Showing posts with label Aston Villa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aston Villa. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
Tuesday, 25 August 2026
Thursday, 13 August 2026
PSG TOP ASTON VILLA IN SALZBURG TO SUCCESSFULLY RETAIN UEFA SUPER CUP
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| Marquinhos (C) lifts the trophy with his teammates after PSG defeated Aston Villa to win the UEFA Super Cup at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, August 12, 2026. /VCG |
Champions League titleholder Paris Saint-Germain rubber-stamped its status as Europe's top club after edging Europa League winner Aston Villa 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, Austria, on Wednesday.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue found the net, sandwiched around a debut goal for Villa teenager Brian Madjo, as the Parisians retained the trophy they first won 12 months ago against another Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur.
Ahead of the start of their respective domestic campaigns, both coaches named relatively strong squads for this match.
PSG's starting lineup featured nine players that lifted the Champions League trophy against Arsenal in May, including Vitinha, Joao Neves and captain Marquinhos.
French left-back Lucas Digne, who officially signed a deal with the Parisians on Sunday, was on the bench against his former club.
Aston Villa rested World Cup campaigners Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and Ollie Watkins, but coach Unai Emery handed debuts to midfielder Joao Gomes and striker Madjo.
Midfielder Boubacar Kamara also started for the first time since suffering a serious knee injury in January.
PSG boss Luis Enrique sent on World Cup winner Fabian Ruiz with a quarter of an hour remaining, helping PSG shore up the center of the pitch as Villa hunted for an equalizer.
The English side's best chance came inside the final 10 minutes but Tammy Abraham was, by the slimmest of margins, unable to reach Alysson's cutback inside the six-yard box.
The Qatar-backed Ligue 1 winner managed to hold on and enjoy a triumphant start to the new season, which they hope will end with a third consecutive UEFA Champions League crown.
- Source(s): AFP
Wednesday, 12 August 2026
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE V EUROPA LEAGUE: PSG FACE ASTON VILLA IN SUPER CUP
The UEFA Super Cup marks the beginning of competitive football for the 2026/27 season
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| It's champions v champions in the UEFA Super Cup AFP |
Dubai: Paris Saint-Germain will aim to retain their UEFA Super Cup title as they face Aston Villa on Wednesday 12 August at Stadion Salzburg in the traditional opening clash of the European season.
After beating Tottenham on penalties in the 2025 UEFA Super Cup, the French champions secured their place in this year’s final by winning the Champions League for a second consecutive season, beating Arsenal in the final.
Now, having gone back-to-back in Europe’s premier club competition, they find themselves facing another north London side in the Super Cup final.
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| PSG won the 2025 Champions League while Villa won the Europa League AFP |
Aston Villa on the other hand, are looking for a second trophy in quick succession after their 3-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League final ended a 30-year trophy drought.
How to watch
For fans in the UAE, the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa will be available live on beIN Sports, which holds the exclusive rights to UEFA’s club competitions across the MENA region through 2027.
Fans can watch via the beIN Sports TV channels or stream the match through the beIN SPORTS CONNECT service, with the exact channel listed on beIN’s TV guide.
PSG team news
Fabian Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery and Lucas Hernandez were handed extended time off after the World Cup, meaning they missed both of PSG’s pre-season friendlies.
The group has now returned to first-team training this week and travelled with the squad to Austria, giving Luis Enrique a full complement of players to choose from.
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| PSG's World Cup winner Fabian Ruiz will be available for selection AFP-CARL RECINE |
It remains to be seen whether Enrique will hand the returning players immediate starts against Aston Villa or opt to introduce them from the bench.
Captain Marquinhos is expected to feature from the outset alongside Portugal trio Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes, all of whom played 30 minutes in the recent friendly against Manchester United. Fellow World Cup stars Willian Pacho and Ibrahim Mbaye are also likely to start after featuring in both of PSG’s pre-season matches.
Lucas Digne could make his second PSG debut against his former side after the French club activated the £8.5million release clause in his Villa contract.
Aston Villa team news
World Cup medal winners Emi Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins were all given extended time off and did not feature during Villa’s pre-season campaign.
Should the trio not be ready to start against PSG, Marco Bizot will remain in goal, with Victor Lindelof partnering Pau Torres in defence and Tammy Abraham leading the attack.
