Aston Villa

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There has been a flurry of updates so far on Friday, making it easy to get lost. Here is a breakdown of what the key parties have said so far:

Aston Villa: The club says it is in "continuous dialogue" with Maccabi Tel Aviv and local authorities, with the safety of supporters and local residents a priority. Villa fans who spoke to the BBC agreed fan safety and security is the most important thing.

Maccabi Tel Aviv: The club's CEO says there's been "some dismay about what this potentially is signalling". Many fans of the club in Tel Aviv say the decision has been about "politics".

UK Government: "No one should be stopped from watching a football game simply because of who they are. The Government is working with policing and other partners to do everything in our power to ensure this game can safely go ahead, with all fans present. We are exploring what additional resources and support are required so all fans can attend."

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee: Has called on West Midlands Police to explain why it does not believe it can safely police next month's Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match without a ban on the attendance of away supporters. Chair of the CMS Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, said: "The move to prevent away fans from attending next month's match at Villa Park is extremely concerning and is at odds with the principle that football in this country is for everyone. The police need to be open about how and why they reached the decision that a ban was the only way of guaranteeing public safety, and whether there is a route to reversing what is a deeply regrettable situation."

Birmingham Safety Action Group: The group - which is made up of several professional authorities - says it will review its earlier decision if West Midlands Police changes its risk assessment for the match.

Birmingham City Council: The council leader, John Cotton, says Keir Starmer was right to call the Maccabi fan ban the "wrong decision".

West Midlands Police: The force supports the ban, classifying the fixture as "high-risk". The region's police and crime commissioner, however, has asked to see the police assessment and requested an immediate review.

UK Football Policing Unit: The unit says it briefed the Home Office last week about the potential issues authorities might face, including restrictions on visiting fans.

PM Sir Keir Starmer: A spokesperson says Starmer is "angered" by the ban, and promises to do "everything in his power" to ensure all fans can go to the match.

There's been plenty of political reaction, too, with most parties opposing the decision to ban Maccabi fans.

Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Tottenham at Tottenham Hotspur stadium (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery confirmed that Ollie Watkins "will be ready" despite picking up a knock while with the England national team.

• On the excellent performances of Morgan Rogers performances for the Three Lions: "He is getting better. He started [the season] a bit like the team - not performing well and not confident. But in the last matches he has played, he might not be scoring but he is playing better."

• The Villa boss suggested the environment with England has helped Rogers improve: "It is helping him with the national team how they were performing collectively and individually. He is responsible and a protagonist like he is in the starting XI [with us]."

• He said "every match we are facing is very difficult" when asked about the challenge posed by their hosts, adding: "Tottenham is one of the contender teams to be in the top seven. Last year they didn't achieve it but this year they are playing fantastic. Getting good results, now at the top with 14 points and playing at home they are feeling strong."

• He continued: "For us it is a huge challenge."

• Emery emphasised the importance of Tottenham qualifying for the Champions League this season and praised Thomas Frank for his start as manager: "He is doing very good work like he did when with Brentford. He deserved to get something more and now he has opportunity and challenge, and Tottenham is now one of best in Premier League. In the stadium with their supporters and with new tactics, they are a very, very strong team."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of the match from 14:00 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live on BBC Sounds

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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Perhaps the only good thing for Aston Villa, in their unenviable position at the centre of this storm, is that the final decisions will be taken by other authorities.

Their statement announcing this ruling on Thursday made a point of saying so in every paragraph. But their name and stadium will inevitably be associated with whatever happens, and there is no escaping the sensitivities of a zero-sum situation - there appears to be no answer that will leave all parties satisfied.

The possible difficulties for the local authorities around this fixture have been obvious since the draw was made several weeks ago, but with less than three weeks to go now, the options may be limited.

There is precedent around Europe for games involving Israeli teams to be played behind closed doors or at neutral venues, but either of those options would effectively penalise Aston Villa and their supporters – even if the logistics of moving the game at this late stage could be arranged.

Leading politicians have taken similar views against the decision. The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner has called for it to be reviewed, but the Independent MP for nearby Perry Barr in Birmingham, Ayoub Khan, said the ban was the right decision and, in a city where pro-Palestine demonstrations have been commonplace, many local residents will share his view.

