Aston Villa

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

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

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery confirmed Amadou Onana did not take part in training after picking up a calf injury in the first-leg last week, and the defensive midfielder will "obviously not" be available for the second leg. However, he is "confident" Aston Villa have enough options in midfield positions to "still get a performance overall".

• Despite not featuring against Tottenham on Sunday due to hamstring tightness, John McGinn has "trained normally" and should be available.

• When asked if not picking the same starting XI in the past three matches has contributed to a run of three defeats in all competitions, Emery replied: "Yes, but we had some players out injured and we also needed to rest some players because they were at risk of getting injured."

• He added: "It is always about getting the right balance in order to still get the performance. Sometimes we achieve it, sometimes we don't - that's football."

• Villa having the opportunity to qualify for the Europa League final is "really something fantastic", given the side failed to win any of their first six games of the season.

• Emery explained: "I am excited, 100%. I am so motivated. When I arrived here three-and-a-half years ago, it was a dream to be playing a semi-final in the Europa League."

• On whether the players have learned anything from their previous cup semi-finals: "Yes, but this is the first time we are playing a match like this here. In the Conference League semi-final two years ago, the first leg was at home and the second leg was away. Last year, we only went as far as the quarter-finals in the Champions League. We did play in the FA Cup semi-finals last year, but even that was just one match in London."

• Nottingham Forest "have the advantage" and "are the favourites" heading into the fixture, but he is "confident" the home supporters will bring the atmosphere at Villa Park.

• He added: "I'm going to enjoy it. In fact, I'm enjoying it now. I would prefer to be here right now [talking to the media] than at home."

• It will not be a failure if Aston Villa don't reach the Europa League final explained Emery: "To reach a semi-final is a huge achievement. To win a trophy is very difficult. It's not a defeat if we don't win a trophy. The objective is to always keep improving and make sure we have these opportunities in the present and in the future. We have the opportunity right now, but only one team is going to win. This is football."

• He also doesn't believe this will be the final opportunity for this current group to win a major trophy at the club, as they will "set more challenges for the present and for the future" and they can still "be proud of everything" they have achieved as a collective in the past three years.

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Unai Emery will be typically calm ahead of the biggest game of his Aston Villa reign.

The head coach will deflect or dismiss any concerns about their recent form, reiterating Villa are in a Europa League semi-final for the first time under him.

They go into Thursday's second leg against Nottingham Forest trailing 1-0 from last week's first leg at the City Ground.

When Emery faces the media on Wednesday afternoon he will, rightly, point to their successes this season, having been in the title race as recently as February and the faith he has in the squad.

Yet Sunday's wretched 2-1 defeat to Tottenham has added to the anxiety on the terraces after Emery made seven changes and kept the majority of his first choice team fit to face Forest.

Opposite number Vitor Pereira made eight changes and his second string Forest won 3-1 at Chelsea to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games, their best streak in 10 years.

Villa have lost their two previous semi-finals, to Olympiacos in the Europa Conference League two years ago and last season's FA Cup semi to Crystal Palace, under Emery.

That record and their recent form of three straight defeats will ensure a nervy atmosphere at Villa Park if the hosts fail to take control early.

Real Madrid have Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on the shortlist to be their new manager, but he is under contract at Villa Park until summer 2029. (Talksport, external)

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

Here are some of your comments:

Aston Villa fans

Tony: For all the excitement Villa fans have had over the last few years, we are always expecting some sort of trophy but always fall short. Most fans seem to think that qualifying for the Champions League is the most important thing, it really isn't. If the money from qualifying is more important than winning a trophy, then what on earth is the point of it all?

Alex: Poor performance and I have to admit it's looking like there are few wins left this season on this form. Forest are doing well and therefore the Europa final may be a step too far, but fingers crossed. Three points should get us across the line, and hopefully we can get it against Burnley, although there's no easy games as they say. The Champions League is so crucial - it all falls apart without that and Unai Emery's big players are likely to go, so it's high stakes. How we've missed those big midfielders at crucial points in the season.

Palma: The most uninspiring, lacklustre and embarrassing display I've seen in a while. How Emery didn't make at least three substitutions at half-time was more baffling than his starting 11.

Paul: Villa have not been playing well for weeks now, and I am really concerned about this coming Thursday's match against Forest. I think we need a major improvement, otherwise we won't even make the top six.

Tottenham fans

Stephen: Night and day contrast from what we've been forced to watch since September. We have to carry it straight through against Leeds though and break our home curse. That's the next step to redemption.

Stan: If only we had got De Zerbi earlier, Spurs wouldn't be in this mess. Arguably our best performance of the season, immense work rate by all players - especially Conor Gallagher - and so pleasing he got his first Spurs goal. The team played with a structure and purpose and a desire to win. De Zerbi has installed a confidence back in this squad that has been so lacking and now Spurs supporters can look forward to our next home game with a positive outlook.

John: The manager seems to have instilled a level of confidence which has been lacking all season.

Bill: This is the best I've felt since that night against Ajax - everybody took responsibility, fewer got injured and nobody gave up. Thanks, Spurs.

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard wants Ross Barkley to be his first signing of the summer, with the midfielder out of contract at Aston Villa at the end of the season. (Alan Nixon, via Give Me Sport, external)

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Pundits Micah Richards and Alan Shearer join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Sunday's Premier League fixtures.

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And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Bournemouth 3-0 Crystal Palace

• Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool

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

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• 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

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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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Image source, Getty Images

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)

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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.