'We want to play in Europe' - Emerypublished at 19:24 26 January
19:24 26 January
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "They were pushing and got into our box and scored one goal. We didn't feel strong or the fresh legs to recover or dominate or try to score.
"We have circumstances like the injury of Tyrone Mings and we don't have another proper centre-back."
On Mings' injury: "I don't know. Tomorrow we will test him and hopefully, it is not a lot. Things like that are punishing us.
"We started the second part of the season with two wins and two draws. We are very ambitious and we want more.
"We have to keep going and focus on Wednesday, recover some players, and try to use the last week in the transfer window. We have to get our performances quality. We want to play in Europe."
Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham: Did you know?published at 18:56 26 January
18:56 26 January
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After his assist for Jacob Ramsey, Ollie Watkins became the second Aston Villa player to be directly involved in 100+ Premier League goals (61 goals, 39 assists) after with Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Watkins reached the century in just 169 appearances - 108 fewer than Agbonlahor (277).
Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham - send us your thoughtspublished at 18:36 26 January
Sutton's predictions: Aston Villa v West Hampublished at 12:30 26 January
12:30 26 January
Aston Villa are eighth in the Premier League and ninth in the Champions League, so their season is hardly a disaster - they just look a little bit flat at times.
Their striker situation is something that Villa boss Unai Emery has got to sort out because he put Jhon Duran on to play with Ollie Watkins in the second half against Monaco, and they are not playing well together
I don't know if that is an ego thing, where both strikers want to be the main man, but they both need to have a think about what benefits the team.
As a former striker myself, I know how other strikers want to be fed, and how to have an understanding to create situations, but that does not seem to be happening - Watkins and Duran are not connecting or clicking, which is a worry.
For a partnership to work, you have got to understand your role in the team and how sometimes one of you has got to sacrifice yourself.
Believe it or not, I was pretty good at realising that, where I was in the pecking order, and how to adapt my game. There are people out there who would say I was unselfish and a team player, and I wouldn't argue with that.
I know there is a different view because I listen to my old strike-partner Alan Shearer speaking to Erling Haaland about how you have to be single-minded in front of goal.
You do, you have to be selfish when it comes to taking chances. But football is a team game and sometimes you have to be prepared to adapt and roll your sleeves up - Shearer always did it - and try to play roles that you don't necessarily want to play, for the good of the team.
When Aston Villa's squad is stretched and a little bit fatigued, Watkins and Duran should be capable enough, and have enough understanding of how to feed each other, because strikers know how to do it.
Not doing it is a bit of a blot on the copybooks of both players. They are both very talented players, but they need to work this out for the good of the team. Maybe Emery needs to whack some Brazilian music on in training to sort them out?
Seriously, though, this is a crucial time in Villa's season and I think they will get past West Ham.
Graham Potter's side were jammy when they beat Fulham last week, but I don't see them being lucky enough to beat Villa.
Earlier, we asked you to name the former Aston Villa manager from a series of clues.
The answer was Paul Lambert, who was in charge between 2012 and 2015.
Emery on replacing Carlos, new signing Garcia and West Hampublished at 16:12 24 January
16:12 24 January
Marissa Thomas BBC Sport journalist
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against West Ham at Villa Park (kick-off 16:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Emery was asked if he expects any more incomings or outgoings before the January transfer window closes: "We are open to try to improve the squad until the last moment and we are open as well in case someone is leaving. Of course, Diego Carlos left last week and we have to replace him. We are focusing with the sporting director and the club on which players could potentially replace Diego Carlos."
On new signing Andres Garcia: "He is a right full-back, potential, young player. He was progressing so quickly, and I knew him before. I know how he was doing, as a person as well. We decided to sign him because we were thinking it was a good opportunity, just in this moment - a really good opportunity. He is progressing so quick in his career."
Emery gave his thoughts on Villa's ambitions: "Of course, for the history of Aston Villa, to try to be a contender, building the team, getting the structure stronger, trying to be contenders in the future for trophies as well, is another objective we have to add. To play in Europe was another objective."
He continued: "We started two years ago, and we are in this process we planned, but the process is through the players, through the mentality as a team. We can be demanding, setting very ambitious objectives. We have a lot of players with a very good mentality - and a lot of players, they have improved a lot in having the right mentality we want, but there's still work to do."
On facing West Ham: "Very important, those three points on Sunday against West Ham. Very difficult, because all matches in the Premier League are very difficult. Of course, West Ham, they are not being consistent, but they have a new coach now. Tactically, they are going to improve, playing matches, and they have very good players as well. Maybe they have some important players injured but, for us, Sunday is very important."
Today's trivia challengepublished at 09:06 24 January
09:06 24 January
Name this former Aston Villa manager from the following clues:
I won the Champions League as a player.
I was appointed as Villa manager in 2012 and was in charge for almost three years.
