Aston Villa

There are six games in the Champions League on Tuesday as the 36-team league phase gets under way, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Club Brugge v Aston Villa (17:45)

• AEK Athens v LASK (17:45)

• Porto v Manchester City - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Borussia Dortmund v Villarreal

• Lille V Real Betis

• Real Madrid v Inter Milan

Kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Champions League commentary on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Porto v Manchester City" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Man City match".

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.

How to follow the Champions League on the BBC

There's also Carabao Cup action happening on Tuesday - follow those games here

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

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New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

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Unai Emery has been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or Men's Coach of the Year award.

The Villa manager ended the club's 30-year wait for a trophy by winning the Europa League in May and delivered a fourth-place Premier League finish.

Johan Manzambi, who signed from Freiburg in the summer for a club record fee of just over £50m, has also been nominated for Men's Young Talent of the Year.

The ceremony will take place on Monday, 26 October 2026.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

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Ollie Watkins' departure to Al-Hilal - which lurched between acrimonious and emotional - has left Aston Villa without their best attacking outlet.

Despite just one goal in his first 13 top-flight games last season, he ended up netting 16, leaving him on 91 Premier League goals - a club record.

Nicolas Jackson was brought in as Watkins' direct replacement and was a priority signing for Unai Emery, having worked together at Villarreal.

He has started Villa's past two games, the 1-0 defeat by Arsenal and Saturday's draw at Hull City.

Jackson scored 30 goals in 81 appearances for Chelsea, but the stats slightly favour Watkins across the period when they both played in the Premier League between 2023 and 2025.

In his first Premier League season, the 25-year-old scored 14 goals and contributed five assists, compared with Watkins' 19 goals and 13 assists.

In 2024-25, Jackson scored 10 goals to Watkins' 16 in 382 fewer minutes. He only had eight fewer shots, but his conversion rate of 13.2% was inferior to Watkins' 19.1%.

Yet Jackson's time at Bayern Munich - helping them win the Bundesliga last season - gave him a 21.1% conversion rate, scoring eight goals in 1,004 minutes of game time.

It is why Emery trusts Jackson, but the unknown is being able to gel a new core of players together, however high their potential.

Between them, Watkins and Morgan Rogers scored 46% of Villa's goals in the Premier League last season.

Rogers and Lucas Digne provided 12 assists, with Youri Tielemans adding four and Watkins three.

All four have left, so 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye and Chelsea loanee Garnacho will be expected to be the supply line, with Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham supporting Jackson.

Read the full article here

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Champions League game against Club Brugge at Jan Breydelstadion (kick-off 17:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery confirmed Leon Gortezka has a knee injury and is "frustrated" to be sidelined until after the international break. Emery added: "Hopefully then he can get the consistency of training and playing so that we can add his experience."

• Johan Manzambi has not travelled to Belgium. Emery said: "He is progressing very good. I don't know if for Saturday [Nottingham Forest], or next week, he will be available if everything goes well."

• Joao Gomes is available to play against Brugge as his three-match suspension for violent conduct is only for domestic games.

• On the excitement of being back in the Champions League: "We are very motivated and very excited to play in this competition. Europe is something fantastic. We can continue feeling proud of how we achieved it."

• He said this is now a "a new and different chapter" after winning the Europa League last season because a lot of last season's "key players" have left.

• On the high player turnover: "We must try to adapt them as fast as possible, and we are going to try and get them adapted to play comfortably and with confidence."

Listen to more from Emery on BBC Sounds

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

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Aston Villa's recent midfield signing Leon Goretzka posts on Instagram: "Dear Villans.

"First of all, thank you for the incredible welcome. After my first few days at this club, the feeling that I'm exactly where I'm meant to be has grown stronger with each passing day.

"Unfortunately, my body has reacted to the increased workload after my time away from the pitch. It's frustrating, but I need this short break now to come back at full strength.

