Aston Villa beat Viking 3-1 at home in Europe to make it 12 consecutive home victories in European competition. After the match, Unai Emery praised substitute Alejandro Garnacho and Ross Barkley.
Match result
Aston Villa defeated Viking 3-1. Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendia scored for Villa, while Alysson forced an own goal.
Emery on the team display
Emery said in his post-match press conference: "We are delighted with how we are responding to our demands and respecting the Champions League and our opponents."
Garnacho earns praise
Alejandro Garnacho is on loan at Aston Villa from Chelsea after moving in the summer of 2026. When asked about the stellar performances of Alysson and Ibrahim Mbaye, Emery made a point to praise Garnacho for his impact off the bench. He said: "Garnacho played 20 minutes and these were his best minutes with us. It is positive."
Barkley singled out
Emery added: "Firstly, as a person, he is a fantastic guy. Getting emotions together is important, and everyone needs to feel the same. Ross Barkley is a very good player with experience, and his career, I don’t know why, was going down after Chelsea. When we watched him at Luton, we thought, ‘Wow, what a player’."
Emery added: "I am so happy with how he is playing his football for us, always being respectful whether he is playing or not playing. I am pushing him a lot offensively. I know he can score and can head the ball. I am very demanding of him offensively. I am happy for him."