The Latest Aston Villa FC Transfer News, Stories and Updates have been added below for 2017 – 2018
- Fri, 23 Aug 2019 22:53:00 +0000: Wesley and El Ghazi sink Everton to get Aston Villa up and running - Aston Villa | The Guardian
It turns out Dean Smith was right to call for some perspective. “What are we coming to if we’re judging players after two games?” asked the Aston Villa manager on the eve of this match in response to questions about the performances of Wesley, the club-record signing, in particular. Little more than 24 hours later, the Brazilian striker registered his first goal in English football and Villa’s season was up and running courtesy of a gritty victory over a disappointing Everton side.
After starting the season with back-to-back defeats, following a summer when the club spent £127m on 12 new signings, this felt like a hugely significant result for Villa. Smith may not harbour any doubts about the ability of Wesley or any of the other new faces at the club, but the outside noise would have become a little louder if Villa had come away from this game still looking for their first points of the season.
Related: Aston Villa v Everton: Premier League – live!
Continue reading... - Fri, 23 Aug 2019 21:10:40 +0000: Aston Villa 2-0 Everton: Premier League – as it happened - Aston Villa | The Guardian
Goals from Wesley and Anwar El Ghazi gave Aston Villa a deserved 2-0 win over Everton, getting their Premier League season up and running
• Report: Villans defeat Toffees for season’s first points
I’ll leave you now – but not before sharing tonight’s match report from Villa Park, courtesy of Stuart James:
Related: Wesley and El Ghazi sink Everton to get Aston Villa up and running
Smith also speaks: “I thought the atmosphere was tremendous under the lights. It was a hard-earned win, they started very brightly but we grew into the game and always looked a threat on the break. To get that goal at the end just capped it off.”
Incredible that Mings had to field a question about criticism of Wesley, whose first two games apparently brought some brickbats from fans. It was referred to constantly in the commentary too. I remember when players used to get a season to adapt to the Premier League, not a fortnight! For a player who had previously played in Belgium and Slovakia, Wesley looked absolutely superb tonight. So any impatient types, let him be – he won’t always be “on”, I’m sure, but he’s clearly got it.
McGinn speaks: “It’s a little bit of a relief. When you spend as much as we’ve spent it’s a relief to get off the mark. We did have that belief we could do something this season. One win doesn’t make a massive difference but it does lift morale and give everyone a good start.”
Mings on Wesley: “It was probably important for him [to score]. Obviously you want to get a goal as quickly as possible, as a striker, and I think it’ll do him the world of good. He does that to me in training all the time.”
Well played, Villa. Everton can point to those late chances for Iwobi and Walcott, and the latter should certainly have equalised. But from the opening goal onwards the hosts were very good, brimming with energy and intent all over the park. Wesley, in only his third Premier League game, was an absolute star leading the line. Mings and Engels did some proper, old-fashioned defending to keep them safe at the back. It was a real shift from everyone and they’ll look to push on from here.
For Everton, huge disappointment after starting the game – and indeed the season – pretty well. They were flat for too long after going behind. Kean and Iwobi did give them a different dimension though so I expect they’ll be looking to integrate them as soon as possible into the starting lineup.
And it’s the final action – a huge first win of the season for Villa, and a well deserved one!
That’ll do it! It comes from more wonderful hold-up play from the outstanding Wesley, who chases a long pass and waits before finding – I think – McGinn, who passes the ball left. El Ghazi is running in, just ahead of his teammate Grealish, and he keeps his cool to slot in the goal that removes any doubt!
94 min: That’s surely the last chance as Walcott, inside the area on the right, clips a good low cross in for Digne to spin onto. But it’s on his weaker right foot and only a half-chance really. He slices well off target.
90+2 min: The noise levels have gone up again. Villa are very close now. Everton have had those two big chances with Iwobi and Walcott, and have certainly looked much livelier since the subs, but they just haven’t done enough here overall.
90+1 min: We will have five added minutes.