"I'll use the coming days, including the international break, to recover fully and I'll be back ready to fight and give everything for you and for Villa. Can't wait to see you on the pitch soon"

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Hull City and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Hull City fans

Gary: Excellent team performance, set up with a gameplan that worked almost to perfection. More shots on target than Villa. The game is not all about possession, it's about what you do with the ball when you have it. It won't work every week, but it will be fun watching Hull City win more games this season.

Surly: Another fine game and a very worthwhile result - 270 minutes of Premier League action in which the Tigers have not been breached.

Mark: Good point. Might have gone either way but handy getting Villa at this stage in their season.

Geoffrey: Three clean sheets is not bad for a no-hoper team. Great team performance after a shaky start. Hull City were the best team by a country mile in the last quarter.

Aston Villa fans

Arnie: Lacked creativity. Should have been Leon Goretzka instead of Ross Barkley starting. Why bother with Alejandro Garnacho when you've got £47m Ibrahim Mbaye warming the bench? Unai Emery needs to be more adventurous with his selections. Boring.

Arthur: We were very slow and seemed to lack creativity and looked almost scared to put crosses in or play behind the defenders. That said, if any of the Nicolas Jackson, John McGinn and Emi Buendia chances are put away, the narrative would be very different. Europe may give us the kick-start we need like last season. We will improve.

Paul: Early days in the season. Lacking that attacking flare but I think when the new signings start to click, we will see things flowing. In Unai, we trust.

Steve: Thought we had great movement and distribution. We looked stronger at the back with Tyrone Mings as well. Just need to find that goalscoring touch as we are making the right moves and creating chances. Not convinced about Jackson and think Tammy Abraham might deserve a run, especially against Coventry City.

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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Aston Villa arrived at MKM Stadium still searching for their first shot on target, goal and point of the season - against a defence who were yet to concede this season.

So it was perhaps no surprise that Unai Emery's side were unable to find a way past them - but with some better finishing up front, three points could have been theirs.

Nicolas Jackson's movement caused problems for the Hull backline and Villa created enough openings while generating an expected goals (xG) of 1.74, compared to Hull's xG of 0.58.

Yet they still lacked the cutting edge Ollie Watkins would have provided in the past seasons.

The striker's departure to Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in the final week of the transfer window was always going to leave a void and Villa continue to search for a new identity after the arrival of a host of new names.

They broke their transfer record twice to sign forward Johan Manzambi and Jackson while also buying Senegal winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris St-Germain for £47m on the deadline day.

Manzambi is yet to feature because of injury while Mbaye was an unused substitute on Saturday.

Villa will regret not capitalising on a good first hour - summed up by Emiliano Buendia's gilt-edged chance in the 54th minute when Zion Suzuki's superb 70-yard pass released George Hemmings, who cut the ball back for the Argentine to blaze over.

In the end, Emery's side were fortunate to escape with a point as Hull finished strongly and went closest to finding a winner.

And early signs are that Emery's new-look Villa will need time to reach the levels that took them to a fourth-placed finish and Europa League triumph last season.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, speaking to BBC's Match of the Day: "We planned this match the way we played. We were trying to dominate the match with our positioning, keeping possession of the ball as much as possible, and not conceding transitions, free-kicks or corners was our objective throughout the match.

"During the game, we tried to feel comfortable, create some good individual actions and be clinical. We created around five good chances to score. The next step for us is to continue building the team and try to correct a few things offensively. We are improving, but not enough.

"Overall, I can tell the fans and the players that I understand this is the way. In the last four years, with the success and performances we have had, we have had some days like today."

On new players taking time to gel: "The players who joined us need some adaption. Some our adapting quicker than others. In everything we are building, we must try and add the players who joined us in the direction we want."

Did you know?

• Aston Villa have recorded just one shot on target in their opening three games of a Premier League season - the lowest total on record by any side since 2003-04.

• Only Manchester City (31) are on a longer ongoing unbeaten run in the Premier League against newly promoted sides than Aston Villa, with the Villans unbeaten in all 22 matches under Unai Emery (won 15, drawn seven).

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

Have your say on Hull City's performance

What did you make of Aston Villa's display?

