Matty Cash believes Aston Villa must keep Unai Emery at the club after Saturday's 2–1 win over Manchester City at Villa Park.
Nicolas Jackson scored twice to end City's perfect start to the Premier League season. Erling Haaland briefly equalised, but Jackson struck again on the hour to secure all three points for Villa.
Cash's comments come after a summer of major changes at Villa, with several established players leaving and 10 new signings arriving. The defender believes the squad needs time to settle, but he made it clear how much Emery means to the team.
Nicolas Jackson Double Ends Man City’s Perfect Start
Nicolas Jackson put Aston Villa ahead in the sixth minute after Marc Guéhi's poor touch allowed John McGinn to win possession and set up the striker, who finished to give the hosts the lead.
Manchester City equalised seven minutes into the second half when Iliman Ndiaye crossed into the box, and Erling Haaland headed past the goalkeeper to make it 1-1.
Jackson restored Villa's lead on the hour. After Ibrahim Mbaye's cutback found him in the area, the striker hit a first-time shot that slipped beneath Gianluigi Donnarumma and secured all three points for the hosts.
According to Opta Analyst, Jackson became the first Villa player to score a Premier League brace against the league leaders since Andreas Weimann against Manchester United in November 2012.
City had won their first seven league matches under Enzo Maresca and arrived at Villa Park looking to make it eight in a row. The defeat ended that run. Villa, meanwhile, had taken just eight points from their opening seven league games and had yet to win at home in the Premier League this season.
Saturday’s result gave them their first home league victory of the campaign and lifted them to sixth with 11 points from eight matches.
Cash Explains Why Emery Matters to Villa
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Cash pointed to the number of changes Villa had made over the summer and the importance of keeping Emery in charge.
“We had a lot of change at the start of the season; it was going to take time to gel and get comfortable with each other. Unai Emery is brilliant; having him stay is the main priority for us.”
Cash has spoken about Emery’s influence before. In an interview with ESPN on 11 November 2025, he explained that he had turned down two offers to leave Villa and wanted to continue developing at the club.
“My main priority is to stay at Villa,” Cash said at the time. He also described Emery as a “big key factor” in his decision to commit his future to the club.
Villa announced Cash's contract extension until 2029 on 27 October 2025. His previous comments provide a clear indication of the manager's influence on his decision to stay.
How Villa Are Finding Their Feet After a Summer of Change
Cash had already warned in September that Villa would need patience after losing “six or seven key players who were all starting” and bringing in 10 new signings. Among the players who departed were Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, two of Emery's most important members of his Europa League winning squad last season.
That turnover left Emery with a new-look squad to bring together, and Villa’s start to the season had been uneven. The win over City was an important response, particularly after their struggles at home in the league.
Villa has a manager he believes can help the new squad settle and improve, and the defender has made it clear that keeping him matters.