89 min: What a miss from Walcott! Iwobi slides in Kean, who twists and then delivers towards the far post. It’s a chipped ball that sits perfectly for Walcott to volley home ... but he skies it! That might be Everton’s last big chance!
@NickAmes82 I’ve eaten oysters on the Ile de Re, and ice cream, too, but never both at once. Where was this?
La Martiniere in Saint-Martin, Ron. Do try it. There’s one near the Phare des Baleines too.
86 min: Now we have handbags, Trezeguet rolling around on the floor after some sort of confrontation with Coleman, who wanted to take a quick set-piece. Both are booked. It was just silliness.
“How clever of Theo Walcott to change his name to ‘Alex Iwobi’ and think we wouldn’t notice,” writes Joe Harvey.
84 min: Yes, it’s end to end now. El Ghazi advances and forces Pickford to beat away his 25-yard strike.
82 min: Iwobi hits the post! He’s been a real danger since coming on and, my word, that’s as close as Everton have come. He meets a Keane header sharply on the run, brings the ball down with a superb first touch and then thuds it low off the base of the upright from 15 yards. So unlucky!
81 min: Ohhh, Grealish weaves into a great position in the box but he just can’t make a chance for Trezeguet. Good work from McGinn set all that up. Villa are starting to get a few glimpses again.
80 min: A booking for Gomes, who tries to get in the way of a quick Villa free-kick and ends up costing his own team time.
79 min: “While brainstorming weird ice cream flavours (as you do), I once suggested Prawn & Pecan,” says Ed Russell. “It’s catchy, but I’ve never found it on sale anywhere, sadly.”
Ed, you disgust me. I have, in saying that, eaten oyster ice cream on Ile de Re before and it’s actually lovely.
78 min: The excellent Jota is replaced by El Ghazi. And there’s a third Everton change. Remember Theo Walcott? This might just be the promising young forward’s breakthrough year, I reckon, and he’s on for Richarlison.
77 min: I say that but then Mings miskicks after another sweet Digne delivery and Villa have to scramble the ball away for a corner. They are just starting to live a little dangerously, so it’s a good job the corner is cleared out to the relatively harmless Schneiderlin, who curls well over.
75 min: Digne crosses deliciously after combining with Iwobi but Mings, clearly given wings by that Red Bull tonight as he’s been very good, thuds a header clear ahead of two onrushing forwards.
74 min: That reminds me, actually, that Stuart James wrote an excellent primer on Wesley last month.
Related: Wesley Moraes: Aston Villa’s record signing with a remarkable backstory
72 min: Villa aren’t offering much going forward in this half, evidenced by a woeful cross out of play by Taylor there, but Wesley is continuing to hold the ball up very well.
71 min: A sight for Iwobi, now, as Digne pulls the ball back and he has a glimmer of space in the box. He sets himself and hits one, but it deflects up and Heaton is able to catch.
69 min: It just hasn’t gone for Gomes today. He shifts into position a few yards outside the area but seems to lose confidence in the idea of shooting and instead lays the ball right, where Coleman ... isn’t there.
68 min: “Strange ice-cream flavours?” asks Thomas Ireland-Delfs. Yes please, Thomas. “How about rhubarb with sea-buckthorn. Actually quite good here in Aarhus.”
66 min: Kean now makes a rapid dart down the left before finding Iwobi. The move slows down but a corner eventually results from it and there are a few early signs of life from the subs. Mina gets up to meet the flag kick again, and this time his header is deflected not too far wide. From the other side, Digne’s inswinger is headed away well by Mings.
64 min: Not yet, although Iwobi does get the ball in a nice area after a loose Mings pass but Kean can’t read his attempt at a through ball.
62 min: Here’s that double Everton change. Iwobi comes on for his debut in Sigurdsson’s place; Kean enters the fray for Bernard. Will this perk them up?
59 min: Mings is unmarked as he hangs in the air to meet a Grealish free-kick, but his header across goal flicks off a defender – not an arm, despite the crowd’s wails – and into Pickford’s arms. I think we are about to see Kean and Iwobi, by the way.