Reaction and analysis to follow - and come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

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

• Newcastle v Bournemouth (12:30)

• Brentford v Sunderland

• Brighton v Leeds

• Fulham v Crystal Palace

• Man City v Coventry - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Nottingham Forest v Tottenham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Hull v Aston Villa (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Tottenham" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Aston Villa match", for example.

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

Image source, BBC Sport

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

Hull City will be on such a high after winning their first two games, and that makes this game even harder to predict.

The Tigers are really well organised and are not bothered about how much possession they have, they are just bothered about being effective when they do get the ball.

They defend the box brilliantly but there will still be a few weeks this season where teams run all over them because of the way they are set up.

Aston Villa won't necessarily do that, but I still think they will come out on top despite their poor start to the new campaign.

Ollie Watkins is a big loss but they have got Nicolas Jackson in to lead their line, and I think he's a good signing.

It took Villa six games to register their first league win last season, but they won't have to wait as long this time.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

Promoted Hull City are vying to start a top-flight season with three straight wins for the first time. Opponents Aston Villa have never lost to a promoted side under Unai Emery but they are yet to muster a point, goal or shot on target this season.

Hull moving fast on and off the pitch

It has been a wild ride for Hull City's supporters since last year. From avoiding relegation to League One on goal difference to sneaking into the play-offs on the final day of the regular 2025-26 season and earning promotion with a stoppage-time winner, they are now sitting pretty in the Premier League with two wins from two and no goals conceded.

It's a rise that has come at a breakneck pace under head coach Sergej Jakirovic, with the club's manic summer recruitment a reflection of that. Eighteen players have been signed, six of them coming on Tuesday's deadline day. This was a club under a transfer embargo when the Bosnian arrived.

"It is my job now to find a good balance between new and old players," said Jakirovic, who could just as easily have been speaking for his counterpart Emery.

Two games is a tiny sample but the reshaped team has so far retained the direct and aggressive style which brought them success last season. Happy to sit deep, press with intensity and play on the counter-attack, Hull move the ball upfield quicker and in fewer passes than any other side in the Premier League this season.

Villans in need of new heroes

Three years and 10 months after he took charge at Aston Villa, this is finally Emery's squad. The club signed a player in every position this summer, with Emery at the fore in terms of identifying new recruits.

Seven of the starting XI in May's Europa League final were players inherited by the Spaniard. Some of that side ultimately viewed winning the club's first major trophy for 30 years as a natural end to their Villa careers. Others were sold to meet financial regulations and release the club early from the stranglehold of a multi-year settlement agreement with Uefa, imposed after breaching the European governing body's spending rules.

Emery admits the summer of upheaval, which included backroom staff, was far greater than planned. The players who have departed, either permanently or on loan, accounted for half of Villa's Premier League minutes in 2025-26, and 55% of their goals.

Crucially, Emery remains – and so, therefore, does optimism among the fanbase. That's despite Villa becoming the first team since QPR in 1977 to finish in the top four and then lose their opening two matches of the following season without scoring. They're in danger of becoming the first side on record not to register a shot on target after three Premier League games.

Clearly, it will take time to see the best of this new iteration of Aston Villa – eight of the 11 new faces have yet to start – but they recovered from a start last season of one point from five games, and no goals after four.

And Emery will not countenance the idea of a transitional season. "We must compete and win, rebuilding the team as fast as possible," he has asserted.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Hull City at MKM Stadium (17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery provided a fitness update on summer signing Johan Manzambi, who is is yet to make his Villa debut: "No, not yet. He's training with the group and getting better and feeling good but he will need some days more. I don't know if for the Champions League on Tuesday or for the next match against Nottingham Forest."

• On the rest of his squad as they aim for their first points of the season against the Tigers who have won two from two: "No really bad news. I think the players they are ready and some players we have signed in the last week will get progressively better and better and understanding our way to play. Hopefully tomorrow we can do one step forward, playing better, competing better, and hopefully getting some points."

• He also confirmed 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo is "still injured for the next two weeks minimum".

