Aston Villa

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It always seemed a more symbolic threat than one which would ever be followed through.

Jamie Carragher, while letting himself down with language, merely expressed an opinion and not a particularly extraordinary one.

While it shows naivety towards Unai Emery's situation and the control he has at Aston Villa, it was hardly something to make headlines over.

It was one Villa should have let wash over them but, not for the first time this season - or indeed in previous years - the club chose a combative position towards the media. Although, if owner Nassef Sawiris wants to do something there is very little some can do to change his mind.

• Villa drop legal action threat against Carragher

Villa and Sawiris were defending their honour, as is their right, and they saw it as a slight on their ambition and how they could be perceived as lesser than Manchester United.

The idea of the traditional big six is one which irritates Villa, especially having won the Europa League and reached the Champions League for two of the past three seasons.

They have competed against those traditional sides - Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham - and have outperformed some of them at times.

The threat towards Carragher was a sign of their determination to be seen as equals, even if it was misguided.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Barcelona winger Anthony Gordon has vowed to be more selfish ahead of facing Aston Villa.

The England forward is preparing for the Champions League clash on Tuesday following his summer move from Newcastle in a deal worth more than £69m.

Gordon has helped Barca to the top of La Liga and has scored three goals in 13 appearances in all competitions, including one in Saturday's 6-1 win over Alaves.

But the 25-year-old wants to do more to help Hansi Flick's side complete a clean sweep of trophies this season.

"The challenge of joining Barca is different to what I've had before because I was fighting relegation for two or three years (at Everton), which was tough," he said.

"At Newcastle we were fighting for the Champions League and to push up the table and now fighting for Barca for every trophy.

"To be competing on every front for every trophy is definitely the most enjoyable. I think people think it's more pressure but it's actually less pressure than fighting relegation and fighting to push up the table for the Champions League.

"I want to win every trophy. I want to be the best. This club allows me to do so.

"I think I can do it more, I can maybe be a little bit more selfish sometimes. I think sometimes I maybe pass too much. I should definitely score more goals, but like I said, the reality is goals win games and I'm here to win trophies."

Gordon has previously played Villa with Everton and Newcastle in the Premier League, scoring in the Magpies' 3-0 win on Boxing Day in 2024.

"They're one of the most physical teams in the league. They've got some great players," he said.

"Certain things can motivate me more than others but I try to remain the same. I try to remain consistent with my motivation. So the fact they're English doesn't make it more motivating.

"They have some great players, I know they all have had a great run as of late, so it's going to be a difficult game.

"They're the type of team that regardless of the game, they're always in the game, they wait for a moment. They seem to always be ready for any type of game, so we know it will be a tough challenge but we're excited for what's to come."

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

Here are some of your comments:

Villa fans

Liam: A very frustrating evening. First half, I thought we played well, created chances but didn't take them. Fulham played well, kept hold of the ball and deserved their goal - albeit a mistake from Zion Suzuki, who I thought up until then had kept us in the game. Disappointed to only get a point.

Roderick: Were the players' minds on Barca? It certainly looked like an absent-minded display, which is so unlike Unai Emery's team. Fulham controlled the second half and will probably be feeling unfortunate not to have taken all three points. Please, Villa, don't repeat this display on Tuesday.

John: Villa were lucky to get a point. Yes, Suzuki made a bad error for the Fulham goal, but if it wasn't for him Fulham could easily have had three or four with the chances they had. He's been brilliant for us since he joined so let's not get on his back for one error.

Alex: It's two points lost, definitely. The penalty miss cost us and also the obvious error by Suzuki. However, he also saved us with excellent stops several times. What was frustrating was the drop-off in intensity and inability to handle Fulham when they turned up in the second half. We ground our way back into it but too late, unfortunately. Should be three points, with the game having been dead and buried by half-time.

Fulham fans

Brian: A good point but when are we going to use Rodrigo Muniz from the start? Gonzalo Garcia doesn't have what's needed in the Premier League and the lack of goals is damaging us.

John: Getting there, but the big gap is the goalscoring ability, which needs to be resolved soon.

Charles: The talk is all about how Villa gifted us a point through Suzuki's mistake, but the stats tell a different story - one of a match where Villa were probably lucky to have come away with a point. Fulham need to keep their heads high and confidence up. I think the results will keep coming.

Jan: Best performance of the season. Just need a striker to put away the chances. Maybe Santa will provide an early present!