58 min: Villa must fancy themselves on the break at this point but Jota, so dangerous when he darts inside, can’t quite put Trezeguet through with pretty much the same pass that sliced Everton open for the goal.
57 min: Did you know Luis Boa Morte is now on Silva’s coaching staff? I didn’t, but the pair are having a long discussion on the bench – perhaps about imminent subs.
55 min: Better from Everton, Digne and Gomes combining to win a corner on the left. Digne flings it in, Mina attacks it well in characteristic fashion, but the header goes over.
52 min: Ste in NY is, like me, still thinking about ice cream –
“In ice cream related news, just got back from Vermont – Bourbon Brown Butter at the Ben and Jerry’s factory, complete with mini dark chocolate liqueur cups, followed by White Lightning at Bromley Mountain – dark chocolate ice cream with a streak of peppermint. (Think frozen After Eights.) Of course ice cream’s off the menu right now, as it’s Friday afternoon, and time for a Bronx Brewery Double India Pale Ale. 10.1%. Get your own, thish onesh mine.”
50 min: Everton have begun the half with purpose but, as earlier, scant penetration.
47 min: Sigurdsson looks to play Calvert-Lewin through after a decent move, but it just clips the striker’s heel. There is a lot to like in Calvert-Lewin’s game but will he ever score enough?
No changes at the break, which is a slight surprise Everton-wise.
So, back out come the players. Can Everton turn this around? Will Villa get off the mark for the season?
Your half-time reading is this important piece from Paul MacInnes:
Related: Twitter and racist abuse in football: how can it be tackled? | Paul MacInnes
Pretty but ultimately toothless from Everton, even if Calvert-Lewin should probably have equalised. Villa did nothing for 20 minutes but then Wesley scored a very smart goal and they’ve been much the better side since, looking a few gears quicker than their opposition. All to play for after the break!
45 min: Grealish tries to bend one into the far corner but it flies wide. Villa are operating with such purpose now and Everton’s previously solid back line looks very shaky.
44 min: Andre Gomes leathered one out of play a minute ago and has now miscontrolled one out of play. He’s not been quite up to his usual high standards so far. Mine and Wesley have a little exchange of words while we mull over that, requiring a talking-to from Oliver.
41 min: Bernard does show some decent pace to get away down the left, now, but his cross on the stretch is dealt with.
40 min: Everton have been smart in possession, sure, but perhaps a little one-paced at times. Could we see Kean or Iwobi after the break?
37 min: Guilbert advances in a more central area now and, with the defence backing off, decides to have a pop. A different decision would have been better as it’s well off target. But Villa are looking good now.
36 min: Wesley tees up Grealish well, but his shot is deflected and Pickford manages to stop it dribbling behind.
35 min: Guilbert shows a smart attacking turn of pace but Heaton has little problem taking his cross, which nobody is attacking. Villa have nice speed when they attack.
32 min: Engels saves Villa! A perceptive Schneiderlin ball plays Coleman into space on the right of the area and his first-time lay-off puts it on the plate for Calvert-Lewin. The net seems set to bulge but Engels gets in the way, right in front of the line, and punches the air in celebration. It was as important as a goal, that; and should really have been one for Everton.
30 min: There was, by the way, a pause after the goal while a VAR check took place – even though even I could see it was fine – because football is for pen-pushers, pedants, bores and bureaucrats now.
28 min: Everton look rattled by that; the game had been played entirely in Villa’s half til the goal but now the reverse is true.
25 min: McGinn drills a low, volleyed cross from the left byline but Pickford gathers. Villa, barely in it for 20 minutes, are a team transformed.
24 min: Villa repeat exactly the same move, Jota playing Wesley through again! It’s a slightly, but not much, harder chance and Wesley delays just long enough for a sliding Mina to get back and block his shot.
Their first real moment of danger, and their striker’s first goal! Grealish wins a free-kick inside his own half and the ball is worked quickly to Jota. He plays a wonderful reverse pass through to Wesley, who has run across the line and is clearly onside. The finish is low, clinical, and Villa Park erupts! It’s totally against the run of play.
