Aston Villa

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  1. Sutton's predictions: Aston Villa v Chelseapublished at 11:24 GMT 22 February

    Sutton's predictions graphic

    Chelsea's form has been pretty rotten recently and their manager, Enzo Maresca, also needs a strong finish to the season.

    It doesn't help that Cole Palmer has lost his mojo, on top of their issues at centre-forward and in goal. Maresca really needs to make the Champions League places but nothing is clicking for his side at the moment.

    Aston Villa are probably in better shape in terms of their performances, but their results have also not been great with four draws and a defeat in their past five league games.

    They were great going forward against Liverpool on Wednesday but just cannot keep clean sheets - although Tyrone Mings' return to the team from injury is big for them at the back.

    I had to think a bit about this one but I am going for my old club Villa to beat my old club Chelsea, and Maresca might start to come under a bit of pressure if this poor run carries on much longer.

    Sutton's prediction: 2-1

    Read the full predictions and have your say here

  2. Follow Saturday's Premier League games livepublished at 11:00 GMT 22 February

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    There are seven Premier League games on Saturday, and we will bring you every moment.

    Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

    Follow all the action and reaction here

  3. The answerpublished at 16:42 GMT 21 February

    Jhon Duran celebrates a goal for Aston VillaImage source, Getty Images

    Earlier, we asked how well you remembered Aston Villa's opening Premier League game of the season.

    The match against West Ham ended in a 2-1 win, with John Duran scoring Villa's winner after Lucas Paqueta's penalty for the Hammers cancelled out Amadou Onana's opener.

  4. Emery on Konsa's fitness, Champions League draw and Chelsea 'test'published at 15:13 GMT 21 February

    Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's visit of Chelsea in the Premier League (17:30 GMT).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Emery said Ezri Konsa could return on Saturday: "He did the composition work with the players. I will test him and in case he is feeling good he will be in the squad. Konsa could be with us in the squad."

    • On Leon Bailey, he added: "Leon trained yesterday and, the same like Konsa, I think in case he's training today normally, he will be available to be in the squad and the possibility to play tomorrow."

    • He added that Ross Barkley is "a little bit slower than we wanted" but will return to training "in a few days" while Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara will be "two or three weeks". Axel Disasi is ineligible against this parent club.

    • On drawing Club Brugge in the Champions league round of 16: "Happy we are in the last 16, and happy with the draw, but every team they are in the last 16 deserve to be there. We played against Brugge [in the League Phase] and we knew their capacity to compete."

    • On what a win could mean for Villa's season: "Tomorrow, Chelsea is really a very good test, collectively, individually, very good test. In the table we are more or less under our target, and tomorrow we have to try to get this opportunity again to try to compete and to try to get three points."

    • When asked about individual mistakes, Emery said: "Some lost balls when we are building up, some individual duels we are not winning. It's how we can build our idea, our style, our structure, getting stronger. This is the first objective I have, always, because I think, through it, we will win more matches than we will lose."

    • He said his new signings are trying "as soon as possible" to integrate into Villa's style, adding: "Progressively, again, trying to build a team in our structure, to get stronger. Try to get collectively, tactically, our structure as strong as possible, defensively, offensively. This is the task I have, and of course the players as well, they are involved in this commitment."

    Listen to live commentary of Aston Villa v Chelsea starting on BBC Sports Extra then moving to BBC Radio 5 Live from 17:30 on Saturday

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  5. Did you know?published at 13:53 GMT 21 February

    Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD4 match between Club Brugge KV and Aston Villa FCImage source, Getty Images

    Aston Villa will meet Club Brugge for just the second time in European competition, with the first meeting between the two sides also coming in the Champions League this season, a 1-0 League Phase win for Club Brugge at Jan Breydel Stadium.

  6. Villa will be 'delighted' with Champions League drawpublished at 12:02 GMT 21 February

    Aston Villa players line-up before their league phase defeat against Club BruggeImage source, Getty Images

    Gary Thompson says he is "very pleased" with his former side Aston Villa's Champions League last-16 draw against Club Brugge.

    Villa lost 1-0 to the Belgian side during the league phase after a bizarre penalty conceded by Tyrone Mings, but have avoided a knockout tie against one of Europe's elite after finishing in the top eight.

    "Aston Villa will be delighted," Thompson told The Football News Show. "Obviously, if we get through it does get difficult. It's a great opportunity.

    "We have brought in players to help the squad and it's looking very good, potentially. Everyone looks at the quality of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford.

    "Rashford hasn't played well in the past 18 months, but he looks a lot sharper and hungrier.

    "Asensio is a fantastic footballer and if you add that to what we've got you have got to be happy with that.

    "Villa will have learned a lesson [after Club Brugge beat them in the league phase].

    "To be fair, there was very little in the game. If we come with the players we've got now, we have got a decent team. We shouldn't fear anybody at the minute."

