Aston Villa raised their hope to return to the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Tottenham, but Emiliano Martinez led to fears that he could leave the club with his emotional interaction with fans
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was unable to give any guarantees about the future of Emiliano Martinez after the goalkeeper was in tears after the 2-0 victory, for his side of Europa League finalists Tottenham.
The Argentina International was associated this summer with a switch from Villa Park and he was emotional in full -time from Villa's last home game of the season. When asked about the future of the 32-year-old, Emery could only say “we will see”, with Villa Vooruit Leon Bailey also in tears.
“Of course it's the last game (of the season) here, and I don't know,” said the Spaniard. “We will see about the team, the players, but of course they respond to the field, the moment they respond and they are so focused on how we prepare and play every match.
“Of course Leon Bailey now plays less because other players respond very well. They perform well.
“And we are going to play the last three points Manchester (United). And for us it will be very important for us to prepare to concentrate everyone.
“And of course we will see about everything, how we try to get better the next season.”
Second half goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara strengthened the hope of Villa to return to the Champions League in the next term. Villa's memorable run to the quarterfinals of this season's competition gave them the taste for more and they increased their hope with an eighth victory of their last nine Premier League matches.
The victory of Chelsea over the Red Devils, later on Friday evening Villa saw fifth place and they will sink further when the sixth placed Manchester City wins their match in hand. Emery added: “It's not in our hands. We win. But other teams are, they are demanding and they get their points.”
Tottenham -Baas Ange Postecoglou was not willing to risk Defenders Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Micky Van de Ven prior to the Europa League final of next week after they stayed home.
The focus of Spurs was clearly on Wednesday's collision with Manchester United in Bilbao, where the defensive trio did not even travel to Villa Park, where Tottenham suffered a 21st defeat of a miserable competition season.
They could still be in the promised land of the Champions League next season if they can end their trophy -dried in Europe and the Boss Postecoglou did nothing to endanger that in Villa Park.
When it was reminded that it would be two weeks ago that the trio played, Postecoglou intervened: “Yes, but they are available. They are available. For us, at that time we knew they would not play today, they stayed at home and had a really strong session.”
“Come on Wednesday, knock on wood, they are all available. And that is the most important thing, that was the most important thing. Because when those guys our chances of playing are considerably larger.”
However, Postecoglou could make a new injury to the final, after Papear Sarr had left early in the second half. The midfielder walked straight through the tunnel, but Postecoglou said: “Pape felt something in his back, we don't think it's something important to have spoken to him, but we will see.”