Unai Emery upbeat as Aston Villa begin an exciting new chapter after 3-1 win | OneFootball

Unai Emery says Aston Villa are entering an exciting new chapter after a 3-1 win over Indonesia All-Stars that opened their Asia tour on Saturday.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, the head coach has navigated a testing window, with Morgan Rogers moving to Chelsea for £117 million and Youri Tielemans joining Manchester United for £35 million, while Donyell Malen, Enzo Barrenechea and Lewis Dobbin have also left.

Villa’s goals came from Emi Buendia, Ross Barkley and Brian Madjo, and Alejandro Garnacho made his debut after arriving on loan from Chelsea.

Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi have bolstered midfield from Wolves and Freiburg respectively, with 20-year-old centre-back Modou Keba Cisse signed from LASK.

Emery said he feels optimistic about how the squad is coming together, highlighting daily progress, fitness work in camp and the need to integrate newcomers quickly. He stressed staying healthy and adapting to the team’s structure, with some players still to link up after the World Cup.

The Spaniard also praised the facilities, the pitch and the atmosphere, and thanked the club’s sizeable support in Asia.

Europa League winners Villa will play BG Pathum United in Bangkok on Tuesday, then Bayern Munich in Hong Kong three days later, before meeting Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg on 12 August.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com