20 min: Not really; Everton keep up the pressure. But Jota draws applause with a nice little pirouette and move upfield to get them out of a little bother.
19 min: A first sighting of Villa, Wesley heading well over from an offside position. Can they build on that?
18 min: “Mings is a menace!” cries JR in Illinois. “On that first play where he went down in a heap he wasn’t even looking at the ball. He was just trying to knock Calvert-Lewin out of the air. Then he almost kicks his teammates’ head off. Usually it’s opponents’ heads he’s stamping on [that’s a reference to the infamous Ibrahimovic incident] but Engels is going to have to learn to keep his melon away from the floor with Mings around.”
16 min: Everton look smooth. They advance again into space on the left, with Bernard eventually delivering just above Richarlison’s head at the back post. Guilbert has not had the best debut so far at right-back.
14 min: Villa really haven’t got into this at all yet. They cede possession again. It’s all a little rushed and direct from them.
12 min: It almost brings a goal, Sigurdsson floating it to the edge of the box for Digne to volley. It’s blocked and then Mings has to get in the way of Keane’s close-range follow-up. There was an offside in there somewhere, it turns out.
11 min: Yes, Engels is back and is ready to make his marx, etcetera. He actually does, sort of, deflecting a dangerous Richarlison shot out for another corner.
10 min: Ooof. This time it’s Mings dishing out a blow, belting the ball away while Engels, his teammate, stoops to head it back to Heaton. Thing is, he gives Engels a clobbering too. Mings probably knew Engels was unlikely to get good purchase on the ball, with Everton forwards looming, and felt he had to take urgent action. But Engels is flat out on the floor and needs a good minute or so of treatment before getting up; assuming he comes through the concussion protocols we’ll see him again soon.
8 min: Patient possession from Everton sees Villa eventually sweep up a Bernard cross. But the away side have definitely started the better here.
6 min: A slick backheel from Sigurdsson sets Richarlison scampering into the area, with Grealish tailing him. He tumbles over as his opponents gets close ... penalty? Nope, says Michael Oliver, despite Everton’s appeals.
5 min: Guilbert gets a debut yellow card for tugging back Bernard on halfway. Villa gave the ball away in order for that to happen, not for the first time.
3 min: Digne wins a corner from McGinn after another good Everton foray. The centre-backs are both up. Digne outswings it, but it’s cleared at the near post and then Heaton punches away from Bernard’s ball back in. Mings, in the wars already tonight, takes a thwack from his keeper in the process but should be alright.
1 min: Mings looks well enough as he nips in to intercept Richarlison’s ball for Calvert-Lewin after a lively Everton break.
Villa kick off and shoot left to right.
Mings is necking a Red Bull. When I played at uni I’d sometimes neck two of those before a game. What was I playing at? Once it got me so keyed up to charge into aerial contests that within 10 minutes of kick-off I was being sent to A&E with my head split open. Word to the wise there, Tyrone! Anyway, the players are out and the atmosphere is belting.
Paul Mills writes in response to my ice cream plea:
“Last week, while on holiday in Ullapool, the 4 of us in my household enjoyed an unsurpassable homemade raspberry and elderflower sorbet from the Gelato shop so much, we returned for a repeat order yesterday. The fabulously flame-haired and very friendly ice cream seller took one look at us on entry and said ‘Ah, it’s the sorbet family’. Which is a name we are happy to keep.”
Mings does start – confirmation just in. He and the other 21 hopefuls will emerge shortly.
In a quick hop to other news – last-ditch hope for Bury, who are a little over four hours from extinction as things stand?
Breaking news: @buryfcofficial @forever_bury I believe a credible proof of funds has now been provided to #EFL +Steve Dale will be made a fair offer for the club before EFL deadline. I am optimistic the EFL who are being helpful can give us the extension needed to save the club.
Tyrone Mings had a little problem in the warm-up there ... looks as if he should be OK but if there’s any news to the contrary, I’ll let you know.
