Unai Emery singled out one of his forwards for high praise after Aston Villa defeated Coventry City 3-1 in the League Cup on Wednesday evening. Speaking after the Midlands derby at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the manager described the striker as 'fantastic' following a two-goal contribution that helped secure progression in the competition.
Both the Express & Star and BirminghamWorld carried the post-match reaction, highlighting Emery's satisfaction with the attacking display. The victory gave Villa a welcome lift after a mixed start to the domestic campaign, which included a home defeat by Nottingham Forest at Villa Park on Saturday.
The summer transfer window brought considerable change to the forward line. With Ollie Watkins departing for Al Hilal and Leon Bailey moving to Olympiacos before the deadline closed on 1 September, new arrivals such as Nicolas Jackson have been tasked with filling the void left by those exits.
Wednesday's result means Villa can turn their attention back to the Premier League and a trip to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Kick-off against Tottenham is scheduled for 12:30 UK time.