• Speaking about leaving Madjo, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Modou Keba Cisse out of Villa's Champions League squad, Emery said: "It's hard for the decision we took and for the players too. We decided trying to analyse everything deeply. Taylor signed here for a long time. He stays here for a long time and hopefully they will have again opportunity to play in Europe with us. Hopefully after January, maybe, or the next years. Madjo is 17 years old, still being so, so young, and of course he will have more opportunities to play with us this year or the next year in Europe."

• Emery said Villa had a plan over recent years to be prepared for "changes" in the transfer market like they have just experienced. He said it will now be key for new faces to adapt and develop "as soon as possible".

• On the incoming players, he said: "A lot of young players with huge potential. Some can show the potential quick and some take time. But, we are very motivated, very excited, how we can get and keep the same level we had in Premier League."

• He was also asked about supporters who are concerned by the scale of the change: "We want to win and we want to build a team again as strong as possible and get the structure collectively and individually strong, to be a winner, to be very competitive."

• On the fans: "The supporters must be passionate and supporting us in everything we are doing. The club is moving forward with the work as well as with Villa Park to try and get most supporters to be behind us and trying to get our level higher and higher. Now is not time to speak too much, now is the time for hard work and focusing on each match with the importance, especially tomorrow against Hull City."

Listen to live commentary of Hull v Aston Villa on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

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

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Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey has completed a move to Greek side Olympiacos.

Bailey joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen for £25m in 2021 and has scored 23 goals in 163 appearances.

He spent the first half of last season on loan at Roma before being recalled by Villa in January.

He went on to make 19 appearances for Villa, scoring once, as they finished fourth in the Premier League and won the Europa League.

On confirming his departure, Aston Villa said: "An exciting winger, capable of both scoring and assisting, Leon was a popular figure among his teammates and around the training ground with his exuberant personality, and he leaves Aston Villa with the very best wishes of everyone at the football club."

Aston Villa and Newcastle will continue their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen's Cameroon forward Christian Kofane, 20, when the transfer window reopens. (Football Insider, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Steve Sutcliffe, Emlyn Begley and Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalists

Premier League clubs have broke their all-time summer transfer record with spending reaching £3.49bn.

A total of £506.5m was spent on deadline day itself, up from £391m last year.

The total amount spent during the window considerably dwarfs the £1.13bn spent by clubs just five years ago and underlines the power top English clubs have to attract talent, according to figures provided to BBC Sport by Paul Macdonald, founder of FootballTransfers.com.

Three of the 10 most expensive signings in the history of football have happened this summer – with all of them being Premier League signings. In fact, this summer window featured four of the top flight's five most expensive ever deals.

So maybe it is not surprising then that of the 20 most expensive transfers completed, only six were not to clubs in the English top flight.

Indeed, newly-promoted Ipswich have spent more on new signings than the likes of Barcelona, AC Milan, Juventus and reigning European champions PSG.

Premier League clubs as a whole were willing to dip deep into their pockets this summer, as 11 of the 20 clubs broke their transfer records, six of them on more than one occasion.

Coventry, promoted to the Premier League alongside Ipswich and Hull, have done so four times over.

Read more on the Premier League's record-breaking transfer spending

We asked for your views on Aston Villa's squad with the transfer window shut until January.

Here are some of your comments:

Mike: There's real talent and huge potential in this new group of players and I'm genuinely excited to see how Unai Emery moulds them into a team of his own design. Last season we learned how a slow start doesn't necessarily mean a poor season and it's clear that our manager will get more out of these players than they themselves knew they were capable of. Let the fun begin!

Rob: Despite others being negative about Villa's transfers I'm actually quite excited by it. There is young pace and power that can be moulded by the great Emery and still some good older experience in there. It may take a while to settle them all in but Villa will still be in decent shape.

Scott: It's always tough to say goodbye to players that have served the club so well. However new seeds have to be planted for the next crop to flourish and what a packet of seeds Emery has brought! This selection of players could be a class side for years to come.

