Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Today we faced a team that played fantastically and they competed fantastically. They needed the points, and they fought to get it.

"In the first half we didn't perform well. In the second half, we reacted, but it was not enough. In 35 games, things are very good, and we have the advantage to still be in the top five, but we must continue to be demanding.

"Maybe the points [for Champions League qualification] are not enough, and we must try to recover our form and do the things we were doing - there are still three matches to go. They [Tottenham] played fantastic, they pressed, they won duels, and we were not dominant in individual duels, and they beat us."

On making seven changes: "Last week we lost against Fulham and which players played against Fulham? We played against Nottingham Forest and we lost. Today we lost with different players."

On Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg: "It's a different match, a different competition. We're in the semi-finals and, of course, we are going to enjoy the match and enjoy the process. To play in the semi-final of the Europa League is fantastic. I don't play one match like this in three years here.

"The supporters forget we are having a fantastic season, and we are on the same points as Liverpool on 58."

Did you know?

• Aston Villa have lost four of their last eight home Premier League matches (W3 D1), only one fewer than they did across their previous 55 at Villa Park combined (W38 D12 L5).

• Across 138 halves of Premier League football at Villa Park under Unai Emery, the first half of this game was Aston Villa's fewest touches in the opposition box (1) and one of only two times they failed to have a single shot.

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has barely put a foot wrong in his four-year spell at the club - but this was a starting line-up that took his team's eye off the ball in pursuit of a Champions League place.

He chose to make those seven changes from the side that lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest in their Europa League last-four tie, with thoughts clearly fixed on overturning that deficit in the home second leg.

Emery may feel the wisdom of his decision will only be fully measured by Thursday's outcome, but this was a team selection that gave Spurs huge encouragement and would have been greeted by sinking hearts at West Ham and those still in the relegation mix.

And so it proved as Villa felt the fury of their own fans at half-time, with resounding boos as they trooped in two goals behind - and lucky to only trail by that margin after a lazy, lacklustre and insipid display.

Their second-half improvement was only slight, even after the belated introduction of striker Ollie Watkins for Tammy Abraham, although they still remain well placed to make the Champions League with a six-point advantage over sixth-placed Bournemouth and three games left.

All eyes will now be on that Forest meeting, where Emery needs a victory to maintain hopes of a first major trophy in 30 years - and justify the side he put out against Spurs.

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

Have your say on Aston Villa's performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Lindelof, Mings, Barkley, Tielemans, Abraham, Sancho, Maatsen, Bogarde, Rogers

Subs: Bizot, Konsa, Buendia, Watkins, Digne, Torres, Garcia, Douglas Luiz, Bailey

Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Danso, Palhinha, Richarlison, Tel, Udogie, Gallagher, Porro, Bentancur, Van de Ven, Kolo Muani

Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Spence, Sarr, Souza

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

• Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (14:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Manchester United v Liverpool (15:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Aston Villa v Tottenham (19:00)

Kick-off times BST

Follow Bournemouth v Crystal Palace here

Go here for live text and radio commentary of Man Utd v Liverpool

And stay across Villa v Spurs here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Crystal Palace" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man Utd v Liverpool".

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Tottenham probably need to win three of their last four games to stay up but, although they finally won in 2026 when they beat Wolves last week, I am not sure it has given them any momentum.

It was a huge result for Roberto De Zerbi's side but you have to remember Wolves are woeful and Spurs also made hard work of their victory.

What helps Spurs here is that Aston Villa have their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest to contend with over the next few days.

Even so, I still feel like Villa will be too good.

This defeat will send Spurs one step closer to the drop and a trip to play my old club Lincoln City in the Championship next season.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

Two teams with vastly different objectives at the business end of the season will clash in the unusual Sunday evening slot (19:00 BST) when Aston Villa welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the West Midlands.

Villa, off the back of a 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday, are aiming to get back into the Champions League via their Premier League position, lest they fall short of winning the continent's second-tier club competition.

Presently, they are poised to do just that, sitting fifth, eight points clear of Brighton. There is a worry, however, that the Villans may have peaked too early when they won eight league games on the trot in November and December.

