It was a lot of nothing, he claimed. I complained to the fourth official about playing 114 minutes, and Unai left without waiting for the handshake. I merely remarked, “No problem, go through the tunnel.”
“I’ve previously waited for people (managers) for a very long time, so I can understand why they would like to speak with the fourth official.
“The fourth official wouldn’t have had to wait long; my talk with him lasted approximately eight seconds. But if he chooses not to, that’s fine with me. I have absolutely no issues with Unai.
“I thought we edged it 11 v 11, apart from the start but a point is fairish I’d suggest. We looked comfortable, there wasn’t a huge gap between the sides.
“Eight points is not a bad return, we’re managing to score goals and trying to improve.”
Rayan Ait-Nouri steered Wolves’ best first-half chance wide and Jose Sa needed to be alert to divert Watkins’ effort over soon after the break.
But Wolves struck first after 53 minutes when Neto’s pace took him past Torres to cross for Hwang to net his sixth goal of the season.
The lead lasted just two minutes as Torres netted his first Villa goal when he turned in Watkins’ cross at the far post after Wolves were unable to clear Douglas Luiz’s free kick.
With 12 minutes left Neto should have settled the game when Sasa Kalajdzic’s excellent cross found Wolves’ star man only for him to blaze over from 10 yards.
Wolves then had to navigate eight of the 12 minutes of stoppage time with 10 men after Lemina was dismissed, earning a second yellow card for a tug on Nicolo Zaniolo.
And Villa nearly cashed in with the last touch of the game when Watkins thumped the base of the post.
Villa would have qualified for the Champions League after Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Brighton with a win.
“We could tell that it was a derby on the field. It was a terrific environment, and we have a lot of supporters pushing us along,” added Emery, who also described leaving without shaking hands as “nothing.”
“We tried to concentrate on the game. It was crucial that we responded to the goal fast. In the 11-on-11 match, we produced more chances, but they also had some excellent transitions and opportunities.
“We attempted to gain the upper hand after they received a red card.
“We have high aspirations and high standards. We had a strong first half start, but we lost some composure. We weren’t controlling the game and at that moment I was frustrated and upset.”
