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Premier League: Villa edge closer to Champions League qualification

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 Aston Villa 3 - 3 Liverpool Aston Villa pulled off a thrilling late comeback against Liverpool at Villa Park to secure a crucial point in the battle for fourth place in the Premier League. Villa had the chance to seal a Champions League spot with a win, setting the stage for an electric atmosphere ahead of kickoff, highlighted by a special address to the fans from Hollywood icon and avid supporter Tom Hanks. However, Unai Emery's squad found themselves trailing 3-1 with just five minutes remaining, seemingly leaving the door ajar for Tottenham, but two goals from substitute Jhon Duran turned the tide, securing an improbable draw. The early festivities took a hit within minutes when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's unfortunate blunder saw him deflect Harvey Elliott's cross into his own net, leaving the Holte End in disbelief. Villa then rallied as Youri Tielemans slammed home an equaliser after 12 minutes, only for Liverpool to regain the lead through Cody Gakpo, exploit...

UCL: Historic night at Villa Park

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Aston Villa 1 - 0 Bayern Munich In an electrifying evening at Villa Park, Jhon Duran once again made a stunning impact off the bench, securing a glorious Champions League victory for Aston Villa over Bayern Munich. The occasion was steeped in history, evoking memories of Villaā€™s famous 1982 European Cup triumph against the German side in Rotterdam. This time, Duran replicated that iconic scoreline, netting his fifth goal as a substitute this season. Brought on in the 70th minute to replace Ollie Watkins, it took Duran just nine minutes to make his presence felt. Spotting Bayernā€™s experienced keeper, Manuel Neuer, out of position, he calmly lobbed the ball into the net. A closer look at a sensational night in the Midlands For Villa manager Unai Emery, this was another resounding success. The result builds on Villa's strong start to their Champions League   campaign having beaten Young Boys 3-0 in Switzerland in their opening match. Villa Park, hosting its first Champions Le...

Aston Villa sign three-time Champions League winner on loan

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Another Deadline Day signing for Villa They have also announced the loan signing of three-time Champions League winner Marco Asensio from PSG. Author - Jack L Marco Asensio becomes the 14th Spanish player to sign for Aston Villa āœļøšŸ‡ŖšŸ‡ø #AVFC [image or embed] ā€” Aston Villa Statto ( @avfcstatto.bsky.social ) 3 February 2025 at 19:11 The 38-cap Spanish international Asensio joins Villa until the end of the current season. During a glittering career, he has lifted European titles with Real Madrid as well as domestic league titles and domestic cups in France and in Spain. He is comfortable playing on the wing as well as in an attacking midfield role. Asensio has also starred on the international stage, helping Spain win the UEFA Nations League in 2023. We believe that the deal does not include an option to make the move permanent. It does offer the player a chance to kickstart his career after a forgettable 18-month spell in Paris, where he made 47 appearances and scored seven goals. H...

Spurs second-half display sinks Villa

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Tottenham Hotspur 4 - 1 Aston Villa Dominic Solanke bagged a brace as Tottenham staged a comeback to beat Aston Villa in the Premier League. Author - Greg S The Ā£65m summer signing doubled his seasonā€™s league goal tally with two goals in just four minutes of the second half, lifting Ange Postecoglou's side up to seventh in the table. Solanke gave Spurs the lead with a clever finish, lifting the ball over the onrushing Emiliano Martinez from a pinpoint pass by Dejan Kulusevski. Minutes later, Richarlison found Solanke in the box, who calmly slotted it home to put Villa's late resurgence beyond reach. A closer look at what happened at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Villa had initially taken the lead 32 minutes in, as Morgan Rogers capitalised on Spurs' inability to clear Lucas Digneā€™s in-swinging corner, netting from their first shot on target. Aston Villa, who had been denied an opener just two minutes prior when Amadou Onanaā€™s header struck the post, were well-organised ...

Villa close to Champions League progression

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RB Leipzig 2 - 3 Aston Villa Aston Villa edged closer to securing a spot in the Champions League knockout stages with a dramatic late win over winless RB Leipzig, despite being pegged back twice. Author - Alex W Ross Barkley's deflected effort sealed the victory in the dying minutes after goals from Lois Openda and Christoph Baumgartner had cancelled out strikes from John McGinn and Jhon Duran. The Premier League side made a flying start, taking the lead inside three minutes. Ollie Watkins expertly nodded down Matty Cash's cross, setting up McGinn to smash home from close range. Watkins came close to doubling the lead soon after, narrowly missing Lucas Digne's low cross across the box. However, Leipzig capitalised on a rare mistake by Emiliano Martinez. The Villa goalkeeper misjudged a long ball, allowing Openda to pounce and slot into an empty net. Villa thought they had restored their lead just before half-time when Watkins found the net, but the goal was ruled out fo...

