Emery Resigned to Duran Exit, but Urges Villa to Keep Hold of Watkins

Soccer Football - Champions League - Aston Villa v Celtic - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - January 29, 2025 Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Soccer Football - Champions League - Aston Villa v Celtic - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - January 29, 2025 Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
TT
20

Emery Resigned to Duran Exit, but Urges Villa to Keep Hold of Watkins

Soccer Football - Champions League - Aston Villa v Celtic - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - January 29, 2025 Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs
Soccer Football - Champions League - Aston Villa v Celtic - Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain - January 29, 2025 Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Despite Aston Villa sealing a Champions League last-16 spot on Wednesday, coach Unai Emery faced questions on the futures of Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins, with the Spaniard adamant he wants to keep one forward, while appearing resigned to losing another.

Ahead of kick off, several British media outlets reported Premier League title chasers Arsenal had bid for Villa marksman Watkins.

Watkins went on to score a decisive third goal before missing a penalty against Celtic as Villa sealed a top-eight finish in the Champions League first round, but the result was not top of reporters' agenda post match, Reuters reported.

"I don't want (to sell Watkins)," Emery told reporters. "It is good news to have offers from other clubs. We want to keep our sporting objective through the players we have in the squad.

"Every player can be in the market if it is good for the player and the club. To get this deal we are going to be demanding. Watkins is our striker.

"If he (Duran) leaves it's good news for us because they're paying good money and we developed him in two years. A fantastic young player, I was always trying to help him with my advice. But the player has the objective and ambition and if he leaves it is because he prefers to go another way in his career."

Emery expressed his frustration at the timing of these stories on Villa's big night, sealing an impressive end to the league phase of their first campaign back in Europe's premier club competition since 1982-83.

Morgan Rogers' hat-trick sealed a 4-2 success for Villa, who now skip the playoff round and head straight for the last 16.

"We have a lot of speculation around the players in the squad but they're showing us they are mature and responsible with these performances," Emery added.

"We are very proud of our work this year. The Premier League is very difficult to get into the Champions League because there are a lot of strong teams who are contenders.

"But it's very important how we got here, from where we started."



Messi and Miami Held by New York City in MLS Opener

Lionel Messi - File/AFP
Lionel Messi - File/AFP
TT
20

Messi and Miami Held by New York City in MLS Opener

Lionel Messi - File/AFP
Lionel Messi - File/AFP

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami stumbled out of the blocks with a 2-2 home draw against New York City FC in the opening round of the new Major League Soccer season on Saturday.

Miami, who broke the regular season points record last year before crashing out in the first round of the playoffs, played the bulk of the match with 10 men after Argentine defender Tomas Aviles was sent off.

Messi provided the assists for both Miami's goals including the leveler which came in the 10th minute of stoppage time, AFP reported.

With new head coach Javier Mascherano in charge for the first time in MLS, having replaced fellow Argentine Gerardo Martino, Miami featured several new faces but looked disjointed and lacking shape for most of the encounter.

The night began perfectly for Miami who took the lead in the fifth minute after Messi played a corner deep to Jordi Alba who returned a pinpoint diagonal pass which the World Cup winner slipped across to Aviles who slotted home.

But then things started to go wrong for the MLS Cup favourites.

One of the off-season arrivals, forward Fafa Picault, had to go off in the 10th minute after going down with what appeared to be a muscle injury.

Then, 13 minutes later, the momentum of the game shifted significantly towards New York when Aviles brought down Alonso Martinez on the edge of the box and received a straight red card.

From the free-kick Maxi Moralez took advantage of the disorganisation in the Miami defence -- slipping a pass to the unmarked Slovenian Mitja Ilenic who fired into the bottom corner.

Miami with a makeshift, inexperienced central defensive pairing of Noah Allen and Ian Fray, struggled to get a grip on the game although substitute Robert Taylor forced City keeper Matt Freese into a fine save at the end of the half.

New York could sense there was the chance for an upset but they could barely believe their luck when they were gifted the lead by Alba in the 55th minute.

The former Spain and Barcelona left-back passed straight to New York forward Martinez who gleefully accepted the gift and burst goalwards before slotting past Oscar Ustari.

Messi was getting little in the way of quality service and next to no support from the largely ineffective Luis Suarez who was substituted four minutes after the goal.

Freese kept out a Messi free-kick and Alba found Federico Redondo with a fine pull-back but the midfielder side-footed wide.

But in the 10th minute of stoppage time Messi provided the touch of class Miami needed - slipping a perfectly weighted pass through to Telasco Segovia and the Venezuelan provided a deft finish to lift the ball over Freese for the equaliser.