Aston Villa

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bologna at Villa Park (20:00 BST).

Villa won the first leg 3-1.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery said a decision on whether Emiliano Martinez is fit to start on Thursday will be made tomorrow, after he was injured in the warm-up before Sunday's draw at Nottingham Forest: "Today he trained with us. Normally he is going to be available for tomorrow and tomorrow we will decide."

• If he is not fit, Emery said Marco Bizot is "ready to play at the last minute", adding: "He is a fantastic goalkeeper, a fantastic guy, he is ready. He is performing amazing and we are very proud of him. Every day we are praying to have everybody available to play. When something happens in the last minute like Sunday, wow, how Marco responded."

• Emery said he has "a lot of respect" for Thursday's opponents: "When they were playing against Roma, maybe you could think Roma was the favourite and they beat one of the favourites. How they are competing, how they are as a team, how they are pushing all the matches, of course we make ourselves respectful. They are going to play the same match. So aggressive, so intense, getting duels man to man, and attacking us."

• He was asked about reports linking Jadon Sancho with a return to Borussia Dortmund in the summer: "We are focused 100% on our objective. To speak about individual futures now makes no sense. We spoke a lot during the season with him about his task with us, how we need his performance and qualities."

• Emery confirmed Sancho will be available to feature on Thursday after being pictured in training: "Tomorrow he is coming back. Of course he is a fantastic player. He needs to be consistent. I think he has been demanding and he adapted in our structure."

• On the chance to make a European semi-final: "Of course playing in Europe, to play a quarter-final is a privilege and I share it with the players, with the club, with the supporters. I am excited about how we are getting the last matches in the Premier League, being fourth, and progressing in the Europa League. Of course tomorrow we must be focused but also enjoy it. In the process of preparing for the games, I am happy.

• On whether the prospect of players being banned for a potential semi-final will play a part in his team selection: "Sorry, we are not thinking about the semi-final. We are thinking about tomorrow and playing tomorrow. Of course we want to play the best players tomorrow."

• On the fans: "Tomorrow at Villa Park I will expect the support from the supporters, they must give us the energy. It will push the players to play with energy."

Listen to live commentary of Aston Villa v Bologna on BBC Radio WM from 20:00 BST on Thursday

Listen to more from Unai Emery's news conference on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Wednesday's European news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Aston Villa are the latest Premier League club to show an interest in England goalkeeper James Trafford. The 23-year-old was signed by Manchester City last summer but was followed to the club almost immediately by Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma, 27, and should be available. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Two Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.

Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.

It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.

Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?

Make your selection

Hannah Gowen
Fan writer

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Missed chances in front of goal against Nottingham Forest sent Aston Villa home to the other side of the Midlands with a solitary point on Sunday.

In the final stretch of the season, opportunities to capitalise feel more precious than ever, but Villa are still finding their attacking mojo with only a handful of games remaining.

This season has been a tale of many dry spells. Since the turn of the year, Villa have only scored more than one goal in three of their league games. Europe has been a slightly different story, but generally Unai Emery has been unable to unlock the best of his team in the final third.

With so much left to play for, scuppered goal attempts feel symbolic of even bigger opportunities on the line.

The club has been without a trophy since 1996 - a three-decade silverware drought that looms large over one of the oldest and most decorated clubs in the country. For that reason, a Europa League triumph feels almost essential to reinstate Villa back amongst the real winners at the top of the English and European game.

This squad has a point to prove and there has never been a better time to cement new names in the Aston Villa history books.

There are many players in this squad who have been on a journey from the Dean Smith era, while many others have never lifted a senior trophy themselves. The incentive is there.

Find more from Hannah Gowen at UTV, external

Aston Villa head into their Europa League quarter-final second leg against Bologna on Thursday night with a healthy 3-1 first-leg lead, but will the Villans' record against Italian sides settle any nerves going into such a big game?

That question has been the subject of several submissions sent in via our Ask about Aston Villa form recently.

The club has rarely faced Italian competition in Europe, but across 10 matches against Juventus, Inter Milan and - most importantly - Bologna, they have come away with five wins, one draw and four defeats.

Last week's hard-fought victory at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara did sway the stats slightly more in Villa's favour though, with the club enjoying greater success against Serie A clubs in recent years.