Villa will definitely be without Amadou Onana, who suffered an ACL injury to his right knee while representing Belgium at the World Cup. John McGinn is also a doubt after landing awkwardly on his left knee during the pre-season win over BG Pathum United.
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| Amadou Onana will be out for several months after suffering an ACL injury in the World Cup AFP-DAVID RAMOS |
Record signing Johan Manzambi remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a knee injury sustained with Switzerland at the World Cup. However, new arrivals Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Gomes are both expected to make their competitive Villa debuts against PSG.
Ian Maatsen, meanwhile, is set to take over as Villa’s first-choice left-back following Digne’s departure, having struggled for regular starts last season.
- Robert Ilsley
Tuesday, 11 August 2026
UEFA SUPER CUP PREVIEW: PSG TAKE ON ASTON VILLA IN WEDNESDAY SHOWPIECE
August 11 – Paris Saint-Germain will face Aston Villa in Wednesday’s UEFA Super Cup in Salzburg, as the annual European curtain-raiser returns, and the first opportunity of silverware along with it.
The yearly summer meeting between the Champions League and Europa League winners brings together a PSG side chasing another trophy after back-to-back European titles and a Villa team attempting to land one of the biggest prizes of Unai Emery’s reign against the best side in world football.
PSG retained the Champions League in May after edging Arsenal 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Budapest, reinforcing their position at the head of the European game.
Villa arrive after a similarly impressive continental campaign, crowned by a 3-0 Europa League final victory over Freiburg.
The timing of the Super Cup may offer Villa an advantage.
A key portion of PSG’s title-winning squad, namely Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé, Fabián Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi, have only recently returned from the World Cup and consequential holiday period, leaving Luis Enrique with a selection headache over how heavily to lean on players short of preparation.
PSG’s underlying approach is unlikely to change – with Vitinha expected to retain his role as the organiser at the base of midfield, João Neves providing the energy around him and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia giving the French champions a constant threat from the left after an entire summer of rest and recovery.
Villa have had rebuilding to do this summer.
Morgan Rogers departed for Chelsea in a €137 million transfer, Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United and Amadou Onana will be sidelined until the new year with a long-term ACL injury.
New signing Alejandro Garnacho will be charged with filling the attacking gap, while midfield additions Johan Manzambi and João Gomes give Emery like-for-like – if unproven – replacements.
There is also an immediate reunion for Lucas Digne, who moved from Villa to PSG this summer and could now face his former club in his first European showpiece of the season.
Should the scores be level after 90 minutes, there will be no extra time, with the trophy decided immediately by penalties.
Referee Omar Artan will become the first non-European official to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup – an appointment that comes in the wake of a difficult summer for the Somalian. His World Cup ended before it had started when he was refused entry to the United States despite being selected as part of FIFA’s refereeing team.
Artan, named African football’s referee of the year, has since been handed one of UEFA’s highest-profile early-season appointments.
“When we got this call it was, for me and my family, really a very, very happy moment. There’s a big Somali community in Europe and in Austria and they are over the moon with me officiating a match like this. I believe that if I can succeed, anyone can. Don’t ever stop dreaming,” he told UEFA.
Reflecting on his World Cup disappointment, Artan added: “It was a very tough period. A lot of people have sympathy for me, because when someone has been working a lot of years and is supposed to do something, and then can’t do it, it’s very challenging.”
His appointment gives an already important fixture another layer. Tune in for the tie at 20:00 BST on Wednesday.
- Harry Ewing,
Thursday, 23 July 2026
Wednesday, 22 July 2026
CHELSEA SIGN ENGLAND’S RODGERS FROM VILLA IN RECORD BRITISH DEAL
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| Morgan Rogers with his beloved mother at Stamford Bridge during his official unveiling and contract signing |
London club’s previous record signing was Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo
Chelsea have signed England international Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa on a contract until 2033, both Premier League clubs said on Tuesday, with British media reporting the deal was worth £117m (R2.58bn), making him the most expensive British player.
Neither club disclosed financial details, but Sky Sports reported the package surpassed the reported fee of up to £116m Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest for midfielder Elliot Anderson earlier this month.
Chelsea’s previous record signing was Ecuador midfielder Moises Caicedo, who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion for £115m in 2023.
