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WHAT WAS HE HIDING? THE MYSTERY BEHIND UNAI EMERY’S "WEIRD" SKY SPORTS INTERVIEW

Jamie Redknapp slams Unai Emery’s "odd" interview after Villa’s loss to Everton. Is the pressure of the title race showing?

What was he hiding? The mystery behind Unai Emery’s "weird" Sky Sports interview
Is Emery sending a secret message to Villa’s owners about January transfer signings?

Jamie Redknapp and Ashley Young just couldn’t make sense of Unai Emery’s painfully awkward post-match interview after Aston Villa’s 1-0 loss to Everton.

Villa had a real shot at climbing to second in the Premier League with a win at Villa Park, especially since Arsenal and Manchester City had both dropped points earlier that weekend. But instead, they put in one of their flattest performances of the season. Thierno Barry’s clever finish ended up being the only thing between the two teams.

Evann Guessand hit the woodwork, but honestly, Villa barely offered anything in response. And things nearly got worse—Jake O’Brien actually scored early on, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside.

So, Arsenal wrapped up the weekend with a comfortable seven-point lead at the top, with City sitting above third-placed Villa on goal difference after 22 games. For Villa, that’s three games out of their last four where they’ve dropped points. They’ll try to turn things around next weekend at St James’ Park against Newcastle.

After the final whistle, Emery looked like he weighed the world on his shoulders. He told Sky Sports that his team simply weren’t “top-five contenders” with the way they’ve been playing. “We are not contenders to be in the top five. We are still not being contenders,” he said. “There are other teams with more potential than us.”

When a reporter pressed him on what it would take for Villa to actually be contenders, Emery just repeated himself—“Because there are other teams with more potential than us.” He wouldn’t elaborate, just stared down at the ground, then glared at the reporter before walking off. It was tense, and honestly, a little uncomfortable.

Back in the Sky Sports studio, Mark Chapman said Emery looked like he was “seething about something”, but nobody could quite figure out what had set him off. Redknapp and Young looked just as confused by Emery’s “weird” and “odd” behaviour.

“He looked really angry,” Young said. He guessed maybe it was all the injuries—another one for John McGinn, plus they’re still missing Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana. “Is it the loss of Donyell Malen? Is he trying to send a message to the owners, saying he needs more players?”

Young thought Emery would have more to say about the game itself and the missed chance to close the gap on Arsenal. “To say there are five teams with more potential, it was weird.”

Redknapp called it “one of the oddest interviews I have ever seen,” especially the part at the end when Emery just went silent. “I don’t know what he’s trying to allude to. I guess he’s just genuinely devastated by that performance and result. They do need players.”

He pointed out how thin Villa’s bench looked. “They haven’t got the options. Harvey Elliott hasn’t worked out and wasn’t on the bench; Jadon Sancho was ill. Boubacar Kamara looks like he’ll be out for a long time; John McGinn’s got a knee problem. They need to strengthen that midfield.”

Redknapp said Arsenal got away with one since Villa “blew an incredible opportunity” to put some real pressure at the top. “They couldn’t have started any worse. Everton hit the post in the first few minutes, and you thought that would wake Villa up, but it never happened. Then they lost John McGinn, and, really, they just wasted the chance to go after Arsenal.”

“They didn’t have it in any area today. The players who can bail them out just didn’t turn up. It was a really tough afternoon for Villa—they never got going. Maybe it’s the pressure, maybe it’s the missing players. Either way, they just weren’t at it.”

TOTTENHAM CRISIS: THOMAS FRANK FACES THE SACK AFTER NINTH PREMIER LEAGUE DEFEAT

Thomas Frank faces the sack at Tottenham after a 2-1 loss to West Ham. Discover why Michael Carrick's United success adds pressure.

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Thomas Frank Claims Tottenham Is A "Supertanker" That Is Difficult To Turn

Michael, what have you done? Every old Spurs legend—Hoddle, Ardiles, Klinsmann, Ginola—just about everyone except Tim Sherwood, is probably waiting by the phone, half-expecting a call from the club. All of them feel like a better fit for Tottenham than Thomas Frank and his mind-numbing football.

Honestly, after watching what Carrick has sparked at Manchester United, even the most patient Spurs fan is dreaming of a miracle at home. United just outplayed City with all the passion and style we keep saying we want. Meanwhile, Tottenham lost at home again—this time to West Ham, who have their own problems. It’s not just another defeat; it happened the same day United reminded everyone what a little belief and flair can do. You can almost hear the board thinking, “Why not us?”