Meanwhile, there’s a word you definitely shouldn’t say to Smith. It’s the F word!
Related: Dean Smith upbeat as Aston Villa aim to show F-word jibe is misplaced | Paul Doyle
Yerry Mina and Richarlison both start today but Silva has had a word in their ears – in English!
Related: Everton’s Marco Silva tells Richarlison and Yerry Mina to improve their English
Lovely warm evening, isn’t it? I took a little stroll along the canal to Camden before settling down to spend a few hours with you lovely people. In doing so I consumed an ice cream with one scoop marzipan flavour, one scoop mint & cucumber flavour. Respectively I found them a little bit overbearing and a little bit icy/watery. Anyone enjoyed a weird ice cream flavour today?
Told you this one gives us a fuzzy feeling.
203 - Aston Villa vs Everton is the most played fixture in English football league history. This will be the 203rd league meeting between the sides - all of them in the top-flight (73 wins for Aston Villa, 76 for Everton). Harmonised. pic.twitter.com/GaffaOEXVe
Marco Silva:
“Our goal is to do better than last season, it’s something we must do. It’s too early to talk about the top six or whatever, we have to prove it on the pitch every week.”
Villa boss Dean Smith speaks:
“It feels a little bit odd the way we’ve played that we’ve got nothing, but we’re only two games in. Our performances on the whole have been OK without being top performances but we felt we could have got something out of both games.”
Aston Villa: Heaton, Guilbert, Engels, Mings, Taylor, Douglas Luiz, Trezeguet, McGinn, Grealish, Jota, Wesley. Subs: Lansbury, Steer, Hourihane, Konsa, El Ghazi, Elmohamady, Davis.
Everton: Pickford, Coleman, Keane, Mina, Digne, Schneiderlin, Andre Gomes, Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Calvert-Lewin. Subs: Holgate, Walcott, Iwobi, Sidibe, Stekelenburg, Davies, Kean.
Friday night football ahoy! And this one’s the equivalent of a cosy evening under a rug with a glass of something nice. It’s Villa v Everton – two familiar, old-world Premier League names, both relatively unthreatening and usually *there*.
Well, that wasn’t quite the case during Villa’s recent stint in the Championship but they’re back now and gunning for mid-table stability in the short term. They haven’t quite looked set for that yet, defeats at Spurs and – more disappointingly – at home to Bournemouth making for an inauspicious start and leading to a few concerned mentions of the “Fulham” word. Villa revamped their squad at great expense over the summer; has it been too much change, too soon?
Continue reading... - Thu, 22 Aug 2019 21:29:52 +0000: Dean Smith upbeat as Aston Villa aim to show F-word jibe is misplaced | Paul Doyle - Aston Villa | The Guardian
Manager goes into Friday’s game against Everton unconcerned by opening defeats and record signing Wesley’s lack of goals
To really offend people around Villa Park, just say the F word. After spending at least £127m on 12 players following promotion to the Premier League, Aston Villa fans get annoyed at accusations that their club are “doing a Fulham”, who splurged heavily last season only to flop out of the league with a whimper.
Villa have lost their first two matches and know that losing at home against Everton on Friday night would increase the heckling. The only way to make it stop is to start winning.
Related: Kevin MacDonald leaves Aston Villa following bullying investigation
Related: Harry Wilson goal edges Bournemouth past Aston Villa after early blitz
Continue reading... - Tue, 20 Aug 2019 17:02:10 +0000: Kevin MacDonald leaves Aston Villa following bullying investigation - Aston Villa | The Guardian
• Coach’s behaviour probed after complaint from Gareth Farrelly
• Villa issue statement apologising to all former players affectedThe Aston Villa youth coach Kevin MacDonald has left the club “with immediate effect” following an investigation into allegations of bullying made by a number of former young players. Villa apologised to the former players affected by the behaviour of MacDonald, who was a youth and reserve team coach in two spells over a 25-year period from the mid-1990s, and Villa said his conduct “would not be tolerated by the club today”.