“I’m so excited,” said Rogers in a club statement. “For me, Chelsea are the biggest club in London and a club I’ve always admired since I was a kid.
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| A photo posted on social media by Chelsea FC shows new signing Morgan Rogers at the club's headquarters in London. (Chelsea FC/X) |
He chose Chelsea.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 21, 2026
“I’m really excited about the project with the new manager, the players we’ve got and where the club is heading. That’s why I’m here and I can’t wait to get started.”
Rogers, who can play on the wing or as an attacking midfielder, leaves Villa after two years, having helped them win the Europa League in May. He scored in the 3-0 final victory over Freiburg as Villa claimed their first major European trophy since 1982.
The 23-year-old scored 31 goals in 125 appearances for Villa after joining from Middlesbrough in 2024, earning his England debut later that year.
Rogers featured in seven of England’s eight matches as they finished third at the World Cup and enjoyed his most prolific domestic campaign last season, scoring 10 Premier League goals.
Chelsea, who finished 10th in the Premier League last season, begin their league campaign away to Fulham on August 24.
- Reuters
Thursday, 18 June 2026
Monday, 1 June 2026
JAMES MILNER RETIRES AT AGE 40 AFTER LIVERPOOL ICON BREAKS PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD
Premier League and England legend James Milner has retired after a 24-year career in the top-flight, playing for Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Brighton
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| James Milner has announced his retirement from football(Image: Getty Images) |
Premier League legend and former England international James Milner has announced his retirement from football at the age of 40.
The versatile midfielder left Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of the season when his contract expired after three years on the south coast. But instead of finding a new club, Milner has decided to call time on his illustrious career just months after breaking the record for most Premier League appearances in February.
Milner played for six teams in England's top flight. The 61-time England international came through at Leeds United before joining Newcastle United and then Aston Villa. He won the Premier League twice, FA Cup and League Cup at Manchester City before winning all there is to win under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
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| James Milner won multiple honours at Liverpool(Image: (JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)) |
Taking to X, Milner shared an emotional statement: "After 24 seasons in the @premierleague, it feels like the right time to bring an end to my playing career. From making my debut for @leedsunited, who I supported growing up, at the age of 16 and becoming the Premier League’s youngest scorer.
"I could never have dreamed of the journey I’ve been on, right through to not being able to lift my foot last year and then coming back to be part of @officialbhafc qualifying for Europe for the second time in their history at the age of 40.
"To have gone on to represent @nufc, @astonvilla, @mancity, @liverpoolfc and @officialbhafc — and not forgetting a memorable month at @officialstfc — has been an incredible privilege.
"Every club has played a huge role in my life and career, and I want to thank everyone involved — the owners, staff, coaches, teammates and supporters who welcomed me and helped me along the way."
He continued: "To the fans, thank you. To those who supported me every step of the way, your encouragement meant more than you’ll ever know. And to those who gave me grief along the way, thank you too — you all played your part in making the journey memorable and helping shape me as a player and person.
"To my family, thank you for every sacrifice, every mile travelled and every moment of encouragement. None of this would have been possible without you.
"I leave the game with immense pride, gratitude and memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Football has given me far more than I could ever have imagined, and I will always be thankful for the opportunities it provided.
"Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey."
- Cameron Winstanley
Monday, 25 May 2026
WEST HAM 'DISGRACE' BLAMED ALONGSIDE ASTON VILLA FOR LETTING SPURS OFF THE RELEGATION HOOK
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| Would West Ham have stayed up if Lucas Paqueta was sold earlier? |
The relief at Spurs is immeasurable but for West Ham it has been a long time coming, with plenty of blame to be apportioned in relegation.
Honestly, though. What on Earth were Everton doing?
West Ham’s downfall
So, Spurs got the inevitable result against Everton and our win was irrelevant. But we weren’t relegated today, it has been a few years in the making and accelerated this season. The culprits as I see them;
David Sullivan – most of the problems come from the top. Sullivan selling a few jazz mags does not qualify someone to be director of football at a Premier League club, and some of the signing certainly show that to be true. The problem isn’t investment in the playing squad, they’ve actually spent a lot of money, but the recruitment has been terrible with no semblance of a long term plan. If relegation leads to Sullivan following Brady out of the door then I think a lot of West Ham fans will accept that as a fair price.