There was significant disorder outside Villa Park when Legia Warsaw fans visited two years ago, ultimately leading to them not being allowed to enter the ground.

Although the circumstances were entirely different, they did demonstrate how disruptive violence on that scale could be in the area around the stadium. Villa Park is not in a cleared area on the edge of town, like many new-builds, but surrounded by narrow, densely populated streets.

Villa seek to be good neighbours. Their statement on Thursday underlined that the safety of both football supporters attending the match and local residents would be "at the forefront of any decision".

Even if the authorities find a way of achieving that, doing so in a way that does not inflame the emotions of those groups and all other interested parties will be challenging.

BBC Radio WM discussed the topic at length on Friday's breakfast show.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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If Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are barred from attending their Europa League match against Aston Villa, it could affect both the fairness of the contest and the atmosphere at Villa Park.

From a sporting point of view, the lack of travelling supporters can take away the emotional energy and momentum that away players often get from their fans in the stands.

Maccabi Tel Aviv are still looking for their first Europa League win of the season after a draw with Greek side PAOK FC and a defeat to Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb.

Facing a strong Villa side in front of their own fans, with no support from the stands, could make things even tougher for Maccabi on their away trip.

While the away goals rule was scrapped from European competitions by Uefa in 2021, it showed how European ties are seen - with away fixtures traditionally considered harder and away goals once carrying extra weight.

For Villa and their fans, the absence of Maccabi supporters could dampen the experience of a European night, where rival fans usually add intensity and atmosphere.

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We asked for your views on the decision to block Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending the Europa League fixture against Aston Villa.

Here are some of your comments:

Simon: Amid the rush to politicise this, there has been a notable failure to give appropriate context. Villa Park is situated in a residential area of significant Muslim population; this clearly elevates the risks. Spare a thought for the local residents.

Pip: I think that it's up to the police to decide if it's safe or not. I do wonder why it wasn't possible to have the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans escorted to and from the ground. Though that would of course use a lot of police resources.

Paul: The government should override West Midlands Police. If the matter cannot be resolved, Aston Villa should forfeit the match.

Anees: This is just the safety of Birmingham and fan wellbeing being the highest of priorities.

Tony: The decision is sensible and correct.

Image source, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner

West Midlands' police and crime commissioner has asked police and Birmingham City Council's Safety Advisory Group to immediately review the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from the match.

Simon Foster, who oversees the force, says the request is to check whether the decision is "appropriate, necessary, justified, reasonable and a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim".

"That must include consideration, of all and any suitable, alternative options," Foster adds.

He has also asked to see the written decision and recommendation from the advisory group, as well as the police assessment.

The commissioner stresses, though, that the decision is ultimately for the advisory group and the police.

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The prime minister has said blocking fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv from attending a football match in Birmingham is the "wrong decision".

West Midlands Police said it supported the decision, saying it had classified the fixture as "high-risk".

Sir Keir Starmer criticised the move, saying "we will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets" and that the role of police was "to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the decision a "national disgrace" and suggested Sir Keir should act to reverse it.

She wrote on X that the prime minister should "guarantee that Jewish fans can walk into any football stadium in this country".

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr who had campaigned for the match to be cancelled, welcomed the decision: "From the moment that the match was announced, it was clear that there were latent safety risks that even our capable security and police authorities would not be able to fully manage."

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the decision "shameful" and urged officials to reverse it.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it was "a serious mistake," adding: "You don't tackle antisemitism by banning its victims. This decision must be reversed."

Baroness Luciana Berger, a former Labour MP who quit the party in 2019 over its handling of antisemitism allegations, before rejoining in 2023, said Birmingham's ability to host "forthcoming major international events" should be reviewed if the police and council were unable to guarantee safety for a singular football match.

Various sporting events have seen protests over the war in Gaza, including when Israel's national team played Norway and Italy in recent World Cup qualifiers.

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West Midlands Police has concerns about its ability to deal with any potential protests when Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv play at Villa Park in the Europa League on Thursday, 6 November.

The Safety Advisory Group - the body responsible for issuing safety certificates for matches - informed Villa no travelling fans will be permitted at the match in Birmingham.

