Unai Emery makes 'easy' admission Vs. Liverpool as he accepts full responsibility

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery accepted responsibility for Emiliano Martinez's disastrous error which allowed Mohamed Salah to open the scoring for Liverpool at Anfield.

Villa had more more than played its part in an end-to-end first half on Saturday, but conceded on the stroke of half-time when Martinez blundered when trying to play out from the back.

The Argentinean goalkeeper attempted to make a short pass to Pau Torres but misplaced it, and the ball ended up at the feet of Salah, who stroked the ball into the empty net.

After the break, Ryan Gravenberch doubled Liverpool's lead, and from that point on it never felt as though three points were in doubt for the Reds.

Emery was not happy with the outcome of the game, but refused to lay the blame for Villa falling behind at the feet of any of his players.

“Today we lost because we faced a very good Liverpool side," Emery said. "Even though we lost in the match, we competed very well and with the possibilities to get something.

“The first 30 minutes, we were fantastic, continuing the way we did against Tottenham and Manchester City. We showed our capacity to dominate some times and create chances.

“But the last 15 minutes of the first half we lost some positioning on the field and we were lower than we planned."

On the mistake from Martinez, which led to Liverpool taking the lead, Emery said: “We need to try to play with personality through our structure and through our roles and take good positioning.

“Pau was getting his position to play with this pass and then through those passes to feel good and in that case lost the ball. Of course, to build in our structure strong and not conceding the chances we conceded.

“It was easy for Salah. It was a huge mistake but one thing in our process under my responsibility. I accept it and we build a team here through the style we want to keep in our process in the club and in the next matches.

“We must avoid huge mistakes like we made today in the first goal we conceded. But it’s something part of our process and we are going to analyse, to identify how we will build in these circumstances for the next matches.

“But of course, through it we are feeling comfortable and strong. The players are getting the level through our position and our idea.”

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