Graham Potter – it’s important to remember just how bad we were at the start of the season. We conceded from virtually every corner and he kept picking Max Kilman.
Nuno – since mid January we’ve been pretty good. Comfortably in mid-table form. But the problem is that Nuno joined in September, for 3 months we just drifted and looked doomed after losing to Wolves & Forest. Fair play for turning it around, but when you’re 7 points from safety its a bit too late.
Lucas Paqueta – no coincidence that performances and morale drastically improved after he left. Maybe the FA investigation took a toll on him, but his work rate was a disgrace.
London Stadium – it is possible to get a good atmosphere there, and Upton Park has been mythologised to the point you’d think we never lost, but the stadium move can only be viewed as a failure. Financially it was a no brainier, but it’s probably 10k too big and the gaps between lower and upper tiers means that atmosphere fades and dies too regularly.
Leeds and Sunderland – it is outrageous that two newly promoted teams were so good. How can mid-ranking PL sides like West Ham coast along in 12th-17th when teams come up and play so well?
West Ham fans – I don’t think we can be absolved of all blame. If the team performs well, we’re a very supportive bunch, but we’re too quick to get on player’s backs. Booing the team off at HT today was stupid and is symptomatic of the toxic feeling throughout the club.
Aston Villa – I’ll never forgive them for that ‘performance’ against Spurs. Genuinely gutted when they beat Freiburg.
VAR – hasn’t caused relegation by any means, but if I’m having a good moan I can’t leave out VAR. It needs binning and most match going fans feel the same, there has to be something fans can do to get rid of it.
Off for a few drinks now, and then wake up tomorrow looking forward to Lincoln away, Millwall at home and 44 other great fixtures with the hope that we’ll be back soon.
Andy the hammer (relegation isn’t the ideal way to get rid of VAR, but I’ll take that small win)
In any other year, West Ham going down would be funny.
Love you all.
Finlay x
The end of an era
Since the first season of the football league there has – unless I’ve missed any! – always been at least one team beginning with W in the top flight.
With West Ham and Wolves playing in the Championship next season, and Ipswich, Coventry and Hull promoted, a streak of some 130 years’ duration comes to an end.
Michael C, a Spurs fan whose only interest in yesterday’s matches was alphabetical, honest…
Thank you, fixture computer
Can I, on behalf of all Spurs fans, thank the Premier League Super Computer for pulling Everton at home for the last game of the season.
Jim – Spurs
In Andrea Pirlo’s Autobiography, he talks about the illustrious AC Milan Trophy room, with all their accolades. He said he always felt there should be a sombre black plaque in there to commemorate AC Milan’s collapse against Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League Final. He felt it should be a mark to remind them never to forget.
Spurs should take heed. Put a black plaque in their own trophy room (Yes, haha, there’s plenty of room). A reminder of the sins and near catastrophe of this campaign. Never again.
As a Spurs fan, there’s little delight, but there’s pure relief at the end of this grueling season. There’s really no saying how bad relegation could’ve been.. Spurs might never have recovered. To survive by the barest of margins on the final day is not ideal.. but that’s enough, and that’ll have to do.
It gives us a chance to recover, to get our squad back healthy, to purge the squad of weak minded and weak skilled players, to build upon the foundations that Roberto De Zerbi has quickly constructed. He’s done an incredible job with this Great Escape, especially considering how bleak the mood was in the camp when he came in, and the devastating injuries across the squad that he faced. Amazing.
My last mail to this fine forum was on April 13th, after Spurs lost to Sunderland, and lost Romero for the season. My mail barely crept in, through the howling laughter of other fans, F365 writers, Mailboxers, Gary Neville, Sadiq Khan, The entirety of PGMOL and f**k it, probably Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange too. Spurs were going down! The giddy glee had fans from ‘The Other 14’ clubs frothing at the mouth… but I warned you:
“6 games left and people are salivating over Spurs demise. But I’m sorry to tell you, like they’ve done for us fans for so long: Spurs will disappoint you.
Salvation seems miles from us for now… but one win can change everything. De Zerbi will make more progress. Xavi Simons, Bergvall, Van de Ven, Porro, Tel will step up. Maddison might even return.
Spurs will stay up… and I can’t wait to be back here when they do!”