Aston Villa face competition from Arsenal, AC Milan and Roma to sign 20-year-old Brazil forward Endrick from Real Madrid. (Calcio Mercato - in Italian), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

This match was the eighth and final one on a busy Saturday of Premier League action. It featured thrills and spills and nearly had a dramatic finish.

Aston Villa defender Pau Torres twice had chances to snatch a late winner but failed to hit the target with close-range headers on both occasions.

After four games of this Premier League campaign, both of these teams were in the bottom three with one draw and three losses, and this draw maintains their recent resurgences.

Villa have now won three and drawn two of their five league matches since, while Fulham have picked up seven of a possible nine points in their past three games.

Nicolas Jackson has had a fine October, with his goal following one in the 2-2 draw against Brentford, two in the 6-0 Champions League win over Fenerbahce and a double in the 2-1 win over Manchester City.

This encounter took place on Saturday evening rather than Sunday afternoon because Villa play in the Champions League at La Liga leaders Barcelona on Tuesday.

Some sides would be distracted by such a prospect, but Unai Emery's Villa started brightly, with Leon Goretzka heading one chance over.

His next header resulted in the penalty after Sander Berge raised his arm.

The penalty was the first awarded to Villa in the Premier League since April 2025 against Manchester City, having not received one last season. Surprisingly, Jackson did not take it, and instead it was John McGinn who took responsibility, only to hit the woodwork.

Zion Suzuki, who joined Villa in a £30m deal from Parma in August, had performed well until his error made it 1-1.

He did make a crucial save later on to deny Antonee Robinson as the game ended in a draw.

Sunday marks four years to the day since Emery began work as Villa head coach.

The team sat three points above the relegation zone on 1 November, 2022.

Since then, Villa have finished seventh, fourth, sixth and fourth and made the Conference League semi-finals in 2023-24, the Champions League quarter-finals in 2024-25, before winning their first European trophy since 1982 with success in the Europa League last season.

Villa's attentions will quickly move on to their glamour tie at the Nou Camp, with Emery looking to secure their fourth Champions League victory in a row.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery, spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's draw against Fulham: "Disappointing result, but fair. The first half, we tried to dominate the match, to break their high build-up with the press. We did it more times than less. Sometimes, they could break our press and they created one or two chances but saved [by] Zion Suzuki.

"We were creating chances, we were creating goals. We had a penalty shot. We scored a goal. In the first half, we more or less were [there]. Tough match, but we were more or less feeling comfortable. We wanted to carry on the second half in the same way, but we couldn't. I don't know why, but we couldn't. They were demanding it more, they were pushing more. They were creating chances more. We were defending. They scored the goal. They threw enough at it.

"It changed a bit. We started the game pushing, not being organised like we were but pushing. We created two or three chances to score the goal. I think the result is a fair result. Disappointing for us. Not enough, but we keep going forward."

On Suzuki's mistake for the goal: "Yes, but it's part of football. Keeping going forward. Keep improving. Today was about a very good test, but we need to continue working and improving things. Work to do. Try to adapt our players to get better, get confidence.

"Plus, we are improving our results. In our last five matches in the Premier League, three won, two draws. I think it is good, but our poor start is giving us a lack of points in the table. Today improving. A draw is a disappointing result, but a fair result but we must keep going. Next challenge is Tuesday against Barcelona. Next challenge is against Manchester United, so it's not time to stop. It's not time to be focussing on what was before. Our focus is the next match, next days.

"Each competition is giving us a lot of moments tot y to build the team. We are building and we are working to improve."

• Hear more from Emery on BBC Sounds here

Aston Villa defender Ian Maatsen, spoke to Sky Sports: "We started the game well. Fulham is a good side, not easy to win [against] but we came in front. We done well but in the second half we gave them more time on the ball. They have good players and they can make chances.

"We were unlucky with the goal but we tried to keep fighting. It's important not to lose these games.

On Suzuki's mistake for the goal: "It's frustrating because don't want to concede goals but it can happen to everyone.

"Zion is a great guy, great goalkeeper. He will learn from it. We will support him and go again."

Did you know?

• No Premier League player has scored more goals in all competitions this month than Nicolas Jackson (six), while Jackson is the first Villa player to score in three successive home Premier League games since Morgan Rogers in April 2024.

