Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Unai Emery stormed down the tunnel at Molineux.
Rodrigo Gomes had just capped a woeful night for Aston Villa – the substitute finishing them off to earn Wolves a deserved victory.
It was enough for the head coach, who refused to wait for the final whistle and left Wolves boss Rob Edwards wondering where the post-match handshake was.
A 2-0 defeat on Friday continued Villa’s poor form – they have won just three of their past 10 Premier League games as they cling on to third in the Premier League.
Now they face a crucial season-defining period, with their hopes of returning to the Champions League – and ending a 30-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League – very much in the balance.
Will Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League?
Chelsea and Manchester United are up next in the Premier League, the two teams immediately below Villa, and United will go third if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The chance to move six points clear of United, and nine ahead of Chelsea, was missed at the league’s bottom side, who had just one previous win this season.
A Europa League tie with Lille in the last 16 is also coming and a season which has promised so much could unravel quicky.
Emery, though, defended his side and insisted even if their title hopes are done they are overachieving.
“We are losing the opportunity to win the title in the Premier League, two months ago we were competing with Arsenal and Manchester City, you were asking me about it,” he said.
“Someone, even myself, may say ‘maybe we can’. Some supporters, maybe they were dreaming it. Now we are not with the possibility to fight for the Premier League, some can feel frustrated, even myself because I have my dreams.
“In September I was worried and the objective was to stay in the Premier League. In December I was so happy and excited to get the top-five position and achieve the Champions League.
“One month ago I was dreaming about maybe winning the Premier League. Now we are in the average to be in the top five.
“Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, they are trying to get to us, for them it is a priority to get into the Champions League.”
Villa are fortunate others have stumbled sooner and for longer this season – ensuring they have maintained a decent grip on third place until now.
Chelsea have dropped 17 points from winning positions at Stamford Bridge and 19 points overall in the Premier League this season.
They go to Arsenal on Sunday hoping to capitalise on Villa’s latest slip – before travelling to Villa Park on Wednesday for a game which could define both teams’ seasons.
Lille, in the Europa League on 12 March, and then a trip to Old Trafford on 15 March, will loom large for Villa.
Individual form has also plummeted, with Ollie Watkins scoring just once in 11 games – reminiscent of the spell where he scored only one goal in the opening 19 matches – while Morgan Rogers is on a similar streak.
The slump was sparked by injuries to Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans last month as Villa’s lack of depth was exposed.
Players argued between themselves as Ezri Konsa – who also had a flashpoint with fans at the end – and Amadou Onana urged Emi Buendia to leave the pitch quicker as he was substituted.
The cracks are showing and even the players are admitting to feeling the pressure.
“It does weigh on us but it shouldn’t,” said Rogers. “We deserve to be here and we should not forget that.
“Our run lately has not been as good as usual but that is the battle of the Premier League. We are going to get back to our good run of wins.
“We set our standards high and we have the ability to win every game. Obviously that is not realistic but we are playing good football as a whole and there is nothing to worry about.
“[The next fixtures] are the games you want to play and, with so much on the line, we need to show why we deserve to be where we are.”