Rumours of Spurs’ demise have been greatly exaggerated, my friends.
Despite *everything*. All the injuries, all the negativity, all the bad luck, the dodgy VAR decisions, the zero penalties, the other fans wishing for their own teams to lose to send Spurs down… despite it all, Spurs fought their way out of hell.. and Spurs are staying right where they belong!
See you next season!
COYS,
Andy, Eire
Perhaps Tottenham ought to unveil new front-of-shirt sponsors in Viagra (or Cialis) for next season, marketing around staying up and being such hard men that they are in so doing.
Eric, Los Angeles CA (Two from the last 12 points on offer to grab fifth place with aplomb, hooray.)
Am sure you’ll get loads of these…..yes Spurs have been shocking (and need a huge reset), but RDZ has managed to do something……however, more importantly, it must be infuriating for Chris Sutton, Alan Smith and others that Spurs stay up.
Dan, Hornchurch (Although begrudgingly, I expect Alan Smith is pretty happy)
Is De Zerbi the new Sam Allardyce?
Robert, Birmingham
Deafening Moyes
Hello ed,
Insipid, hopeless, benign. These are now the adjectives of performances to which we aspire.
Moyes probably loving the fact West Ham went down, makes him look loads better by comparison. Also distracts from His mismanagement of the squad, substitutes and clueless in game adjustment.
I could go on and on, but he’s already on the hot seat for next season, he’s sodding off to do commentary for talksport, at least Roberto Martinez went to a World Cup he got ESPN and some sort of tiki hut on Copacabana beach, that fills me with dread already. 3 points from 21! 1 more point than Sean Dyche’s point deduction season Eesh.
EFCraig (there’s going to be 3 worse teams next year… right?)
Never go full John Terry
It was good to see Saliba, Raya, Trossard, White and Timber didn’t go full ‘John Terry’ and opted for just wearing the jersey for the photo op.
Seamus, Sweden
I spoke too soon…
Seamus, Sweden
Sun loungers
When was the last time a promoted team qualified for Europe? Fair play to Sunderland for that achievement. My team of season. And they finished five places above Newcastle. I wonder if there’ll be more beheadings than usual next week in Saudi Arabia off the back of that.
Danny, Brighton
Honour among thieves
Finally, the final week of the season is over. A week that has seen the British Press fall over themselves to laud Guardiolas time at City. We all know he wouldn’t have been there without the oil money and nor would the vast majority of the players.
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more cringeworthy you have the game being stopped for Guards Of Honour for Bernardo Silva & John Stones. Even more pathetic was Villa joining them.
Thank god for the League Of Ireland to keep me sane
Yours
Seán, St Patrick’s Athletic, Inchicores Finest, Dublin
Clutch? Professional
Thoroughly enjoyed the piece on “Mikel Arteta transfer decisions that made angry Arsenal fans look stupid” just as I’ve enjoyed the myriad of sports journalism that complimented the efforts of Arsenal and Arteta since Jorge Graham took charge.
With regards to Trossard, I did have to look up what a clutch player is. And by extension, what a clutch goal may be.
So, strap yourselves in fellow old men and prepare to shake your hands vigorously at the clouds, because apparently a clutch player is an athlete or competitor who consistently performs exceptionally well under high pressure, especially during critical, game deciding moments.
In other words, a diligent, talented and focused professional.
A clutch is type of handbag, pedal or to grip tightly, not a footballer.
Eoin (Is it me who is out of touch? No, it is the children who are wrong) Ireland
Pep for England
So I saw an article in The Guardian, headlined ‘Pep Guardiola will not rule out possibility of managing England’ written by, of course, Jamie Jackson.
Apparently Pep was asked by someone (by some unidentified tw*t, we’ll assume with the initials JJ) at a presser ‘if the England role would be of interest’.
Pep replied ‘I don’t have any absolute plan about my future’ amongst other stuff about wanting a break etc, but Jamie interprets this as ‘Pep Guardiola has left open the possibility of managing England in the future’.
But he makes this interpretation, despite also including this ‘Asked if this was not a no, Guardiola said: “Yeah – [but] nobody cares”‘
I’m not a journalist, but I would take that to read that ‘Is that a no’ followed by ‘Yes, that is a no’!
