For a mid-table evening sideshow to follow an afternoon of thrills and spills at the top and bottom, this was still high-class Premier League entertainment. And between two shy managers, neither a rock-star quote machine and both offering steadiness over turbulence, it was Unai Emery who prevailed over Graham Potter.
Emery’s quiet, technocratic approach continues to win approval with Villa fans while Potter remains an uneasy fit for Chelsea, his team’s recent revival forgotten amid this latest reverse. He was barracked loudly at full time. His appointment again looks ill-starred at a club where turbulence is part of the package. Winning matches is supposed to be, too. “I understand when you lose at home that people are going to be angry,” he said. “Whatever criticism comes I have to accept.”
