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Aston Villa were at their lowest ebb in Unai Emery’s tenure exactly one month ago.

When Matty Cash scored the club’s first league goal in their sixth match of the campaign, it felt like Villa might just about battle through to their first victory of the season. It didn’t need to be pretty.

But just minutes later, the 10-man Black Cats pounced on some shambolic defending. As Villa players stood motionless around the edge of the penalty area, Granit Xhaka cushioned the ball forward for Wilson Isidor to fire beyond Emi Martínez.

What followed were some home truths from Unai Emery, who rarely criticises his players in the media - and for good reason, considering the level his side have played at over the past few years.

Emery was furious with his team’s “lazy” defending,

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