So basically Jamie seems to have deliberately misinterpreted an answer from Guardiola to concoct a nonsense story, just before England go to the World Cup with a manager who has recently signed a contract extension!
Can you lovely people at F365 explain this to me, I’m confused!
A, LFC, Montreal.
Squad goals
Don’t worry, every national squad has similar debates. For the France squad, people are up in arms about Marcus Thuram up front, the Hernandez brothers, Konaté, Rabiot, Mateta, Koundé, all debatable selections sure, and then the absence of Lepaul, Thauvin, Camavinga, Udol, Mayulu. But guess what, just like Tuchel, Deschamps knows what he’s doing (he’s proved that in the last 2 world cups), and I’m sure he’s got a plan. Who was it – I think was Rassie Erasmus the South African rugby coach – who said you don’t pick up the best players, you pick the best squad, for your gameplan and compatible players. And he would know, he’s won 2 world cups.
Deschamps himself said he’d never pick a player for the world cup if he’s never played for the national team yet (he made an exception for the 3rd keeper, but only because he does not expect him to play). Hence no Lepaul, Udol or Mayulu, even though they’ve had great seasons. So Let it go for now, and reserve judgement if/when it all falls apart.
Mike, London, the French Chelsea fan
Being from a country that didn’t qualify for the World Cup, I am in awe of the spoils of the English squad depth, and the thoughts of the impact one or two castaways may have on my countries chances at qualification. So question to the mailbox, could a team assembled of players who didn’t make the England squad qualify for the World Cup? And could they do it without moving continent as well as country (ie could they qualify via Europe as remembering Haiti qualified)? Also, do you think you could assemble an England B team that could beat Tuchels A team?
Ron Carr (country location withheld for fears of nationalist reprimand)
- Football365
Thursday, 21 May 2026
PRINCE WILLIAMS GETS HANDS ON EUROPA LEAGUE TROPHY AS HE CELEBRATES ASTON VILLA'S HISTORIC WIN
Future King emotional at final whistle as he witnesses his beloved Aston Villa win their first major trophy in 30 years
An ecstatic Prince William holds onto the Europa League trophy as he celebrates Aston Villa’s historic Europa League victory.
The future King, who is a huge Villa fan, was pictured last night with his hands on the trophy alongside the club’s manager Unai Emery.
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| PRINCE WILLIAM AND UNAI EMERY POSED FOR PHOTOS TOGETHER WITH THE EUROPA LEAGUE TROPHY ASTON VILLA |
It comes after photos showed William looking emotional as Villa clinched claimed their first major silverware in 30 years - and a first European title since 1982.
The Prince of Wales attended the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday evening where his beloved Villa won 3-0 against German side Freiburg.
After the victory William erupted into cheers and celebrated with friends who had watched the game alongside him. He appeared to wipe away tears.
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| CAMERASPORT VIA GETTY IMAGES |
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| WILLIAM CELEBRATES ASTON VILLA’S VICTORY WITH HIS FRIENDS GETTY IMAGES |
It was Villa’s first major European final since the prince was born, their first silverware since the League Cup in 1996 and a first continental trophy since the European Cup in 1982.
After the match, Kensington Palace published the Prince of Wales’ message to the team: “Amazing night!!
“Huge congratulations to all the players, team, staff and everyone connected to the club! 44 years since the last taste of European silverware!”
The prince added: “Special shout out to Boubacar Kamara who has been out injured but is such an integral part of our team and helped lay the foundations of this success.”
Midfielder Kamara has been absent since suffering a knee injury earlier this year.
After lifting the trophy, Villa captain John McGinn said that William, who has followed the club since he was a schoolboy, met the players before kick-off.
“He is a classy guy,” McGinn told TNT.
“He was in the dressing room before the game. He is a massive Villa fan so he was never going to miss it.
“He is just a normal guy. It’s great to have his support and hopefully it continues and tonight he can have a couple of drinks with us and maybe get his credit card out at the end of the night.”
During the final, Youri Tielemans and Emiliano Buendia each scored a goal at the end of the first half.
Morgan Rogers then added a third in the 58th minute, sparking jubilant scenes at the final whistle.
Striker Ollie Watkins revealed the secret to Villa’s triumph following the match.
A trophy parade is due to take place in Birmingham later on Thursday.