West Midlands Police said the decision to prohibit visiting supporters had been based on current intelligence and previous incidents, including "violent clashes and hate crime offences" between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans before a match in Amsterdam in November 2024 (fans pictured above).

More than 60 people were arrested over the violence which city officials described as a "toxic combination of antisemitism, hooliganism, and anger" over the war in Gaza, Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Aston Villa said it was in "continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities," with the safety of supporters and local residents "at the forefront of any decision".

Uefa said it wanted fans to be able to travel and support their team in a "safe, secure and welcoming environment".

Read more here

Unai Emery's pre-match news conference for the game at Tottenham Hotspur is scheduled for 13:30 BST on Friday

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

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The Premier League table is starting to take shape and while results are obviously what matter most, they don't tell the whole story in terms of how teams have been playing so far.

Expected goals (xG) tells us how much teams have been dominating games by creating lots of good chances up front and restricting opponents to few, bad ones at the back.

Penalties are excluded because they distort a team's numbers on how threatening or vulnerable they are in general, especially at this early stage.

Below is a graphic showing how good teams have been in attack and defence, with the most dominant teams in the top-right corner and the least impressive in the bottom-left corner.

Arsenal and Manchester City have been the most dominant sides, with the Gunners having the best defence and fourth-best attack and City the joint-best attack and fourth-best defence.

High-flying Crystal Palace are the only side to rival City's attacking threat, while Newcastle are living up to their name by being almost as impregnable at the back as Arsenal.

Both Manchester United and Chelsea have one of the top five attacks in the league but worryingly also rank in the bottom five defensively.

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Liverpool's back-to-back defeats following five straight wins gives a more accurate picture of how they have been playing, while Tottenham have needed to be very efficient to make up for their lack of dominance in games.

Aston Villa's early-season struggles are no longer to do with finishing - they have now scored six non-penalty goals from an xG of 6.0 - but simply because they have not been playing well.

While promoted sides Leeds and Sunderland have adapted quite well to the top-flight, Burnley have struggled to make the jump so far with both the worst attack and the worst defence.

Read more on what expected goals tell us about the start to the season

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

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The answer to Aston Villa fans feel about the impact of this international break might equate directly to asking how Ollie Watkins feels after colliding with the goalpost and being substituted off at half-time in the Wales friendly last Thursday.

His early return from England duty was worrying, but hopefully he and all of his absent team-mates will report back fit by Friday afternoon, to at least offer the option of fielding the same starting XI that beat Burnley.

As fan writer Hannah Gowen wrote in her piece earlier this week, this break might be viewed as an inconvenience, given Villa's recent upturn in results, but the form of key individuals has continued to rise over the past two weeks.

Donyell Malen popping in another goal for the Netherlands was certainly good news, and his two last time at Villa Park were perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the run of four wins before the pause.

Until then, Malen's Villa record was puzzling. His omission from the Champions League squad shortly after his arrival in January, having played in the final of the tournament just a few months earlier, still felt a shock even after reading the restrictive rules.

In other competitions he remained on the fringes, despite a brief burst of goals back in April. When used as deputy for Watkins, he has looked surprisingly ineffective, but as a complement to Watkins he may achieve more. They appeared together in the starting XI for only the fourth time against Burnley.

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Malen's recent goals give hope he may avoid being counted as "one of the players who have not worked out", as Jonathan Wilson described in a bracing survey of Villa's start to the season in The Guardian, external this week.

The PSR rules may have prevented Villa's owners from spending as much money as they would have liked to catch the top sides. Even so, it is hard to deny Wilson's point that their spending over the past two years has been inefficient, especially compared to their earlier investments, many of whom are still in the team.

Even so, if they can carry over their forward momentum from before the break to Tottenham on Sunday, they have the time and talent to catch up.

Either of the two routes to next season's Champions League - a top-five finish or the Europa League title - ought still to be viable with their resources.

Listen to full commentary of Tottenham v Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday on BBC Radio WM [95.6FM and DAB or Freeview 714]

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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Spanish football expert Guillem Balague has offered a fascinating glimpse into the intensity of life under Unai Emery at Aston Villa, as part of research for his upcoming book "Rise of the Villans", which charts the club's transformation under the Basque coach.

Journalist Balague, who has chronicled the careers of Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola among others, has spent time around Villa Park and Bodymoor Heath to understand Emery's methods.

