David Moyes
It was a good win and a very special moment for Andriy Yarmolenko.
It was a great win, a really tough win, the Premier League throws up tight games, at 2-0 we were comfortable but it did not go that way which is no surprise. It was a special moment when Yarmolenko scores, it was good he was involved. He has not trained much and has lost a little bit of weight which is understandable so all those things make it important. It was a terrific goal and everyone who knows him knows he is technically a really good player, we are pleased for him and his family as well.
What was the reaction in the dressing room?
He was brought in and the whole dressing room applauded him and it was a big moment for him it really was. I hope in some way what the media puts out shows in some way how everybody is thinking about it because football has a huge appeal all around the world and I hope in some way if you big it up enough it will do something to help stop this and maybe give the Ukrainians something to shout about that they are seeing we are talking about it in this country all the time.
What does it say about him that he’s been given time off and still come in and made an impact?
He helped us and played well, we have never doubted him as a footballer, he is really good, technically excellent and really pleased for him. The goal was important but the message more so.
How are Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell?
I don’t really know yet but if I did I would not tell you because I am not going to let Sevilla know any idea whether they’re going to be fit or not.
Is it fair to say you might be relying on Yarmolenko more now?
That would be unfair to say that as I would not answer that as it would suggest Mich is not going to be fit. At the moment I do not really know and that is the true answer.
Did Yarmolenko ask to play this game?
I spoke to him yesterday, the other games he did not feel right, he was traveling to Seville with us but was ill so could not travel in the end and when I spoke to him yesterday, he has not done a lot of training just a few days.
Are his family all safe?
I spoke to him yesterday and he has family members in Ukraine and family here and family in … and Fabianski has been a really big help to him regarding getting into Poland as well. So there has been a real team spirit effort, a real team effort behind the scenes.
It seems like everyone has really come together to support him.
Yes, I think they would, let’s be fair I think everyone in our country is together and against what is happening. I feel like I am talking as someone who knows something about it, I am talking like a politician. My team has come together to help Yamrolenko and to support him as best we possibly can but don’t things we are not the only ones, or doing something special we are not the whole country is, all you people too as you are writing against it and talking against it so we are not doing anything special we are just helping somebody who is Ukrainian.
He had compassionate leave, are you doing anything else to help him at this time?
We have offered, the club have been great and given him everything they can and asked what can we do. Karen Brady has been on the phone, asking what can we do, is there anything more, is there anything we can do. If any of his family members are over we would try and make sure we can do the right things for them if we had to do that. But you or anybody else would do the same if you were in that position.
It was a good win and two assists for Benrahma.
That is what he has to do isn’t it? He was better today, but you saw a lot of really good and a lot of really poor so what we are trying to get is the good more regular. But if he keeps getting assists and he played much better today than he has done, more of a team player today in making the goals so I was pleased with him today.
How often has Yarmolenko been in training?
We had given him time off at the start because he was on the phone all the time, then he came in a little but he has been in three or four days over this period, he is fit and lean so it is not as if [that was a problem], so I was quite surprised that he did so well, he played the best part of 45 minutes.
What was his reaction in the dressing room when the players clapped him?
He is just grateful and appreciates that everyone is trying to help him. It was good.
You nullified Coutinho well today.
Coutinho is a top player and has shown that in the last month or so for Villa. Villa came into this in great form and their front three have looked really good so it was a tough game for us. We knew they were coming with their tails up and actually, there was a period, we played well in the first half without getting much from it, the second half I felt that Villa had got better and we had dropped and our injuries made me think the midweek stuff was seeping into us. In the end we rallied and got a couple of goals which we have not done so often recently and I thought we looked comfortable at 2-0 with ten minutes to go but we made it a bit nervy in the end.