- MATT WATTS
Saturday, 16 May 2026
OLLIE WATKINS DROPS DAMNING VERDICT ABOUT ARNE SLOT'S LIVERPOOL AFTER ASTON VILLA'S 4-2 WIN
Ollie Watkins provided some eye-opening analysis on Arne Slot’s Liverpool after helping Aston Villa secure a 4-2 win at Villa Park on Friday night.
Villa put Liverpool to the sword in front of their home fans, sealing Champions League football in style with a deserved win over the reigning Premier League champions.
Unai Emery’s side went 1-0 up on the stroke of half-time through Morgan Rogers. Virgil van Dijk then levelled the scores early in the second half before Watkins restored Villa’s lead minutes later.
Watkins then doubled his tally in the 73rd minute before John McGinn made it 3-1 late on. Van Dijk made the scoreline slightly more respectable for Liverpool before full-time but this was another bitterly disappointing night for Slot and his beleaguered players.
Watkins on Facing Slot's Liverpool
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| Ollie Watkins scored against Liverpool |
Sky Sports spoke to Watkins, who has now scored eight Premier League goals against Liverpool over the course of his career. Only Andy Cole (11) and Harry Kane (nine) have netted more times against the Reds.
During a frank live TV interview, Watkins described Liverpool as having a “disjointed” defence that don’t play offsides, making them a dream opponent for himself. The England international said:
“They play a high line and they don’t play offsides so they’re disjointed at the back and I feel like there’s a lot of space for me to run into."
He added: “I feel like I’m always going to get opportunities against them, that’s no disrespect to them. The two centre-backs are world-class at the end of the day, but I think I spot opportunities and spaces in between them.
“When it’s a high line like that I like to run in behind and create some danger for them.”
- Rob Swan
Monday, 4 May 2026
Sunday, 3 May 2026
Thursday, 30 April 2026
MANCHESTER UNITED LEGEND ASHLEY YOUNG ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM FOOTBALL, WHO IS HIS WIFE, DO THEY HAVE KIDS?
Footballer Ashley Young has played for the likes of United, Watford, Aston Villa, Inter Milan and Everton.
Manchester United legend Ashley Young has announced he is retiring from football at the age of 40, the footballer joined Ipswich Town in the summer of 2025 and previously played for the likes of Watford, Aston Villa, Inter Milan and Everton.
Ashley Young said: “I am incredibly proud and fortunate to have achieved everything I have during my career.”
He also said: “It’s not too often you sit and think about this while you are still in the game, but I have lived my dream during the last 23 years. It’s now time for some reflection on what I’ve been able to achieve and the next few weeks and months will be when I decide what I am going to do next.
“But that is all to come. My full focus is on Saturday and helping this club achieve our goal, which is promotion back to the Premier League.”
Kieran McKenna, the manager of Ipswich Town said: : "Ashley's career in the game speaks for itself and it has been an honour to have worked with him, firstly at Manchester United and then here at Ipswich this season.
"The professionalism, competitiveness and quality he displays every day has had a massive impact on the group this season and I know he wants nothing more than to end his career by helping us achieve our goal."
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| Manchester United legend Ashley Young announces retirement from football, who is his wife, do they have kids? Ashley Young of Ipswich Town warms up before the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Ipswich Town and Blackpool on January 10, 2026 in Ipswich, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images) | Getty Images |
Ashley Young took to Instagram and wrote: “From Sefton Road to Vicarage Road to Villa Park to Wembley to Old Trafford to San Siro back to Villa Park to Goodison Park and finally to Portman Road. It’s been some journey that I only dreamt of as a boy! But with this dream there has to be an ending and Saturday might be the Last Game Of My Professional Career🤘🏾💛💜🤍❤️💙 23 years and OUT!
“To be continued….”
“I couldn’t tell you the stats about how many games I’ll play, but what my focus is on is getting this club back into the Premier League, that’s all I’ve got to focus on now.”
Who is Ashley Young’s wife, do they have kids?
Ashley Young is married to his childhood sweetheart Nicky Pike, they have two children, Tyler and Ellearna. In 2024, footballer Tyler Young signed for Peterborough United. He then joined Ipswich Town and in October 2025 joined Isthmian League Premier Division side Chatham Town on loan.
- Marina Licht
Saturday, 18 April 2026
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