UCL: Premier League teams discover League Phase opponents

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The draw for the League Phase of the 2024/2025 Champions League phase has been made. The four Premier League teams in UEFA Champions League recently discovered their eight league phase opponents as the draw was made in Monaco for the 36 participating clubs. Manchester City and Arsenal will each face Inter Milan and PSG. The 2024 Premier League champions will face Inter at home in a repeat of the 2022/23 final, while Arsenal will travel to Italy and vice versa for their matches with PSG. Last season's Premier League top two also face an additional two Italian opponents, with City also facing Juventus as Arsenal travel to Atalanta. Liverpool will face a tough draw, facing the champions of Spain and Germany, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, at home, while also travelling to RB Leipzig and AC Milan.   Aston Villa will face Bayern Munich, whom they beat in 1981 to win the European Cup and fans will be dreaming of glory nights once again. How does the new Champions League...

Villa take potentially vital lead to second leg

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Club Brugge 1 - 3 Aston Villa Aston Villa took control of their Champions League last-16 tie with a 3-1 victory over Club Brugge, capitalising on a late collapse from the Belgian side to gain an advantage ahead of next Wednesdayā€™s second leg. Author - Jamie P Stadium - Jan Breydelstadion Pictures from the away end Brugge had looked the more composed team for much of the contest but were left to rue their own mistakes after conceding twice in the closing stages against an underwhelming Villa. The hostsā€™ downfall began when Brandon Mechele inadvertently turned Morgan Rogersā€™ cross into his own net. Just five minutes later, a careless challenge from Christos Tzolis on Matty Cash gifted Villa a penalty, which Marco Asensio confidently dispatched. The three-time Champions League winner has now scored three goals in his last two appearances for the club. How the match unfolded Leon Bailey gave Villa the perfect start, volleying home inside three minutes to put the visitors in front. ...

Crystal Palace and Aston Villa eye back-to-back Premier League wins

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Crystal Palace v Aston Villa preview Crystal Palace and Aston Villa will both be looking to make it successive Premier League victories when they meet at Selhurst Park on Tuesday evening. Author - Peter Grainger Palace, currently 13th in the table, head into the game on the back of a 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, while Villa, sitting in eighth, edged past Chelsea 2-1 later that day. The Eagles are six points adrift of 10th-placed Fulham, having finished in that position last season. A lack of goals has hampered their progress this term, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around. Oliver Glasnerā€™s side claimed victory at Craven Cottage thanks to a first-half own goal from Joachim Andersen, before Daniel MuƱoz secured the points in the 66th minute. That result means Palace have won three of their last four games in all competitions, although all of those victories have come away from home. At Selhurst Park, they have struggled, losing their last two league matches aga...

Premier League: Brighton return to winning ways

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Brighton and Hove Albion 1 - 0 Aston Villa The impact of this Villa defeat was ultimately lessened after Spurs lost 4 - 2 away at Liverpool  Joao Pedro scored a late goal as Brighton put a small dent in Aston Villa's Champions League hopes at the Amex Stadium. The winner arrived when Pedro scored a rebound in the 87th minute after his penalty was saved by Robin Olsen. Earlier in the match, Pascal Gross had an effort for the hosts ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) . At the other end of the pitch, Villa captain John McGinn was also judged to be inches ahead of the Brighton defence before scoring in vain. Brighton's beat Aston Villa in a home game for the first time in the Premier League since its inception and for the first time at home across all competitions since December 1980. For Brighton fans, this win was a huge relief. Even then, they will have a few concerns. A lack of goals is not a characteristic often associated with Brighton managed by De...

Ipswich Town battle to hard-fought draw at Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Ipswich Town produced a gutsy performance to claim a valuable Premier League point at Villa Park, despite playing almost an hour with 10 men. Author - Marcus Stadium - Villa Park The match had been uneventful until Axel Tuanzebe, facing his former club, brought down Jacob Ramsey on the edge of the area, picking up a second yellow card and leaving Ipswich with an uphill task. Up to that point, the visitors had defended resolutely, and they continued to frustrate Villa even with a numerical disadvantage. Against the run of play, Ipswich took a shock lead when Liam Delap beat Axel Disasi to Omari Hutchinsonā€™s low cross, steering the ball into the far corner to silence the home crowd. As frustration grew among the Villa supporters, Ollie Watkins eventually levelled, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashfordā€™s thunderous free-kick crashed against the crossbar. Villa pushed hard for a winner, with Marco Asensio missing a golden chance before forcing Alex Palm...

