Aston Villa defender Matti Cash has reflected on the thrilling 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the eighth round of the Premier League.
In an interview with TNT Sports following the match, Cash discussed his duel with Jeremy Doku, rated Suzuki's performance, and expressed his views on Unai Emery.
Cash discusses his battle with Doku
The Englishman emphasised the importance of taking personal responsibility while following the manager's instructions when facing dangerous wingers.
“The coach gives us tasks, but you also have to take responsibility on yourself. I work a lot on playing against wingers. I believe that a full-back needs to act aggressively to make it tough for them. I think I did well with my task today. The most challenging part is staying close to him. I watched footage of him playing this morning,” Cash explained.
Defender praises Suzuki
Cash also had high praise for goalkeeper Suzuki, highlighting his vision and confident decision-making.
“He’s brilliant. On the first training session when he joined us, during a possession drill, I thought we’d signed a midfielder. His vision is incredible, and he excels in dealing with crosses. For a full-back, that’s just a dream,” the defender said.
Cash impressed by Jackson
The defender took a moment to commend Nicolas Jackson, who bagged a brace against Manchester City and emerged as one of the match’s standout performers.
“Everyone is really impressed with him. He has incredible quality. A striker wants to score goals—and he’s doing just that,” Cash remarked.
Keeping Emery is the main priority
Cash explained that the rocky start to the season was partly due to numerous changes within the squad. He noted that players needed time to gel and adapt to one another.
“At the beginning of the season, we had a lot of changes, so it took time to bond and feel comfortable with each other. Unai Emery is fantastic, and keeping him at the club is our main priority,” the defender emphasised.
Aston Villa claimed victory over Manchester City by a scoreline of 2-1, thanks to Jackson's impressive double.
