Aston Villa beat Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and one of the home team’s starters decided not to take the knee alongside other players
Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana opted not to take the knee ahead of his team’s Premier League match against Manchester City. Premier League players have been performing the gesture this weekend as part of the No Room for Racism initiative, though it remains the choice of individuals whether to do so.
Onana previously decided against taking the knee when he was at Everton, and did the same before Villa’s game against Tottenham last weekend. His personal decision this time comes two years after he was subject to personal abuse while on the books of the Merseyside club.
After playing for Everton against Villa in 2023, the Belgian international highlighted the racist abuse he had received. “Everton Football Club strongly condemns any form of racist and discriminatory abuse towards our players,” his club at the time wrote in a statement.
“The club is aware of a racist post targeted at Amadou Onana. Such abuse is vile and will not and should not be tolerated. The club is conducting an investigation to identify the individual responsible and will also be supporting Police with any investigation they conduct.
“We must all take a zero tolerance stance by reporting such behaviour to social media platforms and the authorities. Racism has no place online, in our stadia or in our communities.”
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On the pitch, Onana played the full 90 minutes as Villa claimed a 1-0 win over City. Matty Cash scored the only goal of the game, lashing an effort home midway through the first half, and City had a late leveller ruled out for offside.
Unai Emery’s Villa failed to score in any of their first four league games, but are now unbeaten in six. The run includes four wins on the spin in the Premier League, though they suffered a Europa League defeat against Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday.
“Very proud of how the supporters transmitted us the energy,” Villa boss Emery told club media after the latest victory brought his team within a point of City. “Positive, always helping us, and the players they were feeling, ‘wow’, like our fortress, and like our power to show – after this positive energy – their skills, their wishes, their commitment tactically to do everything we planned.
“And against one team like Manchester City, we needed tactically, their wishes. We needed their commitment, their effort, and of course, the supporters how they helped us here, creating this atmosphere, so positive, to help and to be together here as a feeling to defend our fortress strongly like we did.”
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