My most recent managerial role was with Ipswich, which ended in March 2021.
Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT
Efficient or ineffective?published at 08:05 24 January
08:05 24 January
This Premier League pursuit becomes a lot easier if you take your chances.
BBC Sport has checked in on some data comparing goals versus expected goals this season.
You can see from the bar graph some teams aren't finding the goals (yellow) to outstrip the expected goals they should score (black).
Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Brentford, Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Leicester have all scored more than expected.
Wolves in particular have found the net 32 times from an expected 23.56 - a significant overperformance.
League leaders Liverpool are pretty much bang on in returning what they should, while Arsenal have outperformed, with 43 goals from an expected 37.78.
Bournemouth - 36 goals from an expected 43 - are leaving opportunities on the table.
Gossip: Villa keen to replace Carlos with Badepublished at 07:08 24 January
07:08 24 January
Aston Villa want to bring in French centre-back Loic Bade, 24, from Sevilla after allowing Brazilian defender Diego Carlos to sign for Fenerbache. (Express and Star), external
Aston Villa v West Ham: Did you know?published at 10:57 23 January
10:57 23 January
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Only Arsenal (14) are on a longer home unbeaten run in the Premier League than Aston Villa (10).
Villa have only had three previous runs of 11 or more unbeaten games at Villa Park, most recently between March and December 2023 when they won 16 out of 17 games.
Watch: Aston Villa automatic qualification hopes dealt a blowpublished at 07:57 23 January
07:57 23 January
Highlights after Aston Villa missed the chance to virtually secure a place in the Champions League knockouts with defeat away at Monaco on Tuesday night.
Media caption,
Gossip: Villa join Newcastle in race for Tomoripublished at 07:09 23 January
Is Bogarde's football coming-of-age close at hand?published at 15:53 22 January
15:53 22 January
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
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Players identified in their mid-teens as an emerging force can spend years orbiting the squads of major clubs, waiting for the opportunity to bloom. That has been the route for Lamare Bogarde.
A quick internet search reminds us his name was in headlines when he was just 16, in Feyenoord's youth system, apparently with a host of Premier League clubs taking note. Five years on, if he is to make a major step forward into regular first-team football, perhaps it will finally come soon.
Aston Villa took him on in 2020, when Dean Smith was in charge, so Bogarde's nine first-team appearances technically span across three Villa bosses. This is slightly skewed by his first, in the callow youth squad Villa were forced to field in an FA Cup tie against Liverpool at the height of the pandemic, when the seniors were in quarantine.
Although Bogarde then disappeared from the public spotlight for a while, we now see evidence Unai Emery has been paying close attention to his development.
For most of 2023 he was loaned to Bristol Rovers, and as his initial Villa contract wound down he approached the moment of decision, for player and club. Instead of moving him on, Villa signed him to a new contract last August, since when he has made a breakthrough of sorts.
The manner of that breakthrough, though limited, suggests Emery has confidence in him.
With Villa short of cover after an early-season injury to Matty Cash, Emery moved Bogarde away from his favoured position to fill the right-back space against Leicester and Everton, rather than use the more experienced Ezri Konsa there. Although the experiment ended at half-time in the first Champions League game in Bern, it still showed faith in Bogarde's ability.
Evidently, he also has the qualities to play in midfield, too, having been called on to replace the injured Amadou Onana in the first half at Arsenal last weekend, and therefore present in Villa's recovery from two down.
That may be his most significant performance so far. Being seen as a dependable, versatile, fill-in player is not a bad role for a youngster at a club with a workload like Villa's, without the squad depth of some of its rivals.
Bogarde turned 21 earlier this month, and perhaps his football coming-of-age is close at hand.
What do Aston Villa need to qualify for last 16?published at 12:31 22 January
12:31 22 January
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A win for Aston Villa on Tuesday evening would have put them in the driver's seat to secure a top-eight finish in their first season in the Champions League.
However, defeat at Monaco means they must now win their final fixture next week at home to Celtic and hope that 16 points is enough to seal passage to the knockout stages.
Regardless of the outcome, they are guaranteed at least a place in the play-off round, which begins in February.
Losing against Monaco 'a bit troubling'published at 11:29 22 January
11:29 22 January
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Former Premier League defender Nedum Onuoha believes losing against Monaco "is a bit troubling" as Aston Villa head towards the knockout stage of the Champions League.
"Villa have had a really interesting tournament so far. They beat the likes of Bayern Munich, they travel away to certain places and have looked good as well. They look like they belong there," Onuoha said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"But then you go to a place like Monaco and don't really give the performance that you want to.
"Losing that game is a bit troubling as you head towards the knockouts.
"Maybe it will be a lesson. I don't think Unai Emery, as somebody who is so experienced, will overreact. Hopefully the players they keep their confidence up as well."
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