Unai Emery punched the air in frustration at the Spotify Nou Camp. It came from a place of disappointment and exasperation as his Aston Villa side let slip the opportunity of a result in their Champions League tie against Barcelona. They had just fallen 2-0 behind in Spain, having tried to match the hosts blow-for-blow.
Raphinha's quick second-half double put the game out of reach after Lamine Yamal's opener, when Villa pressed the self-destruct button just seven minutes in. It could have led to a collapse but, instead, they took the game to the Spanish champions during an engrossing first half, which could - and perhaps should - have yielded a leveller. While defeat ended their 100% Champions League start after three wins, it gave Villa and boss Emery the chance to consider their progress.
Barcelona brilliance ends Villa's perfect start Villa firmly believe they belong on this stage. After four years of improvement with Emery they have another chance to prove it. They arrived in Spain with wins against Club Brugge, Fenerbahce and Viking, but this was their hardest test.
Emery, who celebrated his 55th birthday on Tuesday, wanted to use it as a barometer for their progress, to see how they compared with the current La Liga leaders and five-time European champions. In the driving rain Villa could argue they matched Barca in the opening period and had it not been for Joao Gomes' glaring error that led to Lamine Yamal's strike, and poor finishing, they could have snatched the advantage. They have been on the rise under Emery but last season's Europa League winners showed they are still not at the level to win in the Nou Camp.
The head coach would also deny it, but perhaps he had something to prove in this stadium which handed him his harshest lesson in the competition nine years ago. In what became known as La Remontada [The Comeback], Barcelona recovered from 4-0 down from the first leg of their last-16 tie to beat Emery's Paris St-Germain side 6-1 in the home return and 6-5 on aggregate. Just one more match," said Emery when asked about it on Monday.
There was to be no Villa comeback on Tuesday night and Emery's record at the Nou Camp now stands at 15 defeats in 16 games and, in 31 attempts against Barca, he had won just three times. He was able to field what was his strongest available team, but they created their own problems when Gomes' wretched pass gifted Lamine Yamal the crucial opener. Emery, whose side were overtaken by second-placed Barcelona in the league phase table, added: "We are working for years together and we made mistakes like that but we have always overcome those mistakes.
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