He says the Villa boss's meticulous approach is unlike anything he's seen before - a culture built on detail, preparation and relentless work.

"I was aware of the work that goes in with Unai Emery and his assistants, but not aware of the hours that they put in," Balague told BBC Radio WM.

"Eight am to egight pm every single day, three meetings with 50-minute videos, an hour -and-a-half meetings thrice a week.

"And what's interesting is, in my mind, I am thinking of how can players deal with all of this? Well, there is a filter. If you cannot deal with it, you are not there. It's part of your growth.

"Emery makes you grow, you have to listen to him, and you have to go into the little details. Honestly, it's like working at Nasa. There is so much going on."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

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According to Opta, Morgan Rogers has joined an exclusive company in Aston Villa's history, becoming only the third player to feature in 10 or more consecutive England matches.

The 23-year-old midfielder's run places him alongside two distinguished Villa Gareths - Barry, who made 20 straight England appearances between August 2007 and April 2009, and Southgate, who achieved the feat twice in 1996 and 1997.

Rogers' consistency reflects his growing influence for both club and country. Since breaking into Thomas Tuchel's side earlier this year, he has become a regular feature in England's front line.

For Villa, it is a sign of the club's reemergence at the top level, given their player is representing the Three Lions with distinction, and is now standing shoulder to shoulder with two former captains in the record books.

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The final part of our Q&A with BBC Sport football reporter Nick Mashiter focuses on potential player recalls.

Charlie asked: Why do you think Unai Emery has never called Enzo Barrenechea back to Villa Park to give him the opportunity of impressing this season - especially being in the Europa League? He has show real maturity, consistency and promise in both Spanish and Portuguese leagues, plus Europe, and I would have loved to see him in a claret and blue shirt.

Nick answered: Brought in along with Samuel Iling-Junior as Douglas Luiz went the other way to Juventus last year, I think most Villa fans would have liked to have seen what Barrenechea could produce.

The same could go for Iling-Junior after he helped England Under-21s win the European Championship in the summer, instead of allowing him to go to West Brom on loan.

Neither have made an appearance for Villa and Barrenechea never will, given he needs one more game for Benfica to trigger a permanent move for about £10m.

We could look at it cynically given his previous loans and upcoming transfer mean Villa have made a profit on the £6.9m he cost from the Old Lady.

The deal went through as Villa - and others - looked to take advantage of a PSR loophole as clubs looked to be essentially swapping players: Tim Iroegbunam and Omari Kellyman going out as Lewis Dobbin and Ian Maatsen came in from Everton and Chelsea respectively.

But Emery is a fine judge of a player. If he felt Barrenechea would make the grade at Villa Park, he would have kept him.

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And finally, Prit asked: Given the constraints of PSR and the lack of competition for Ollie Watkins as a striker, should Emery bring back Louie Barry and give him a season as a Villa striker rather than let him fester on endless loans? After all, it is the cost-effective solution?

Nick answered: There was a sense, internally, last season Barry was not going to make the grade long-term at Villa Park and loan spells - to maximise his value if and when they decide to sell - would be the best option.

He may have scored 15 goals at Stockport County in the first half of last season - many of them spectacular - but Villa wanted to see him arriving in the box more, making late runs and getting into the right position.

He was unlucky to get injured when he joined Hull City in January, making just four appearances which halted any momentum from his time at Edgeley Park.

Now, in a struggling Sheffield United team, he is getting good experience but is that enough to see him come and back up Watkins? I would suggest not and it feels it would be too big a step.

Scroll back through this page to read the rest of the Q&A with Nick.

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In the second part of our special Q&A with BBC Sport football reporter Nick Mashiter, we focus on questions about two Villa players.

Oliver asked: What are you thoughts on Donyell Malen being a regular starter as I believe he deserves a run of games?

Nick answered: Malen is a really interesting case, having struggled for minutes at Villa.

After leaving Arsenal's academy in 2017, a year before Unai Emery joined the Gunners, he scored 92 goals for PSV Eindhoven and Borussia Dortmund, and is clearly a danger going forward.

But he has made just four league starts since arriving from the Bundesliga club in January, having then been left out of the Champions League squad last season.

