Aston Villa defender Pau Torres has labelled Unai Emery one of the best managers in the world after their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday.
The defender tuned into El Partidazo de Cope to speak about all things Aston Villa and the win over City, which took the Villans into the top four of the Premier League.
Leon Bailey’s deflected effort proved to be enough for Unai Emery’s side to secure all three points against the champions following a game in which they dominated Pep Guardiola’s side and created numerous chances to win the game.
It was another fine evening for Aston Villa, who have not only turned Villa Park into a fortress since Emery’s arrival but also helped him to secure his first ever win over Guardiola to boot.
The victory took them up to third in the table, two ahead of Manchester City and just four behind league leaders Arsenal with 15 games of the campaign already gone.
It’s fair to say they are flying high under Emery’s leadership and Torres admits he and the rest of the group are feeling strong, having now struck the perfect balance that the Spanish coach was looking for.
“In the end, if the game is like today and they go well, you always enjoy them,” he said.
“I think the team was very comfortable in how the game was going and we saw the team enjoying itself, pressing, running, enjoying having the ball and well, we had a good time and we won.
“It’s what the manager asks of us and has implemented at Aston Villa. In the beginning it was difficult because the fans asked us many times during the game, after stealing a ball, to run with it.
“But the manager asked us to be patient because in the end the fans will end up getting used to us, to our games, to our style and that’s why we feel strong.
“He (Emery) was happy. It was also a challenge for him. He (Guardiola) is a great coach; they are undoubtedly two of the best in the world. It’s always special the first time.”
