Unai Emery has admitted Aston Villa cannot continue to concede goals if they are to maintain their good form.
Villa’s three game-winning run in the Premier League was halted in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday, with Emery’s back four coming under scrutiny for their role in Liam Delap’s second-half equaliser.
Villa have kept just eight clean sheets in the previous 44 league matches and are yet to register one this season, conceding nine goals in six games.
The Midlands club are without their only senior right-back in Matty Cash for the visit of Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, with Ezri Konsa, whose favoured role is in central defence, recently required to move to full-back.
“We are not defending like last year,” said Emery, speaking in his pre-match press conference. “It’s not for the defenders, the goalkeeper, it’s for everyone. The first defenders are the strikers and the first attacking player is the goalkeeper.
“We have to improve because we cannot concede the goals we are conceding each match we are playing. I believe in our work but we are conceding more goals than normal.”
Emery, however, refused to single any player out for criticism, insisting individual errors are natural in football.
“Football is mistakes, we have to accept we are making mistakes,” he said. “I am trying to rectify my mistakes, tactically when I am analysing my decisions during the match and it’s my responsibility to correct those and not repeat them. For the players, it’s the same.
“I will never punish the players making a mistake for the next match and will work with the players on the pitch. On Sunday every mistake we made, we were working yesterday morning. I want to try to correct practising and hopefully tomorrow on the pitch.”
Villa return to Premier League action against Manchester United on Sunday.
(Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