Overall, Aston Villa have been particularly strong against Italian teams at Villa Park, while most of their defeats have come in Italy.

Here's a look at their overall form against each club:

• Bologna: P3 - W3, D0, L0

• Inter Milan: P4 - W2, D0, L2

• Juventus: P3 - W0, D1, L2

So the good news for Villa fans is their strongest record is against Bologna, who they have now beaten on all three occasions.

Indeed all of the pair's previous meetings have come during Unai Emery's tenure - with Villa first claiming a 2-0 Champions League league phase win in October 2024, before grabbing a 1-0 Europa League league phase victory in September 2025 and then taking a 3-1 advantage in their Europa League quarter-final first leg last week.

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Nottingham Forest fans

John: A crucial point against a tough opponent. Might be the difference for staying up. Moments of good play and some not so much but it's about building points at this stage of season.

Peter: I think most Forest supporters would have taken a point against Villa before kick off. We are definitely playing better and Neco is outstanding. Hopefully Chris Wood will also find the back of the net in the next few games. My concern is - will this point be enough to stay up at the end of the season?

Kris: Bit of a stalemate, but we got away with one today. Villa missed a couple of absolute sitters, whereas we looked blunt in the final third. A point against a team challenging at the other end of the table can't be sniffed at and we're slowly pulling away.

Luke: We certainly rode our luck, but it's a hard fought and very important point. Over the course of the season this is the kind of game we would lose in heart-breaking fashion - so there are encouraging signs. Certainly not out of the woods at this point but the season could still turn out to be incredible.

Aston Villa fans

Ian: A game we should have won with two or three golden chances in the second half. Some credit to Forest though in fighting for their Premier League survival. Solid performance without hitting our best but we need to be more clinical. Let's hope it doesn't come back to haunt us.

Dean: Praise has gone to Rogers' head. He's gone from excellent to average over the last few months - giving the ball away far too much and seems generally off it.

Robbie: Villa didn't seem up for the game as much as Forest did. Morgan Rogers has not been himself for a while now, every time he got the ball he either lost it or passed it to the opposition. He's gone off the boil and needs to improve more for the trip to the World Cup, if selected.

Michael: Mixed. Technically better than Forest but gave the ball away far too often in dangerous areas - Rogers guilty on several occasions including equaliser. Equally profligate at the other end - Watkins, Rogers missing gilt-edged chances. Emery fuming in technical area! Must do better.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Morgan Rogers is attracting a lot of attention and the growing expectation is he will leave Aston Villa in the summer.

Villa will likely need to sell a star player, regardless of whether they qualify for the Champions League, and Rogers is their best asset - especially with Boubacar Kamara out injured.

An impressive World Cup would also strengthen Villa's hand but the England forward needs to show more of a clinical nature throughout the pitch.

His second-half miss showed a lack of composure which has often hampered him this season, despite having slowly become one of the Premier League's top talents.

He still has 11 goals for club and country this season but none in his past 12 appearances, and if he is to earn a big-money move then he needs to show more consistency to prove he can make the step up.

Rogers is a good player but the lapses in his game mean he is not a great player yet.

At 23, time is very much on his side and the strides he has made under manager Emery in two years have been impressive - and at £16m he has been a bargain since joining from Middlesbrough.

Villa will make a healthy profit on Rogers - but he still has more to prove.

Pundits Pat Nevin and Ben Foster join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 2-1 Newcastle United

• Nottingham Forest 1-1 Aston Villa

• Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham

• Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has been speaking to Sky Sports following the draw at the City Ground: "I'm happy with how we played, competed and followed the game plan. The players felt confident and comfortable with how we managed the match, like we had planned.

"The first half was equal, but we dominated and had good chances to score. I'm so proud of how the players did. Of course, we had three or four chances to score and we conceded the momentum to them a few times.

"One point is not enough, but this is the way we want to play in the Premier League and Europa League. I like when we're creating chances, dominating and having good possession. Of course, if we are scoring it is better but we have been getting better the last three or four matches.

"We must be so demanding and consistent to keep it up for the next matches. For three months we were fantastic, then we struggled, now we are recovering. It's important for the players to have momentum."

On Emi Martinez pulling out of the match shortly before kick-off: "He was feeling something in his calf and he wasn't feeling comfortable to play."