Villa suffer Champions League setback

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Monaco 1 - 0 Aston Villa Aston Villa missed the opportunity to all but guarantee their place in the Champions League knockout stages after a narrow defeat to Monaco at the Stade Louis II. Author - JP The only goal of the game came in the eighth minute when Wilfried Singo headed in from close range. Emiliano Martinez had done well to block Thilo Kehrer's initial effort, but Singo was quickest to react. Villa struggled to find their rhythm but did create chances to equalise. Monacoā€™s goalkeeper, Radoslaw Majecki, made two key saves before half-time, first stopping Leon Bailey after some neat play by Emiliano Buendia and then comfortably dealing with Ollie Watkinsā€™ shot, also set up by Buendia. The latest Champions League news can be found here . Monaco thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half, but Maghnes Aklioucheā€™s strike was ruled out for offside. Despite the setback, the hosts continued to threaten, twice breaking through Villaā€™s defence, only to be deni...

Premier League: West Ham and Villa play out a tense draw

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 West Ham United 1 - 1 Aston Vila Tomas Soucek came agonisingly close to securing a thrilling victory for West Ham, but fate had other plans as they had to settle for a single point against Aston Villa at London Stadium. In the dying moments of added time, Soucek believed he had clinched the win for the Hammers, connecting with James Ward-Prowse's free-kick. However, his jubilation was short-lived as VAR intervened, ruling out the goal due to a handball. Aston Villa, vying for a spot in the Champions League , found their saving grace in Nicolo Zaniolo, who equalised in the 79th minute. With a precise finish, Zaniolo capitalised on Moussa Diaby's well-placed pass into the box, notching his second league goal for Villa. Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 Michail Antonio initially gave West Ham the lead with a splendid diving header, his first Premier League goal since August. However, his joy was tempered when a second goal was disallowed for handball early in the sec...

Pre Season: Villa ease to win over Walsall

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Walsall 0 - 3 Aston Villa Two first-half goals from Morgan Rogers helped Aston Villa open their pre-season schedule with a 3-0 victory at Walsall. Rogers scored in the 21st minute after receiving a quick free-kick from summer signing Ross Barkley and calmly finishing. He then doubled his tally with a tidy finish on the turn from a corner shortly after the half-hour mark. This put Villa in control against the Saddlers. The Villa boss Unai Emery changed the entire team at the interval . New arrivals Kosta Nedeljković, Samuel Iling Jr and Enzo Barrenechea were all introduced. A host of youngsters featured throughout at the Poundland Bescot Stadium. It took Villa time to get going again in the second half on the front foot and Walsall created several half-chances. Villa eventually started to pose a threat at the other end. It was one of those youngsters in Louie Barry who converted a third for the visitors from close range in the 90th minute from Iling Jrā€™s low cross. Aston Villa c...

Aston Villa boost Champions League hopes

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Aston Villa 2 - 1 Nottingham Forest Aston Villa boosted their hopes of Champions League qualification with a nervy 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest, surviving a spirited second-half comeback in an open and entertaining contest. Author - Kieran M Stadium - Villa Park Villa looked to be cruising after a blistering start at Villa Park. Morgan Rogers opened the scoring with a cool finish following a well-timed run, and just two minutes later Donyell Malen doubled the lead by steering home Ian Maatsenā€™s cross from close range. With less than 15 minutes played, Unai Emeryā€™s side appeared in full control. To their credit, Forest recovered their composure after a disastrous opening and gradually worked their way back into the match. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi both went close before the break as the visitors began to ask questions of the Villa defence. Forestā€™s improved tempo continued into the second half and they were rewarded when substitute Jota Silva turned smartly inside the ...

Premier League: Everton squander another lead

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Aston Villa 3 - 2 Everton Jhon Duranā€™s stunning long-range strike secured a dramatic Premier League comeback win for Aston Villa, as Everton collapsed from a 2-0 lead for the second game in a row. Everton were left reeling, having already thrown away a two-goal advantage in their previous match against Bournemouth, and Saturday brought a painful sense of dĆ©jĆ  vu as they squandered another lead, leaving them still without a point this season. A closer look at what happened Villa started strongly, with Ollie Watkinsā€™ header cleared off the line, but it was Everton who struck first. Dwight McNeil dispossessed former teammate Amadou Onana ā€“ much to the delight of the travelling fans ā€“ before surging forward and firing a precise shot into the bottom corner. Despite their struggles and lack of confidence, Sean Dycheā€™s side extended their lead in the 27th minute when Dominic Calvert-Lewin rose highest to powerfully head home. However, Villa quickly responded. Ex-Everton full-back Luca...