Unai Emery's side have won just two of their past seven in the league, losing four – as many defeats as they suffered in their previous 24 top-flight matches.

Ollie on the up

Leading scorer Ollie Watkins has six goals in his past seven matches, a welcome return to form after netting just three in 16 during a challenging start to 2026.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that his good run started after 20 March, when he wasn't named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for that month's friendlies.

Indeed, he has scored goals in three previous Premier League games against sides managed by Roberto de Zerbi, including a hat-trick against Brighton in September 2023.

One place he has not scored from this season, however, is the penalty spot. Villa and, coincidentally, Spurs are the only two sides in the division not to have been awarded a spot-kick this term.

Roberto's rallying cry

Tottenham are aiming to secure back-to-back league wins for the first time since the opening eight days of the season.

Having ended their 16-game domestic winless streak with victory over relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers last week, De Zerbi's side must aim for the same again on Sunday.

Spurs are teetering on the brink. They sit 18th, two points adrift of West Ham United, and the prospect of Championship football is looming increasingly large unless they get their act together.

De Zerbi, appointed at the end of March, said before Saturday's win at Molineux: "This team is able to win five games in a row." It's a bold statement given the Lilywhites have won just eight of their 34 matches so far.

It is one down, four to go, if this injury-stricken Spurs squad is to meet the Italian coach's target. No team has ever been in the relegation zone with five matches of a Premier League season to play and won them all.

There are, however, 18 examples of such a team winning three of their last five games (and five instances of a team winning four games), which should give hope to those currently suffering in north London.

A point would be more useful to the hosts than the visitors, but recent history suggests honours are unlikely to finish even in this fixture. None of the past 21 league meetings between Villa (seven wins) and Spurs (14) have ended level.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Aston Villa goalkeeper and European Cup winner Nigel Spink says Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson is a "lucky lad" that he was not sent off after a controversial tackle on Ollie Watkins during the first half of Thursday's 1-0 Europa League semi-final first leg defeat at the City Ground.

The midfielder's challenge on Watkins went unpunished but left his England team-mate in agony on the turf. Replays showed Anderson clattered into the Villa striker's ankle.

Unai Emery described the VAR as "so, so bad" for not getting involved.

"I'm not an advocate for the modern style of football and how it's refereed, but he was out of control, his foot was in the air and his studs were up," Spink told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

"Technically, it at least should have been a yellow and then I thought he could have got another yellow for an incident not long after that as well. He's a lucky lad that he stayed on the pitch, but you have to ride your luck and deal with these things."

Despite the first-leg defeat, Spink is backing Emery's team to provide an improved performance next week at Villa Park.

"Villa's season has been amazing," he added.

"They have done fantastically to be in the Champions League spots and doing so well in the Europa League. They can take full confidence into next week.

"With these big ties, you look back at defining moments and I think Emi Martinez's save will go down as keeping Villa in the competition if they can perform a little bit better in attack next Thursday. It wasn't quite as sharp as they can be."

Listen to the full chat from 08:17 on BBC Sounds

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park (kick-off 19:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery gave an update on midfielder Amadou Onana who came off injured against Nottingham Forest in the Europa League on Thursday: "Difficult. He had a scan and we will see the consequences after it and how he is feeling but for Sunday it is sure he is not available."

• On shuffling his team: "Each match is very important, we are involved in the Premier League in day 35 and we are focusing on it as a priority - to be consistent and be demanding to achieve a huge challenge to be back in the Champions League."

• On how close Villa are to getting back in Europe: "There are teams behind us performing well. We must focus on our own matches and try to get points. The first one is on Sunday against Tottenham. I am positive, I am delighted with the position we are in the league. Fantastic consistency but still the last challenge is to play."

• In a rallying cry, he added: "On Sunday we need the stadium full, the supporters helping us, playing with us, bringing the energy. We are trying to enjoy with our supporters. We have been consistent, three years in a row playing in Europe. This year we have the opportunity to fight for it."