Aston Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot also spoke to Sky Sports: "We came here for a win of course. We tried everything in our power to take a win, but unfortunately we ended up with one point. It's not enough.

"We tried to push through, but it was difficult. They had a few moments. We played well before the goal but afterwards our energy went down and they got strength to push and score.

"We had chances to score a second goal, but it needs to go in. We should've taken three points."

On coming into the starting XI at short notice: "I have no idea what happened. I noticed Emi [Martinez] went inside, then the goalkeeping coach came up to me and told me to prepare for the game. That was 25 minutes before kick-off."

You can listen to Emery on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Aston Villa have dropped five points from winning positions in the Premier League since the start of March. They dropped three points against Chelsea and two points against Nottingham Forest - more than they did between August and February of this season (four points).

• Morgan Rogers hasn't scored or assisted in any of his last seven Premier League appearances. It is his outright longest run without a goal or assist in the competition.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Nottingham Forest's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

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Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira makes nine changes to the side which drew 1-1 in their Europa League quarter-final first leg at Porto on Thursday.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Murillo remain from the draw in Portugal while Elliot Anderson returns after missing the game through suspension.

Striker Chris Wood is on the bench having made his comeback after six months out in the week.

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Anderson, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi, Hutchinson, Igor Jesus

Subs: Ortega; Morato, Wood, Ndoye, Domínguez, Yates, McAtee, Netz, Bakwa

Vitor Lindelof and Ross Barkley return for Aston Villa from their Europa League quarter-final win at Bologna.

Ezri Konsa and Emi Buendia drop to the bench for the visitors, who won their first-leg 3-1 in Italy on Thursday.

It is Lindelof's first Premier League start in three months while Barkley makes just his third Premier League start of the season.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Digne, Barkley. Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins.

Subs: Bizot, Konsa, Buendia, Garcia, Abraham, Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey.

Image source, BBC Sport

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Crystal Palace v Newcastle United - Listen on Sports Extra 2

• Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa - Listen on Sports Extra

• Sunderland v Tottenham - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Manchester City (16:30 BST) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Tottenham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Chelsea v Manchester City".

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Both of these teams played in Europe on Thursday night, but they will surely have at least half an eye on this game because it is so important at the top and bottom of the table.

At the top, Aston Villa are in the Champions League places and have a six-point cushion over sixth-placed Chelsea with seven games to go.

They beat West Ham United in their last game, after losing three in a row, and they would dearly love to hit a bit of form now.

Nottingham Forest got a massive win over relegation rivals Tottenham last time out, but they still have a lot of work to do to stay up.

It's a big boost that Chris Wood is back after six months out, but the 'Wood-chopper' will be rusty and it might be a while before he is back in the swing of things. I've chopped a lot of wood over the years and I know if your axe is left in the shed for a while, it loses its sharpness.

This is going to be an extremely tight game. A win would be huge for either team, but I'm going to say they will both have to settle for a single point.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins says he has "gone up another level" in his time working under Unai Emery and has praised the impact of the "unbelievable" Spainard.

In this week's edition of the Football Interview, Kelly Somers spoke to Villa forward Watkins about a wide range of topics including his journey in football, sports therapists, going from playing on loan at Weston-super-Mare in the Conference South to sending England to the Euro 2024 final, and his relationships with key figures such as Emery and Michael Owen.

Watkins has enjoyed his three best top-flight scoring seasons under Emery, and underlined his rise with two goals in Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg away in Bologna.

"For me, he's unbelievable," Watkins said on Emery.

"He's obviously seen me at my best and at my worst but I've had all my best moments under this manager.

"I think some of the best moments of the club have come through me, some of my moments.

"He has a lot of faith in me and I think that's why there would be times where I haven't scored and he'll keep picking me because he believes in me and I think he knows that even if I'm not bringing goals to the table that I always work hard for the team, do my job, and he can rely on me.

"He's got that faith in me and I feel like I've gone up another level since he's come in."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Two potential Europa League winners meet in the top flight this weekend as Aston Villa make the short trip to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes.

Both sides have been straddling European endeavours with domestic duties this season and both will likely suffer from fatigue having each played tricky ties on the continent on Thursday.

Forest finding form

Europe has provided a welcome distraction from the Premier League for Nottingham Forest for most of this campaign but, under Vitor Pereira, they seem to be finding form at the perfect time.