The investigation, conducted by an independent barrister, Jack Mitchell, was initiated by the club’s chief executive, Christian Purslow, after the Guardian published an interview with the former Villa midfielder Gareth Farrelly in December.
Related: Gareth Farrelly: ‘It was a toxic, bullying culture for young players at Aston Villa’
Continue reading... - Mon, 19 Aug 2019 08:00:36 +0000: Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action - Aston Villa | The Guardian
Ljungberg and Trossard make instant impact, Wilson has Liverpool quality and Rodgers leaves ‘young Frank’ on back foot
The inclusion of Joe Willock and Reiss Nelson against Burnley a week after they became the first pair of teenagers to start a Premier League game for Arsenal since Paolo Vernazza and Matthew Upson in 1998, was more evidence of Unai Emery beginning to trust his young players. That may have something to do with the promotion of the former under-23s coach Freddie Ljungberg to become the Spaniard’s assistant, with Willock particularly impressive alongside Matteo Guendouzi in midfield. The 19-year-old played in a more advanced role in the opening day win over Newcastle and shows how Emery is tapping into the former Sweden midfielder’s knowledge bank since he stepped up in the summer. “[Ljungberg] worked last year with the under-23s and we were very close, speaking about the young players,” he said. “It’s perfect and he helps me a lot. He has an advantage with the young players because he knows them very well.” Ed Aarons
Related: The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos
Related: The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos
Related: Kevin De Bruyne’s treasure chest supplies Raheem Sterling with rich pickings | Paul Wilson
Related: Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino wants transfer window to stay open longer
Related: Ole Gunnar Solskjær adamant Paul Pogba will stay at Manchester United
Continue reading...
Historical Transfer News and Team Gossip has been archived below:
- Fri, 23 Jun 2017 09:01:06 +0000: Villa wait on Terry contract offer - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Aston Villa | BBC
Aston Villa do not expect immediate progress in their bid to sign John Terry after making him a lucrative contract offer. - Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:00:34 +0000: Championship fixtures in full - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Aston Villa | BBC
Find out your team's fixtures in the Championship during the 2017-18 season. - Fri, 16 Jun 2017 13:19:02 +0000: Sunderland to play Bury in EFL Cup - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Aston Villa | BBC
Sunderland will travel to Bury in the EFL Cup first round following their relegation from the Premier League. - Fri, 02 Jun 2017 11:26:51 +0000: Villa chief executive Wyness suspended - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Aston Villa | BBC
Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness is suspended from football activity for three weeks for social media misconduct. - Thu, 18 May 2017 12:51:32 +0000: CEO Wyness dismisses Villa budget fears - Latest Stories, Video, and Commentary about Aston Villa | BBC
Aston Villa chief executive Keith Wyness is confident of signing transfer targets within manager Steve Bruce's budget.
Aston Villa are now looking to strengthen their squad for the up coming season with a large number of new players touted to be on the clubs radar in the closed season. The club has been boosted lately by the resigning of goalkeeper Brad Guzan who left the club at the end of last season. The American keeper has now penned a new lucrative three year deal which will keep him at Villa park until the end of the 2015 season.
Another huge target for the club this season is Blackburns Steven N`Zonzi who is also a top target for Sunderland, Tottenham and Stoke City with the midfielder stating that he has no intention of playing football in the championship. The Frenchman is thought to be available for a fee of around five million pounds and would welcome the chance to play in the English top flight again.
Blackpool winger Matt Phillips is also believed to be on the clubs radar as the championship side looked doomed to lose their influential winger as a host of top flight clubs are now vying for his signature. The twenty one year old has had a brilliant season for his club and now looks set to move to the premier league with clubs such as Everton, Wigan, Reading and Sunderland all in for the winger.
Sheffield United defender Matt Lowton is another target for the Villa Park outfit as Paul Lambert looks to strengthen his back line for the new season and the player is thought to be his top target for his defence. Lowton is now regarded as one of the hottest prospects in English football but Villa will need to fight off stern interest from additional clubs such as feyenoord and Bersiktas.
