Aston Villa manager Unai Emery singled out teenagers Brian Madjo and George Hemmings for praise following their performances in the UEFA Super Cup defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Both players were handed starting berths due to a number of absences in the Villa squad.
Teenagers Step Up Amid Absences
With Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Emi Martinez given four weeks off after the World Cup, and Alejandro Garnacho observing concussion protocols, Emery turned to youth. Madjo scored Villa's equaliser on the cusp of half-time, battling with Nuno Mendes at the back post before beating Matvéi Safónov. Hemmings also impressed, playing from the left and drifting into dangerous pockets of space, reminiscent of Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey.
Emery commented on Hemmings: “Last season he played against Salzburg, but I needed to sub him in the first half. He was a little bit nervous, but it was his first experience playing like that. He played with more confidence today, and in the position we have worked on. Now is the time to stay consistent and demanding. Still a lot of work and matches to play.”
Emery's Pride in Performance
On Madjo, Emery said: “He has been involved in our work last season, but not playing. We tried to get him ready to perform like today. There is still work to do, but he showed that he can be close to us to play.”
Emery expressed pride in Villa's overall display against PSG, given the circumstances. He explained: “We played one match today in pre-season, but a match to compete for a trophy. We decided to play this match with the players who were ready to play and were fit, tactically as well as working for the last weeks.”
Managing Key Players
He added: “We avoided some risk with some players and also gave one week off for the players who were playing until the last matches at the World Cup, like Watkins, Konsa and Martinez. They are very important players but it is important how we manage them, resting and working.”
Emery concluded: “I have experienced myself and I am trying to use those experiences to avoid some mistakes, maybe they could happen in other circumstances. Hemmings and Brian, we have been getting them ready to play, and there is still work to do but they showed today that they can be close to us to be ready and to compete.”
The match against PSG was part of Villa's pre-season preparations, with the UEFA Super Cup final scheduled for Wednesday, August 12, in Austria. Villa fans can watch the game live on TNT Sports via HBO Max or Prime Video's HBO Max channel.
