Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was pleased with the fight his players showed in their come-from-behind victory over West Ham in the FA Cup.
The Villains fell behind 1-0 early on with a goal from Lucas Paqueta, but showed persistence in the second half and were able to tie the score.
Amadou Onana scored the equalizer in the 71st minute, and Morgan Rogers scored the winning goal five minutes later.
Overall, the Spanish head coach was satisfied, but also said there was room for improvement after conceding an early goal.
He said: “I’m happy, but we were trying to set a goal of not conceding easy goals and we did it again early on.
“But we reacted well, more or less not conceding another chance. The players showed that they wanted to do something in the competition.
“We have conceded a lot of goals, but the most important goal is to win.
“We’re trying to be strong here and build a fortress. We did what we’ve been doing all season. We responded well and more or less controlled the game.
🗣️ “We create chaos in the attacking third.”
Great second half performance from Morgan Rogers 👏#ITVfootball | #FACup | 🎙️ @KatieShanahan3 | @AVFCofficial pic.twitter.com/XNbYNcCGNd
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 10, 2025
“Of course it is very important which team we play after today, but we are focused now. I want to get one.”
Match winner Morgan Rogers expressed his determination in the post-match interview.
He believes the club can win the famous trophy and end the drought.
Rodgers said: “We had a little bit more faith, a little more patience, a more positive mindset.
“We created chances and made a bit of noise in the final third and that’s where our goals came from.
“We know we can fight back against anyone. We’ll try to fix the start of the game, but I’m happy with the way the game ended.
“Why can’t we win? Anything can happen in a cup game. You never know who you’re going to play or where you’re going to play.”