Frank’s numbers look as bad as they feel. When Spurs lured him from Brentford, the idea was to bring some excitement back—make matchdays fun again after the grind under Postecoglou. But look where we are. Out of both cups. Nine league defeats, and it’s still January. If Frank sticks around, he could even break Big Ange’s record for losses in a season. Fans are already dreading what comes next. When West Ham scored the winner in added time, the groans said it all. Spurs can’t even hold on for a draw these days.

It’s been eleven weeks since that moment when Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven just ignored Frank after the Chelsea loss. Who can blame them? Faking gratitude for fans after rolling over in a derby? No thanks.

Frank’s style—so neat at Brentford—just crashes and burns at Spurs, a club built on the idea that football should be bold and beautiful. Go back to Arthur Rowe in the fifties, pushing and running, setting a standard for English football that still haunts the place. It’s not nostalgia—Spurs fans really want a team that’s fun to watch. Sure, there’s value in Frank’s discipline and organisation, but not when it sucks the joy out of the game.

At Brentford, Frank had a manageable environment. Tottenham is a different beast—a bigger club, bigger expectations. Mid-table isn’t good enough. Frank knows his football, but he’s out of his depth here. His methodical, stripped-back approach just doesn’t fit, no matter how sharp he looks on the touchline.

Look at United. Sticking with a failing coach only dragged things out. Amorim got another year when everyone could see it wasn’t working. Carrick, on the other hand, just put players where they belonged, tightened up the defence, and—most important—gave them a reason to care. He reminded them of what it means to play for a club with real history. That bit of pride brought them together for the derby and made them believe they belonged on the same pitch as City.

Spurs have none of that right now. There’s no sense of unity, no mission. Frank never tapped into what makes this club tick, and now he’s lost the dressing room and the fans. It’s obvious to everyone—the owners included—that it’s time for a change.

THE HEART STOPPING MOMENT MARC GUEHI’S PRIVATE JET ABORTED ITS LANDING IN MANCHESTER

Marc Guehi’s flight aborts landing in Manchester as he arrives for a £20m City move. Plus, Glasner’s furious Palace reaction.

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Marc Guehi Will Fix Manchester City’s Current Defensive Injury Crisis.

Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi had quite the morning flying up to Manchester to seal his move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Just as his private jet was about to land, a larger plane suddenly rolled onto the runway, forcing Guehi’s pilot to pull up at the last second and circle over the city. Not exactly the calmest way to start a new chapter. Still, they landed safely, and Guehi headed off to finalise his £20 million January transfer to the Cityzens.

Guehi touched down in Manchester early Sunday, but not without that bit of drama. The Sun reported how close his jet came to the ground before being forced to abort. After the scare, he made it to the city to wrap up the deal.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner isn’t taking the news well. Guehi’s contract was running out, and Palace didn’t want to risk losing him for nothing at the end of the season. He almost went to Liverpool last summer, but that fell through. Now, with City swooping in, Palace cashes in, but Glasner feels blindsided. He told Sky Sports he only found out about the sale the morning before their game against Sunderland.

Glasner didn’t hold back: “I heard yesterday at 10:30 am we were selling Marc. Negotiations probably took days, but I only got told at the last minute? Then we have to handle it and head to Sunderland, already struggling with injuries, and now we’re selling our captain. No team does this. Other clubs let players play and leave the next day. We’re selling the day before a match?”

After his outburst, Glasner’s own Palace future looks shaky. Earlier in the week, he said he’d leave at the end of the season, but after publicly venting and claiming “we’ve been abandoned” following the Sunderland match, he could be out even sooner.

For Manchester City, Guehi’s arrival comes at the right time. Guardiola’s squad just lost 2-0 to Manchester United, and with John Stones, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol all injured, City have been forced to start youngsters like Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne in defence. Guardiola admitted his team fell short against Michael Carrick’s United.

“They were better,” Guardiola told reporters. “They had something we didn’t. I’ve been here a lot, but today we weren’t at the level to win. Four days ago, against Newcastle, we had the energy, but not today. It wasn’t a bad performance, just not the result we wanted. That’s football. They have a new manager, a derby, all that energy. We’ve changed a lot of players over the last year. The spirit’s been great, but today we just weren’t there. Against Sunderland, we were great, but we didn’t finish our chances against Brighton and Chelsea.”

With Guehi on board, City hope to steady the ship and get back on track.

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