  7. Champions League last-16 draw madepublished at 11:24 GMT 21 February

    Champions League trophyImage source, Getty Images

    The Champions League draw has been completed, with teams now knowing who they play in the last16 and their possible route to the final.

    • Club Brugge v Aston Villa

    • Borussia Dortmund v Lille

    • Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid

    • Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen

    • PSV v Arsenal

    • Feyenoord v Inter Milan

    • Paris St-Germain v Liverpool

    • Benfica v Barcelona

    The first legs will take place on 4/5 March, with the return meetings the following week.

    Read more about the Champions League schedule on our live page

    The tournament tree for the knockout stages of the 2024-25 Champions League
  8. Today's trivia challengepublished at 08:59 GMT 21 February

    Aston Villa quiz graphic

    Aston Villa played West Ham in their opening Premier League game of this season - what was the final score and who found the net?

    Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT

  9. 'Hardest league in world can also be greatest place to learn'published at 15:39 GMT 20 February

    Mike Taylor
    BBC Radio WM reporter

    Aston Villa expert view banner
    Andres Garcia in action for Aston VillaImage source, Getty Images

    You are Andres Garcia. You are 22 years old and six weeks ago you were playing in the Spanish second division. You were quietly impressing good judges, but mostly unknown outside that league, yet to experience top-division or international football at any level.

    Now you are at Villa Park, playing in the world's biggest domestic league, selected by one of your country's most decorated coaches. Just a few yards away is Marco Asensio, among the finest players in your nation's recent history. And facing you is many people's idea of the strongest side in Europe.

    Amid all the noise and pomp, you settle to your work, shuttling up and down your flank, you fizz over a couple of good crosses, win a corner, rouse the fans in the North Stand. You seem to belong here.

    And then, for only an instant, your concentration glitches under pressure. Your pass runs straight to Diogo Jota. You clasp your hands to your head, helpless, and in just four seconds Liverpool turn your mistake into a goal.

    You stare at the turf. Now what? Do you shrink or stand up?

    "The young players, they have to get their own process," Unai Emery told me later. "I think Andres Garcia's potential is really huge, we can exploit, and because his orientation with us has been so quick, he is not really playing feeling uncomfortable. He is playing more or less in our idea, getting his position and getting his qualities in our structure. His process is like that."

    Emery trusts his processes and Garcia should too. Hopefully, he was reassured by his manager's faith in his ability and by the very fast response of several of his team-mates, who were clearly alert to the danger that their inexperienced colleague might be swamped by emotion and self-doubt.

    To his great credit, Garcia got back to work, contributed well and was warmly applauded when substituted in the second half.

    "He can make some mistakes, but learn quick, and try to do the process always looking forward," said Emery. "[He is] as well being very demanding himself every day... his attitude is fantastic, this is the most important of course."

    Wherever Garcia's career takes him, he will doubtless remember this night and that moment. It must have been deeply painful, but there is good reason to think this promising young player - the least heralded and therefore perhaps most interesting of Villa's recent signings - will be stronger for having experienced it.

    The hardest league in the world can also be the greatest place to learn.

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  10. 'An absolute priority' - fan reaction to Liverpool drawpublished at 08:57 GMT 20 February

    Your views banner
    Youri Tielemans celebrates a goal for Aston VillaImage source, Getty Images

    We asked for your views on Aston Villa's 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

    Here is a selection of what you sent in.

    Prit: In the end it was a fair result with both teams having great chances to win it in the second half. Very happy to see Rashford and Asensio start. But, we are ninth, have 39 points, a goal difference of -3 and that is the bottom line. Unless we win the Champions League we will not be in it next season as we would need to pretty well win every game. Defence is an absolute priority for Unai next season.

    William: There was a different feel at a Villa Park. A very decent performance with spirit and desire. Maybe there is an interesting end to our season on the cards…. Bring on the last 12 games!

    Rich: Last night summed up Villa's season. Going forward on the counter we pass through the lines at pace and look like scoring several goals a game. At the back we have struggled all season. A disrupted back four has made it very difficult to play out against teams like Liverpool and Newcastle who play a high press. And we have made too many mistakes leading to goals. We are on the right trajectory under Emery though and he is building a good strong squad.

    Morgan: Mistakes need to be cut out, but look Garcia is only new to the pace and pressure of Premier League. He'll get there. We could have snatched a win but could easily have lost. But we're competing and no one can say it's boring watching Villa. Still catches me off guard to see where we are at as a club compared to where we were a few seasons ago. Keep the faith.

    Steven: Much of the initial reaction focused on Liverpool dropping points. They must have been watching a different game. Villa were much the better side in the first half and deserved to go in ahead. Both Liverpool goals had more than a touch of good fortune gifted to them (passing error and deflection) - and Villa put two more goals in only to be ruled offside. I expect the noises out of the Liverpool camp are born out of concern that they weren't the better side on the night.

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