Premier League: It was a dramatic Sunday

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 There were 20 goals on a dramatic Sunday of Premier League football.  Let's explore what happened and examine what the impact might be come the end of the season. AFC Bournemouth 4 - 1 Leeds United Bournemouth earned a superb 4-1 win to deepen Leeds' relegation worries. A quick-fire Jefferson Lerma played a key part in lifting his side further away from relegation danger and leaving the visitors a point clear of the drop zone. Fulham 1 - 2 Manchester City Manchester City beat Fulham to return to the top of the Premier League for the first time since February as Erling Haaland scored his 50th goal of the season in all competitions. Fulham did themselves proud on the day but didn't offer enough in an attacking sense to worry the title favourites too much. Can City go and win The Treble? Click here to see all the news and stories from East Manchester.  Manchester United 1 - 0 Aston Villa Bruno Fernandes scored his 100th career league goal to boost Manchester United's ...

Manchester United: 23/24 Season Review

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Let's explore Manchester United's 2023/2024 season. It was a campaign full of drama. There was a lot of controversy throughout, but it finished with glory as they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.  After being eliminated from the EFL Cup in the fourth round by the previous season's finalists, Newcastle United, they also experienced their worst performance in the Champions League group stage. They then finished in 8th position, their lowest ever place in the Premier League era.  We will now experience some of those key reports and stories from the season. The season started with a 1-0 win over Wolves. In this match, Raphael Varane secured the decisive goal with just 14 minutes remaining, propelling Manchester United to a somewhat lucky victory. It wasn't a great performance though and perhaps a sign of things to come. A few weeks later, they lost 3 - 1 at home to Brighton. After this match, we spoke to Liam, a United Season Ticket holder. He said: ...

Does a Champions League classic await?

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Manchester City v Real Madrid Preview We explore what has the potential to be the match of the season. Author - Macca A clash between two of the biggest forces in English and Spanish football is nothing new. When Manchester City and Real Madrid meet in the UEFA Champions League, it will mark the fourth consecutive season theyā€™ve faced off in the knockout stages of Europeā€™s elite club competition. However, this time, itā€™s in unfamiliar territoryā€”the playoffs. Under the tournamentā€™s new format, only the top eight teams in the expanded league phase secured direct passage to the last 16, and both City and Real fell short. City scraped through in 22nd place after a comeback win at home to Club Brugge in their final group match, while Real had a rocky start, losing three of their first five games before recovering to finish 11th. For the fourth season in a row, one of these European giants will see their Champions League run cut short by the other. Cityā€™s performance in this playoff...

Premier League: Manchester United 0 - 1 Aston Villa

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Aston Villa's winning goal should not have been allowed after his Manchester United suffered a second straight home defeat. Kortney Hause had put Aston Villa ahead with a late  header before Bruno Fernandes missed a stoppage-time penalty after Hause had handled. Villa arrived at Old Trafford seeking a first point on the road in the Premier League. They left celebrating a memorable victory after a highly impressive performance. Villa fans hadn't seen an away win at Old Trafford since 2009. They have now climbed a few positions in the Premier League table and now sit in 8th place. You can click here to read more news and stories mentioning Aston Villa.  After a great start to the season, United have stumbled in recent weeks. Debates around the long-term future of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have only increased as a result.  More Manchester United news can be found here Reaction from Manchester United David de Gea told Manchester United's so...

Football Icons: Edwin van der Sar

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Let's have a look at another football icon. This one's a keeper Edwin van der Sar is a Dutch football executive and former professional player who is currently the chief executive of AFC Ajax.  Time at Ajax and Juventus He began his senior playing career in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a member of the club's golden generation and was part of the Ajax team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995. He left Ajax for Juventus in 1999 He spent two years at Juventus but his time there was mixed. After a series of mistakes, he lost his place in the summer of 2001, after the Bianconeri purchased Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon from Parma for approximately Ā£32.6 million, a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. Unwilling to remain as second-choice behind Buffon, Van der Sar made it clear he wished to move on after two years in Serie A Fulham Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) On 1 August 2001, Van der Sar opted to play in England and ...