Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Unai Emery admitted that Alejandro Garnacho is down the pecking order at Aston Villa but urged him to keep working to force his way into the side.
Garnacho was an unused substitute for the third game running as Villa ran out 3-1 winners over Coventry City in the EFL Cup, booking their place in the fourth round.
Emery had made seven changes to his starting line-up from their late loss to Nottingham Forest last time out, with Garnacho yet to start since completing his loan move from Chelsea.
In total, he has made three substitute appearances for Villa, all in the Premier League, and has accrued just 31 minutes of playing time.
“[He has to] continue working,” Emery said when asked in his post-match press conference what Garnacho needs to do to play.
“Work, work, train, work. When he can have minutes to play, try and play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now.
“George [Hemmings] is playing fantastic. Alysson is also understanding things well and is giving us things I want. [Ibrahim] Mbaye also responded well. We want a competitive team and players to compete in the style we have.
“Garnacho is a little bit behind because of some circumstances we had in pre-season [a facial injury]. It is time to be patient for the time he needs.”
— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) September 16, 2026
Tammy Abraham netted a double against Coventry, with Ross Barkley also hitting the back of the net to render Victor Torp’s goal a consolation.
Villa have now scored three goals for the second cup game in a row, having beaten Club Brugge 3-2 in the Champions League last week.
And Emery will now be hoping to add to their Premier League goal tally – which sits at just one goal after four games – when they face an equally struggling Tottenham on Saturday.
“Each competition we are playing in, we try to win and to be consistent,” Emery said.
“We are not [consistent] in the Premier League, but in the Champions League and against Coventry in the Carabao Cup, we performed fantastic, and the players as well responded on the field like we need.
“The new players as well, how they are trying to understand everything tactically, and individuals showing their skills, is positive.”
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