• On facing Tottenham: "Each match in the Premier League is very difficult. They have very good players and they have a very good coach. Maybe he will need time to set the tactical things he [Roberto De Zerbi] did in Brighton, which were really fantastic. I think he will do it, but now they are trying to escape the bottom and they need points more than playing in a strong structure or idea he is usually doing. They have experienced players, good players, and I expect a very difficult match. Villa Park is something we must use, pushing us to win the match."

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We asked for your thoughts after Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa at the City Ground.

Here are some of your comments:

Forest fans

Ben: First blood, Forest! A strong performance without being dominant, but what a penalty! You won't see a better one. We played well with the ball and did enough to deserve a lead going into the second leg, but this tie is nowhere near over. Villa Park will be a tough place to see this through. But if Forest play with the same commitment, they will give themselves every chance of doing so!

Steven: We just about deserved the win. It was a very cagey game, but we played at a good tempo. I'm looking forward to next week. Stefan Ortega needs to be given a new contract ASAP.

Kris: Very composed, very assured and very professional. That's what Vitor Pereira has brought since he came in, and now the players are thriving. The right call was made on Elliot Anderson's brilliant tackle and our penalty was the most obvious one you'll see, so nothing to grumble about in terms of VAR or the officials. Can every match be like this please?!

Ian: This result gives Forest something to believe in. The 1-0 is OK, so long as our defence is as good next week as it was in this match. Elliot Anderson was lucky, I thought. Those little bits of luck are needed for the second leg. I think we can do it.

Villa fans

Mossy: So frustrating! Once again we failed to take our chance to score. The one golden chance Ollie Watkins got he missed, like so many other times throughout this season. We looked a bit toothless up front, but in all honesty we were second-best all night in terms of passing, tackling and winning one-vs-one duels. Forest looked us in the eyes and we melted a bit. It will be very hard to turn it around if we don't play a lot better next week. Thank God for Emi Martinez, what a save that was! Incredible reflexes.

Phil: Villa had no attack! We had nobody to cause concern and, when we lost Amadou Onana, we lost control of midfield. It is more obvious than ever just how much Boubacar Kamara was the bulldog in midfield. He did all the dirty work without asking for plaudits. That's our biggest loss.

Blake: Compact but no end-product. Ollie Watkins couldn't stay on his feet and lacked a clinical edge. Unai Emery chose to complain about a 50-50 challenge rather than focusing on our toothless performance. Forest will shut Villa out in the second leg.

Andy: It felt like we were stuck in third gear and happy with a draw. The referee had a poor game and gave everything Forest's way. A harsh penalty on Digne, but why doesn't goal-line technology come into play along the whole touchline? Chris Wood's penalty was unstoppable, but if it wasn't for Martinez's worldie earlier on we would've been in deeper trouble. The second leg will be rocking at Villa Park next Thursday. We will play so much better than this.

Unai Emery had plenty to say about VAR after Aston Villa's defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Listen above or on BBC Sounds here

Aston Villa are exploring a move for Morocco and Girona midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, 26. (Sportsboom, external)

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

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ollie Watkins suggested on Wednesday that this Europa League campaign could be the last chance for Aston Villa's current squad to achieve something.

They have been together for a long time - six of the players who started Unai Emery's first game in November 2022 began the match at the City Ground. A seventh starter against Forest, John McGinn, came off the bench in that game three and a half years ago.

That stability has worked well for Villa - two years ago, they reached the Conference League semi-finals and also qualified for the Champions League.

But as they chase a first major trophy in 30 years, Villa need to overcome a first-leg deficit to ensure they are not classed as nearly men.

They have stumbled in the second half of the season but should still finish in the Premier League's top five to reach the Champions League - although that would not end the silverware drought.

It was just Emery's second defeat in his past 28 Europa League games - having won the tournament four times - but Villa need the master magician of the competition to turn it around at home next week.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, spoke to TNT Sports after his side's defeat at Nottingham Forest in the Europa League: "We couldn't score, we conceded, but we controlled. We lost but did the match we planned. We had our chances to score and had momentum. We were successful in stopping their high press, the match was going like we planned. We defended well. The penalty was one action that happened.

