Unai Emery makes Jadon Sancho stance clear after Sunderland 'mistakes'

The winger lost the ball for both goals in the 86th and 87th minutes, allowing Sunderland to level the game in improbable fashion.

Trai Hume reduced Sunderland’s deficit to 3-2 after Sancho was dispossessed deep in Villa’s half, before Wilson Isidor levelled moments later after being played through on goal.

Emi Martínez made a crucial save to deny Habib Diarra in added time, before Lucas Digne went up the other end and crossed for Tammy Abraham to restore Villa’s advantage in the 93rd minute.

Asked about Sancho after the game, Emery cut a reporter off before they could even finish their question.

“It is not his mistake. The mistake is how we did this action,” Emery insisted. “If we did more passes, we could have avoided it.

“The idea in 90 minutes was through good positioning and keeping possession, trying to be patient. When we conceded one goal, we decided to go quickly. I am never punishing it.

“After the ball we lost, the players didn’t respond well to protect the goals. We are going to analyse and find solutions for mistakes.

“I am always taking responsibility for the mistakes, not the players.”

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

Join our Aston Villa WhatsApp group and get the latest breaking news, interviews and opinion sent straight to your phone, plus matchday team news and live updates of all the action. Just click on this link and select ‘Join Community’ to get started. The only proviso is that you must have WhatsApp on your phone to participate. It's a free service. No one will be able to see your personal information and you will only receive messages from our Villa writers.

We will not spam your WhatsApp feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily with the latest Villa news. If you later decide to opt out, just go to the name at the top of your screen and click 'Exit Group'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. Click here to read our Privacy Notice

Our weekly Aston Villa podcast, Claret And Blue, is also available to watch and listen on all major streaming services. You can subscribe to the YouTube channel here, while you can access the podcast on Spotify here and via Apple here.