• Since Johan Manzambi's first start for Aston Villa in September, only Erling Haaland and Nicolas Jackson (both 7) have been involved in more goals among Premier League players in all competitions than him (six - three goals, three assists).

• Including shootouts, John McGinn took his second penalty for Aston Villa on Saturday. The Scot failed to score either – his first was saved against Brentford in the EFL Cup in September last season.

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 Fulham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies.

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

• Chelsea v Manchester United (12:30)

• Bournemouth v Leeds United

• Brentford v Nottingham Forest

• Coventry City v Sunderland - first half on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2, second half on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Hull City v Ipswich Town

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

• Tottenham v Crystal Palace (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Aston Villa v Fulham (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

How to follow the Premier League weekend across the BBC

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Brighton" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Coventry match", for example.

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

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

Find out more here

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Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

Aston Villa and Fulham were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in midweek but will both be seeking a third consecutive league win on Saturday night (20:00 GMT).

The hosts have a strong home record in this fixture, with their solitary defeat in 18 Premier League meetings at Villa Park coming in April 2014.

Villa building momentum

Aston Villa are yet to lose a Premier League game in the month of October under Unai Emery, winning eight times and drawing four. Last Saturday's win over league leaders Manchester City marked the four-year anniversary of Emery's appointment, and on Friday this week he surpassed Martin O'Neill as the club's longest-serving manager since the gilded reign of Ron Saunders from 1974 to 1982.

After admitting he used the difficult first month of the campaign before the international break as an extended pre-season to mould his new-look side, Emery's Villa 2.0 are taking shape. The club's two most expensive signings are more than justifying their hefty price tags, with Johan Manzambi a creative tour de force and Nicolas Jackson scoring six goals in as many games.

Villa reeled off six wins and a draw in seven games across all competitions before Wednesday's limp surrender by mostly fringe players at Bournemouth in a customary early Carabao Cup exit under the Spaniard. "Premier League is the priority," said an unapologetic Emery afterwards.

That being the case, Villa have been meeting their manager's demands of late, earning a league-high 10 points from the past four rounds of matches.

Fulham in need of cutting edge

While Villa are in thrall to their Spanish manager, many Fulham supporters are reserving judgement on theirs.

Some of the pressure on Alvaro Arbeloa was alleviated by consecutive 1-0 league wins over promoted opponents, but Wednesday's Carabao Cup defeat at home to struggling Crystal Palace has stirred up the unrest.

That tie was an all-too-familiar tale under Arbeloa of dominating possession but lacking a cutting edge. Fulham average 58% possession in the league this season – the fifth highest – and can be easy on the eye; only Manchester City have strung together more sequences of at least 10 passes, and no side can match Fulham for the volume of those ending in a touch or shot in the opposition penalty area.

There's no lack of effort either, with Arsenal the only side to cover more ground this season. Having improved defensively of late, Fulham's major ongoing issue is that they're not taking their chances.

The Cottagers rank in the league's top 10 for a variety of attacking metrics – including more goal attempts on target than Arsenal – but their shot conversion rate is the fourth worst in the division.

I am not surprised that Fulham's Premier League form has picked up because after watching them earlier in the season I thought they should have more points than they had.

The Cottagers are a well-structured team but I still don't see them stopping an in-form Aston Villa, or their striker Nicolas Jackson, at this moment in time.

Villa are on a great run in the league and I am expecting more goal action from Jackson here.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa spoke highly of fellow Spaniard Unai Emery ahead of facing his Aston Villa side on Saturday night.

Arbeloa was capped more than 50 times for the Spanish national team and was part of the squad that won the World Cup and back-to-back European Championship titles between 2008 and 2012.

"When you see his career, his titles, the job that he did at every club, I think he is one of the best Spanish coaches in our history," the Fulham boss said in his pre-match news conference.

"I think right now he is one of the best coaches in the world. He is very, very good, he improves everything every year.

"It doesn't matter where he is coaching, he's doing an amazing job, and for me also it's a very good challenge to face him. I'm so happy that a Spanish coach is doing an amazing job in the Premier League.

"He knows what he wants from his players, and obviously when some new players came, it's a new process, it's like almost a new team, and he needs time. It's normal, but you can see right now how they are performing."

When asked what he expects from the Villans on Saturday, Arbeloa added: "They are a team that are very compact. They defend so well and even with the ball they know what they have to do. They have top players, and when you have a top coach with top players, normally you have a top team."