Richard: Very happy with Villa's transfer dealings. Good money for departing players and sensible money for the incoming ones. Lots of exciting young talent to watch. Emery took a relegation threatened team and quickly turned them into top seven players. He can surely do the same again with players he has had a say in. Probably wasn't expecting Ollie Watkins to go, but we have two capable replacements.

Arsenal have started the new Premier League season with two wins as the transfer window closes, looking in ominous shape to retain the crown they won for the first time in 22 years last season.

Have their main rivals done enough to prevent Mikel Arteta's side winning a second successive title?

And what are the other big issues as the Premier League's transfer business was concluded until January?

Aston Villa finished fourth and won the Europa League in a season of stunning success under Unai Emery, but this is effectively the start of a new era at Villa Park.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, defenders Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa, midfielders Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, as well as striker Ollie Watkins, all left.

Parma's Japan keeper Zion Suzuki replaced Martinez, while other arrivals included defenders Taylor Harwood-Bellis from Southampton, Aaron Wan-Bissaka from West Ham United on loan and Matteo Ruggeri from Atletico Madrid.

Freiburg's Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi was another arrival, along with winger Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain, striker Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea and Germany veteran Leon Goretzka.

The rebuild was fleshed out with midfielder Joao Gomes arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers and winger Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Chelsea.

It will take even the great alchemist Emery time to fashion his new team, but he has been given the materials to work his magic for another season aiming for the top four.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The third Unai Emery era begins at Aston Villa.

The first was the march to the Champions League in 2024 and the second the run to winning the Europa League in May.

The third could prove to be the defining moment for Villa as they look for long-term success and to build on what Emery has already achieved.

Yet patience will be required after a summer of upheaval during which key players departed and the transfer record was broken twice - first with Johan Manzami and then the £65m arrival of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.

Villa needed to balance the books and Morgan Rogers' £117m move to Chelsea helped that, but the exits are not purely down to financial constraints.

Release clauses triggered the moves of Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne, while Villa will be happy to move on from the agitation of Emi Martinez's desire to leave, now the goalkeeper finally has his wish.

The money brought in for Ollie Watkins from Al-Hilal was something Villa could not turn down, with Emery conceding it was crazy to get £50m for someone 31 in December. Ezri Konsa wanted his move to Arsenal.

It all means Villa have lowered the average age of the squad - which was the second highest in the Premier League last season - and reduced the wage bill.

That was one of the priorities going into the summer and they can be satisfied, even if Emery was not prepared for the wholesale nature of the departures and it was not the plan.

Jackson, Manzambi, Joao Gomes, Ibrahim Mbaye and Taylor Harwood-Bellis are likely to form the core of the new era, with the potential of Brian Madjo seemingly unlimited.

Close to £280m has been committed, but it will need time. Emery likes to ease his players in so he can trust them implicitly to deliver his methods and demands.

He must accelerate that process with a number of new players and that could mean some missteps.

Villa were ready for change. Now they must adapt to it.

How are you feeling about Villa's squad now the transfer window has closed until January?

Get in touch with your views here

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Taylor Harwood-Bellis says he is "full of pride" after joining Aston Villa on deadline day.

The 24-year-old defender, who is a product of Manchester City's youth academy, moved from Championship side Southampton, where he made 134 appearances, scoring 12 times.

"I'm full of pride to have signed for a club like Aston Villa, it's massive for me and my family. I'm so proud," said Harwood-Bellis, who replaces Ezri Konsa in the Villa squad.

"To come to a club of the stature of Villa is something I wanted to strive for in my career. Now is the time to kick on."

On the qualities he will bring to Villa, Harwood-Bellis said: "Off the pitch, a leadership and determination. I'm willing to give everything to win. I think that's been shown at the past clubs I've been at. I wear my heart on my sleeve and I'd do anything to win.

"On the pitch, I like to think that I've got qualities on the ball. Defensively, I've improved so much.

"I'm willing to go again, I want to go again and I want to improve again, but hopefully my feet do the talking in terms of what qualities I have on the pitch. I'm raring to go."