He has started successive games just once - against Tottenham and Ipswich in February - so has not had any run to get consistency and momentum together.

Villa need someone to ease the burden on Ollie Watkins and if Watkins does not score - despite ending his drought against Fulham last month - there has not been enough back-up.

Morgan Rogers scored eight and Jhon Duran, who left in January, got seven last season - the closest to Watkins' 16 in the league.

Versatile but not an outright number nine, perhaps Malen arrived at the wrong time, coming in behind Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio - but if he is going to make a consistent impact, the time is now.

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Charlie asked: Marco Bizot seems to have slotted in seamlessly in Emi Martinez's absence, so is he seen as a future number one?

Nick answered: Goalkeepers can play on well into their 30s but, even at 34, I feel Bizot still cannot be considered as a real long-term option.

Villa signed Martinez when he was 28 for £20m, buying a goalkeeper who was coming into his prime and the Argentina international has repaid them, even if he may have favoured a move to Manchester United in the summer.

Bound by Profit and Sustainability Rules, Villa are stuck where they cannot revamp the squad to the extent they may want, but it does feel like it needs more more freshness.

Bizot was the only debutant in the opening day draw with Newcastle, when the side looked flat, and he has performed well when he has deputised. That is exactly what clubs want from a number two - but, if Martinez goes, Villa would need to replace him with a number one.

Come back later on for the third and final part of the Q&A, which is all about player recalls.

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In the first part of a special Aston Villa Q&A, BBC Sport football reporter Nick Mashiter looks at the ambitions for Unai Emery's side this season.

First up is Jonathon, who asked: Do you see Aston Villa challenging for those Champions League spots this season? It was a poor start, but we seem to be finding some momentum now.

Nick answered: Emery is Aston Villa's biggest weapon. He doesn't have anything to prove and he has done it with Villa before, so few would bet against him doing it again.

Of course, it was not the best start to the season but four straight wins going into Sunday's trip to Tottenham leaves Villa with upward momentum, even if they have not been entirely convincing.

They will need some fortune, though, and Ollie Watkins needs to score consistently.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City will be the favourites for the top four, and we need to see if Bournemouth and Crystal Palace can maintain their starts.

Villa face Spurs, Manchester City, Liverpool and Bournemouth in their next four Premier League games - so by the next international break we will have a better idea of their credentials.

As it stands, they are only five points adrift the top four, and we also need to bear in mind that England and Portugal are on course to earn the two extra Champions League places on offer for next season.

Since the start of last season, when the Champions League's first round expanded from 32 teams to 36, Uefa has handed an extra qualifying place to the two best-performing nations in the previous season.

This season, England and Spain earned an extra spot, with nine Premier League teams competing in the three European competitions.

Come back to this page later on Tuesday for the second instalment in this three-part Q&A, which will focus on Donyell Malen and Marco Bizot.

Hannah Gowen
Fan writer

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Which matters most - club or country?

I have always felt more passionate about Aston Villa than the England team, with international breaks an inconvenience to my one footballing love.

This October break has been no different - a disruption to the team hitting a good bit of form. Villa had finally hit their stride, unbeaten in the past seven games (if you ignore the defeat by Brentford on penalties) and picking up four consecutive wins across the league and Europe.

That meant pausing pause for players to join up with their countries felt more of a hindrance than an opportunity, particularly with the news of an undetermined injury to Ollie Watkins. However, the successes of many of the club's internationals demonstrates the value that playing for your country can bring.

Morgan Rogers is the perfect example. An underwhelming start to the season has clearly knocked his confidence, but he has looked back to his best for England. A goal, two chances created, and a much improved pass completion rate has given him everything he needs to regain his spark in claret and blue.

In fact, there have been goal contributions galore so far, with Watkins, Donyell Malen and Evann Guessand all on their respective scoresheets, and Ezri Konsa registering an assist. And do not forget crucial minutes in Amadou Onana's legs after a long stint on the sidelines, before a relentless run of fixtures.

Even though the October break will disappear from next year's calendar to allow for a longer pause in September, I am learning to appreciate the value of these occasions. A chance to get some breathing space from the frequent frustrations of club football and Unai Emery gets to return to his tactical bunker. Perhaps it can even spark form for those players that need it.

That being said - I already cannot wait for club football to return.

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