Forest sit three points above the relegation places with seven games remaining but they have taken four points from the past two league games, including a huge 3-0 victory at relegation rivals Spurs in their last outing.

A creditable draw in Porto on Thursday night with a much-changed side extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches and Pereira seems to be striking the necessary balance between European progression and Premier League survival.

A total of 36 points has been enough to guarantee survival in each of the past nine Premier League seasons and if that trend continues in 2025-26, the Tricky Trees require only four more points from their seven remaining matches.

One thing Pereira is yet to address is Forest's poor home run – they are winless in seven league outings in front of their own fans (D4, L3) and they have failed to score in each of their past three matches at the City Ground. Their last home league win was in 2025, 119 days ago versus Spurs.

Villa's recent struggles at Forest

Aston Villa resume their league campaign against a side they have historically enjoyed the upper hand against in the Premier League era.

The Villans have lost only three of their 17 Premier League meetings with Forest (W9, D5), however, two of those defeats have come at the City Ground in recent seasons and they have not won a top-flight match there since January 1995.

Villa will draw confidence from their 3-1 victory at Bologna in midweek. It was their third win on the bounce in all competitions and the club's eighth in succession in the Europa League this season, with Unai Emery's side putting one foot firmly in the semi-finals - where they could potentially meet Forest again at the end of April.

Ollie Watkins has seemingly responded to his recent England snub by finding his shooting boots and he has now contributed four goals in four starts across all competitions. Incidentally, his two goals on Thursday in northern Italy were his eighth and ninth Villa goals in a major European competition, equalling the club record first set by Peter Withe and matched by John McGinn.

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery says Jadon Sancho is progressing in his recovery from injury and they will assess the winger this weekend, meanwhile Alysson is back in training with the group. There are others who need to be assessed before a decision is made.

• The Villans still have two routes available to qualify for the Champions League and Emery was asked about the importance of securing a place in the competition: "The Premier League is the first priority we have each year, but playing in Europe gives us a lot of possibilities to develop as a club and getting prestige for us. It is amazing for the supporters too, how we enjoyed it in Bologna with the huge atmosphere."

• He defended Ollie Watkins - who scored twice last time out against Bologna -after a season where some have criticised his numbers: "He worked yesterday like he has all season; maybe he needs others to get the numbers. I am happy with him, because he has been consistent in doing his task."

• Youri Tielemans returned to action against Bologna and Emery spoke highly of the midfielder: "When he is available, he is performing like he did last year. So, so consistent and intelligent. His team-mates feel confident playing with him and he gets his responsibility strongly."

• He added that the club will need to assess how Tielemans recovers before deciding how many minutes he can play on Sunday.

• On Sunday's opponents: "For different circumstances, they are not getting the points they deserve but they are the same team and the same players, they are only changing their coaches. Pereira is a very good coach who has a lot of experience. A lot of things make us respectful for the match on Sunday."

Listen to full match commentary of Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Villa? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

"For me, he is unbelievable," Ollie Watkins told BBC Sport this week when asked about head coach Unai Emery. "He has seen me when I've been at my best and at my worst, but I've had all of my best moments under this manager.

"Some of the best moments of this club have come through..." - the striker, importantly, briefly paused here - "... me, some of my moments. He has a lot of faith in me."

I think it is only fair to report that Watkins slightly caught his breath while saying that. It was as if he suddenly realised that it might look immodest in print.

For a player not usually given to overtly strutting about, it was an arresting statement. Helpfully, it had the benefit of being the truth - a point which he proved twice at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.

It matters because there have been times this season when it started to look as though the juice in Watkins' game was running a little dry.

He was still working as earnestly as ever but, when the chances came, there was a hint of hesitation, of overthinking, of a blunting of the edge that made him stand out previously.

There was no time to overthink when the ball fell to him twice in the second half against Bologna, though. The edge was back against West Ham United before the break, when he reacted to score a rebound goal, and it was there after Emi Buendia's harrying of Torbjorn Heggem forced a chance and Bologna's malfunction at a corner presented another.

Emery was happy to once again confirm his faith in the striker: "Watkins is a fighter. He is always playing well because he is always doing his task and working for the team."

