Jackson finds his finishing touch against City
Jackson was the undisputed star of the show at Villa Park as Aston Villa claimed a significant 2-1 victory over Manchester City, ending the visitors' run of seven consecutive league wins. The Senegalese forward displayed a level of composure that had perhaps been lacking earlier in his tenure, clinical finishing that left even his manager surprised by the rapid rate of his development in front of goal. After opening the scoring with a powerful strike into the roof of the net, he secured the points with a clever first-time finish that evaded Gianluigi Donnarumma in the second half.
Speaking after the final whistle, Emery was quick to highlight the physical and technical growth Jackson has shown since his summer move from Chelsea, having netted an impressive seven goals in 11 appearances across all competitions. Emery noted: 'How he was working, defending, getting duels - wow. He has the power to attack with spaces, duels and his challenge has been when he has chances to score always in the corner in the goal.'
The manager then drew a humorous comparison to Jackson's previous efforts, suggesting the forward used to aim far too high when presented with opportunities in the penalty area. Emery joked: 'At the beginning of the season he was shooting so much as though he was playing rugby, so he is progressing as well. He is doing his tasks.'
Building consistency at Villa Park
The victory over Enzo Maresca's side was particularly sweet for Emery, as it fell on the fourth anniversary of his appointment at the club. The result marked Villa's fifth win in their last seven meetings against Manchester City, as well as their fourth successive victory over the Citizens at Villa Park.
Emery reflected on the tactical preparation that went into the game, stating: 'We planned this match trying to keep the same consistency and demands. How we responded with some players fresh who didn't play on Wednesday. It was a match for them - for example Boubacar Kamara and Matty Cash. This is the level we want to keep achieving through our high demands. Today was a good test. We were very motivated and I was so excited for this test to face them.'
Related Topics
Chasing the elite despite a slow start
While the result against City serves as a statement of intent, Emery is under no illusions regarding his team's overall league campaign. Today's triumph marked Aston Villa's first home win of the Premier League season, lifting them up to sixth in the table with 11 points. This domestic resurgence complements their flawless Champions League run, where they sit second in the league phase with a perfect nine points from nine, trailing only defending champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Discussing the team's trajectory, the former Arsenal boss was honest about their current standing. 'We are progressing but we are under our expectation from the beginning of the season because we started so poorly,' Emery explained. 'Now we are progressing. We analysed the match against Forest and our performance was so bad. We improved a lot of things against Brentford at home, we were better but not enough. Today, everything we were working to improve to set our standards high, today was a step forward.'
Setting the bar for the Champions League era
The Villa boss concluded by reiterating his long-term vision for the club as they navigate a busy schedule across multiple competitions. 'Champions League we are performing fantastic. In the league we are progressing but still under our expectations. The objective is to compete with these teams - City and Arsenal,' he said.