Ailsa Cowen
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at Villa Park (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery insisted Villa's "only focus" is Fulham, despite Barcelona and Manchester United also coming up. He added: "If we are thinking after the match against Fulham, then we are making a mistake and we are completely wrong. We are prioritising the Premier League, and this is the message. To keep our consistency and demands means that each match is a test."

• Asked what does Nicolas Jackson need to do to become even better, Emery replied: "Time. Time and consistency. High demands of himself in his everyday tasks. I am happy with him but I also know he has a lot to do as well to try to get better and be more consistent."

• On whether Jackson and Johan Manzambi were rested for Wednesday's Carabao Cup defeat by Bournemouth: "For different reasons, not only rest. We are going to train and normally, yes [they will be fine to play on Saturday]."

• Emery also praised Taylor Harwood-Bellis after his performance in midweek: "Very good. Taylor is a fantastic guy, very professional. He knows how he has to progress with us, understands everything and practises."

• On Leon Goretzka's best position: "The first one is to be available to play. He started being available two weeks ago. He needs to understand our idea, and we are adapting to him too because his quality is clear."

• On whether there are still six teams stronger than Villa to achieve a Champions League qualifying position: "It depends. We showed in the past years we were. But this year, until now, no. Other things are not being consistent, like Tottenham and Manchester United. We must focus on our own way, and our objective is clear - try to be in front of those contenders to be in the top six. The Premier League is very difficult because there are a lot of teams not in the contender position at the beginning of the season but every year they are fighting with the [other] teams to [prove] they should be there. We try to get consistency but each year is a test."

Hit play above to hear more from Emery or listen on BBC Sounds here

All the key lines from Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's Carabao Cup ties between Bournemouth and Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Hugh: Showed rotation works with a strong squad. Great performance. Making it hard for the manager to pick a first team is good.

Tom: It is genuinely getting like Groundhog Day for the Cherries - go out midweek, win by two or more to nil, do the same at the weekend and repeat. We are in dream world. Hope to keep it up. Up the Cherries!

Malcolm: I have learned that whoever starts they have the trust of the manager and team-mates alike. The players know how Rose's system works and they execute the plan very well. Incoming players Soler, Juanlu and Diakite were all excellent and Rodriguez put in a shift up top. 3-0 is becoming a nice habit.

Graham: This squad of players fear no-one. Marco Rose has them playing well and this was another great result.

Aston Villa fans

Joe: Poor game from Villa and Bournemouth wanted it more than us. Would've been nice to get through to the quarter-finals but I think we need to focus on the league and the Champions League. However, I still don't think that is an excuse to play like that. I was glad to see Alysson coming on and making an impact once again. I hope this continues and that we can forget about this loss and focus forward.

Pammy: Absolutely pathetic performance and all the Villa faithful in attendance should get their hard-earned money back. Mr Emery, you might be untouchable but you got this is so wrong.

Prit: If on Saturday we saw the Dr Jekyll Aston Villa, this was very much Mr Hyde. Bournemouth had more desire, closed down our defenders, broke quickly and totally deserved the victory.

Rob: A lacklustre display from a depleted Villa team but it's hard to be annoyed when we play Barcelona at the Nou Camp next week. The League Cup is always the last priority for Unai and I'm surprised that he risked the likes of McGinn with any game time at all. The fact is we don't have a deep enough squad to compete on four fronts so we put a line through this one and move on.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery spoke to BBC Radio WM after his side exited the Carabao Cup in the round of 16: "We have played against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium four times since I arrived here at Aston Villa. We played the same matches - winning and drawing and losing in this instance. Bournemouth are always very intense here.

"They are good at creating chances, so we needed our defence and our goalkeeper to be compact. We were creating chances and we had our own opportunities to bring us level in the match or at least set a closer result. We were also being clinical in the second half.

"This is a match we have lost, but I can't tell my players anything because I think they made an effort and they played the plan we set up. Bournemouth played well and played intensely, they deserved to win.

"We must move on now and try to think about our next challenge on Saturday which is Fulham at home before the Champions League next Tuesday."

On making nine changes for the fixture: "We needed fresh players. We could've lost this match whether we played with the players in my starting XI or with the players who were at home."

On how close Alejandro Garnacho is to getting Premier League minutes: "He got 30 minutes in this match, a good 30 minutes. He is progressing and getting better. This is the way."

Hear more from Unai Emery by hitting play below or listen on BBC Sounds