"I didn't watch the action or speak with him [Lucas Digne]. Tomorrow we will speak about everything. After analysis we can take something clear.

"After their goal the most important thing was not to lose our mind and to keep our game plan. They were excited, pushing well. After the goal, we kept same idea to draw the match, but more important was not to concede another goal. The match is not finished, it continues next week. We must come back."

On Elliot Anderson avoiding a red card for a challenge on Ollie Watkins: "Fantastic the referee, fantastic. But the VAR is so, so bad. It's a clear red card, I don't understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear. It's a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible.

"The referee - fantastic, fantastic job, 10 out of 10, I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.

"I watched it back - wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. VAR, where are you? It is your responsibility, we are professionals. It was so clear for everybody. He could break his ankle. It's not fair."

Did you know?

• Unai Emery lost a leg of a Europa League semi-final for the first time since his Sevilla side lost 3-1 at Valencia in May 2014, having gone unbeaten in eight straight semi-final matches in the competition before Thursday's defeat (W6 D2).

• John McGinn and Emiliano Martinez made their 300th and 250th starts for Villa in all competitions respectively.

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 Friday for a selection of your replies

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira makes three changes for the Europa League semi-final first leg.

Jair Cunha misses out after being forced off in Friday's 5-0 win at Sunderland with Morato starting in defence.

Nicolas Dominguez replaces Ibrahim Sangare, with the midfielder also coming off at the Stadium of Light injured, while Stefan Ortega starts in goal.

Nottingham Forest XI: Ortega, Aina, Milenkovic, Morato, Williams, Dominguez, Anderson, Hutchinson, I.Jesus, Gibbs-White, Wood.

Subs: Sels, Willows, Lucca, Yates, McAtee, Bakwa, Abbott, Whitehall, Sinclair, Hanks, Blake.

Amadou Onana starts for Aston Villa having been a doubt with a knee problem which kept him out of Saturday's defeat at Fulham.

He replaces Lamare Bogarde in Villa's only change as they look to take a first-leg lead back to Villa Park next week.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Buendia, Rogers, Watkins.

Subs: Bizot, Wright, Mings, Lindelof, Elliott, Garcia, Abraham, Sancho, Luiz, Maatsen, Bogarde, Bailey.

There are four semi-final first legs taking place in the Europa League and the Conference League on Thursday, and BBC Sport will be keeping you up to date.

Europa League:

• Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Sporting Braga v Freiburg

Conference League:

• Rayo Vallecano v Strasbourg

• Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace

Kick-off times 20:00 BST

Get in-depth coverage of Forest v Villa, plus updates from Braga v Freiburg here

And go here for live text commentary of Palace's game, plus Rayo Vallecano v Strasbourg updates

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Europa League commentary on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa".

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

Ailsa Cowen
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins has said it was "fair" he wasn't selected for the England squad but it gave him the "fuel" to improve his goalscoring form.

Back in March, when England manager Thomas Tuchel revealed his latest squad, Watkins had been struggling in front of goal.

From January until March, he scored two goals in 12 games. Since then, he has seen a resurgence with five goals in five games, with two coming against Sunderland and one assist.

"I had no animosity towards him [Tuchel]. What he said to me was personal, I needed that time away to get that fire back in my belly," said Watkins.

Villa have also had a strong run in Europe this season, they play Nottingham Forest in the Europa League semi-final this evening.

They have won all five Europa League knockout matches this season, scoring 13 goals.

Watkins said the possibility of going on to win the competition could "be more special" than Villa's play-off win in 2019.

"I think we need to do everything we can to get to the end. It is not going to be easy."

Having "never lifted a trophy", the 30-year-old is determined to get his hands on one this season.

They'll be hoping there is no repeat of their last European semi-final, where they lost out to Olympiakos in the Conference League.

"We were playing such good football, but we didn't really turn up," said Watkins.

"This year our form has been amazing in Europe, so I think that togetherness and we have learned a lot. We need to pull together with that experience and go one more."

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