Aston Villa manager Unai Emery praised Aston Villa's 'never give up' mentality after their draw against Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins scored eight minutes into the second half as Villa came back from two goals down to keep their title chase at Arsenal 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium.
Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz had given the Gunners a 2-0 lead, but Villa dealt Mikel Arteta's side a huge blow as they now sit six points behind leaders Liverpool after playing a game more.
And after their hard-earned point in London, Villa boss Emery praised his players for their brilliant second-half display.
“It was fantastic. It was brilliant how the players reacted after the two goals,” Emery told Sky Sports.
“In our mentality we never give up and today we never gave up and we tried to score one goal. The mentality we showed is the mentality we want.”
Emery's players have now gained 13 points from losing their positions in the Premier League this season, with only Manchester City (14) and Liverpool (14) having recovered more.
It was also the first time since 2013 that Villa had avoided defeat after trailing by two or more goals in the Premier League, ending a run of 52 consecutive defeats.
Emery also hinted that he will explore the transfer market to equip his squad for the second half of the season.
We draw in the Emirates after a big second half #ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/ZcVQPiTeci
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 18, 2025
“I want to build a team that changes some small players in the squad and try to use this transfer window to get stronger for the second part of the season,” he said.
Arsenal came into the match on the back of an eleven-match unbeaten run in the league and although Villa failed to get that point, they came every inch close.
“Arsenal are very powerful at home. This is the level we want to get close to, but we still have work to do because they are very strong in their way of doing things. Competing like we did is the only way to achieve here.” Emery said.
“They were pushing and creating some chances, but even with that we still got one.”
Villa will now focus on the Champions League when they play Monaco on Tuesday.
“Now we will enjoy the Champions League and of course participate,” he said.
His team has collected thirteen points from six games in Europe this season and is five points behind table top Liverpool.
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