message about his time at Aston Villa so far
Aston Villa’s head coach, Unai Emery, shared some honest thoughts about winger Alejandro Garnacho after their 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Coventry. Tammy Abraham scored twice and Ross Barkley added another to help Villa reach the fourth round, canceling out Victor Torp’s goal for Coventry.
Emery must be happy with the team’s strong performance and hopes this win will boost their Premier League form, as Villa currently sits 19th with just one point from four games.
But for Garnacho, things haven’t been so great—he spent the full 90 minutes on the bench for the third game in a row. The former Manchester United and Chelsea winger, who joined Villa on loan this season with a big purchase option, wasn’t picked even though Emery made seven changes to the starting lineup for the cup match.
In his post-match interview, Emery admitted that Garnacho is a bit behind his teammates in fitness, having played only 31 minutes this season so far. When asked what Garnacho needs to do to get more game time, Emery said, “He just needs to keep working hard—work, train, work. When he gets a chance to play, he needs to show his best. He’s improving, but right now we have players ahead of him.”
Emery praised George Hemmings, Alysson, and Ibrahim Mbaye for their performances, explaining that he wants a competitive team with players who fit his style.
Garnacho’s preseason was affected by a facial injury that made him miss an important match against Paris Saint-Germain. Earlier, Emery had mentioned that Garnacho’s attitude is positive and that he’s committed.
“He just needs time and hard work every day,” Emery said. “He’s showing that with his attitude. He’s progressing step by step, and every training session he’s proving he’s ready to play more.”
Villa’s next match in the Carabao Cup fourth round is against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Other upcoming fixtures include:
– Fleetwood vs Arsenal
– Manchester City or Norwich vs Brighton
– Everton vs Newcastle
– Sunderland vs Brentford
– Liverpool vs Chelsea
– Bradford vs Peterborough
– Fulham vs Crystal Palace
– Bournemouth vs Aston Villa