His team-mates confirmed it too by their gesture of allowing the goalscorer to stand alone in front of the Aston Villa fans, before they engulfed him, and again at full-time when they insisted he led their curtain call.

When Tammy Abraham is fully up to speed, it will help to ease the burden on Watkins, especially with Emery's requirements in that position. Abraham can be confident Emery will get him to that standard over time, just as he has done with Watkins and many other players he has inherited.

Watkins' next goal will be his 100th for Villa - a milestone not often achieved in modern times and he need not be shy of being proud of it.

Listen to full commentary of Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM, DAB and Freeview 714]

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 BST on weeknights

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We asked for your views on Aston Villa's 3-1 win at Bologna in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: Great performance. This Villa side will win the Europa League and secure fourth in the Premier League. The side that hasn't been performing the last couple months, won't, simple. The difference? Tielemans, McGinn, Onana, Cash, Buendia- all performing at high levels. These players, back at a crucial time, will comfortably cap off a brilliant season. UTV. Keep it up boys.

Prit: Very well played Villa, very well played Ollie Watkins and what a difference it is to have John McGinn and Youri Tielemans back. Now let's finish the job next Thursday.

Alan: Job done and great to see Ollie back among the goals. Tielemans, Buendia and the ever reliable McGinn saw us through but the main concern has to be Morgan Rogers who looks more interested in where he's going to be playing next season. Big worry!

Alex: It's amazing what a goal can do to a player. Ollie Watkins has hit form just at the right time for us and has now scored four in his last five. Very professional performance from us tonight especially in that second half.

Raffi: Superb work rate from the lads kept us in the game physically and mentally. Watkins was a man on a mission as he deserved his two goals. He also won six duels which was the third most out of any player. Our set pieces were incredible due to the fact Tielemans was putting them into dangerous areas. Buendia was working on and off the ball, creating chances non-stop. Overall, a performance to be proud of. Come on the Villans!

Mike: Really enjoyed this game. Yes there were some narrow escapes early on but I always felt we could absorb the press and then score on the break. Oddly flat game for Morgan Rogers. He needs to ignore this talk about his future and show what he's made of in these final crucial games.

In this week's edition of the Football Interview, Kelly Somers speaks to Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins.

They discuss his journey in football, going from playing on loan at Weston-super-Mare in the Conference South to sending England to the Euro 2024 final with a 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands.

He talks about how seeing a sports therapist and relationships with key figures such as Unai Emery and Michael Owen have helped him along the way.

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers looks likely to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer after Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea renewed their interest in the 23-year-old. (Times - subscription required, external)

Bayern Munich are also admirers of Rogers and could rival Premier League clubs for his signature. (Mirror, external)

Meanwhile Villa are expected to be among the clubs hoping to sign 23-year-old Manchester City and England goalkeeper James Trafford this summer. (Football Insider, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Standing tall at Bologna's home ground is La Torre di Maratona - the Tower of Marathon - which was built to symbolise the resilience of athletes.

And Aston Villa were forced to embody that spirit as they produced a performance full of grit, discipline and resolve to gain the advantage.

It had been 18 days since Villa last played competitive football, a 2-0 win against West Ham on 22 March before the Premier League took a break for international football.

And it showed as Emiliano Martinez had to save his side's blushes by denying an acrobatic effort from left-back Juan Miranda before Santiago Castro and Scotland attacking midfielder Lewis Ferguson also went close for the Italians.

But appearing in their third European quarter-final in as many seasons, Unai Emery's men overcame a lethargic start to stamp their authority on the tie as a clinical display helped them go 2-0 up.

Coppa Italia holders Bologna threatened to mount a comeback with Federico Bernardeschi brushing the outside of the post in the 78th minute before Jonathan Rowe claimed a deserved goal.

But Ollie Watkins struck a devastating blow on the Italians late on, meaning Vincenzo Italiano's side will feel hard done by after generating 19 shots - compared to Villa's eight - and striking the woodwork twice.

It was Villa's eighth consecutive victory in the competition under four-time Europa League winner Emery and moves them another step closer to ending a 30-year trophy drought, which would also mean a return to the Champions League next season.

They will now feel confident of finishing the job in the return leg in Birmingham, where they have defeated the Rossoblu twice already over the past 18 months - a 2-0 in last season's Champions League and then 1-0 earlier this campaign.