'I tell you what...' - Unai Emery 'under pressure' at Aston Villa after green lighting exodus

Unai Emery's behaviour shows he's under serious pressure at Aston Villa following last week's collapse against Brighton.

That is the opinion of former senior Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about how the Villa manager's job may not be as safe as everyone assumes.

The Spaniard's team were smashed 4-0 in their Premier League opener, with Victor Lindelof's own-goal followed by goals from Maxim De Cuyper and Jack Hinshelwood.

Emery cut an incredibly frustrated figure on the touchline, and appeared to snub Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler at the final whistle by walking straight down the tunnel.

The Spaniard has overseen a massively tumultuous summer transfer window, with a number of key players having left the club.

The latest of whom is set to be Ollie Watkins, who was missing from the Villa squad against Brighton and is close to joining Al Hilal in a deal worth around £50million.

Unai Emery 'must have been in on the decisions'

When Emery was asked to explain Watkins' absence before Sunday's game, he simply replied with the word 'silence'.

That was the first indicator of the Spaniard's frustration, and it has likely been growing throughout the summer.

Villa have lost Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, Watkins and are also set to say goodbye to Emi Martinez, leaving a shell of the team that won the Europa League in May.

Emery has received replacements, for the most part, but he now finds himself under extraordinary pressure to get his new-look team firing.

"I'll tell you what, there could be another 4-0 at the weekend as well," King told Football Insider. "I mean, the palaver that went on, not only from the players on the pitch, but also the manager.

"I mean, you know, there are antics and antics. I mean, he looked as though he'd just come out of a lunatic asylum at stages. I thought his behaviour on the line was... dear me. But there again, pressure has different effects on different people and he's under pressure.

"Fear not, he's under pressure, because he must have been in on the decisions to break this team up. You wouldn't just let it happen in front of you and not say anything, would you? I mean, they're all top quality players that have gone.

"Just look at Watkins, Rogers, Tielemans, Digne, and now it could be the goalkeeper. He's going to break the team up. I can't understand it."

Emery faces uphill battle

It will not get any easier for Villa or Emery, with Premier League champions Arsenal set to visit on Monday.

The Villans will be without Joao Gomes for that clash, too, after he was shown a straight red card for kicking out against Brighton

While faith remains in Emery, the pressure will undoubtedly intensify if Villa suffer a similarly difficult result.

A number of additions are set to make their debuts, in an occasion that Emery will hope can serve as a catalyst.