Unai Emery ‘extremely irritated’ with Evann Guessand, Aston Villa boss rages at what forward did vs Brighton
Aston Villa beat Brighton 4-3 in a crazy game on the south coast on Wednesday night – but Unai Emery was left raging at Evann Guessand.
Villa went behind to an early Jan Paul van Hecke goal, and when Pau Torres poked the ball into his own net, the travelling supporters would’ve been fearing the worst.
Ollie Watkins sparked the comeback though, netting a brace before half-time as Emery’s side fought to get level on the south coast.
Amadou Onana headed Villa in front, before Donyell Malen added a fourth moments after coming on.
Van Hecke grabbed his second of the evening late on, but the Midlands outfit held on to take all three points.
Why Unai Emery was screaming at Evann Guessand
Despite eventually turning the game around, Aston Villa were lacklustre in the first half, and Emery took his frustrations out on winger Guessand.
The Ivory Coast international struggled to get in the game early on, and received an earful from his manager, who was clearly unhappy with his performance.
As reported by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Emery was furious with Guessand’s work off the ball.
The Spanish manager was left raging in his technical area, and shouted at the forward on a number of occasions as he tried to get his message across.
Guessand improved in the second half, with Emery consistently praising him after the break, before he was substituted in the closing stages of the game.
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Unai Emery shows how he has turned Aston Villa around
After five games of the season, Emery was under pressure at Aston Villa, with his side sitting in the Premier League relegation zone.
Fast forward to now, and the Midlands side are third in the table, only six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
| Position | Team | Games | GD | Points |
| 1 | Arsenal | 14 | 20 | 33 |
| 2 | Man City | 14 | 16 | 28 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 14 | 6 | 27 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 14 | 10 | 24 |
Emery’s treatment of Guessand may seem harsh, but it is that demanding nature which makes the Spaniard one of the best managers around.
The 54-year-old holds his players to such high standards and lets them know when they aren’t living up to them.
Villa host Arsenal on Saturday in a game which could be crucial in the Premier League title race, and Emery’s side will go into the clash with huge confidence.
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