Aston Villa

Image source, Getty Images

Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany says Aston Villa had an "extraordinary" season last year but his side are "used to these nights" as they prepare to visit Villa Park in the Champions League.

Villa welcome the German giants on Wednesday evening for their first home game in Europe's elite competition since 1983.

"I think everything Aston Villa do is very clear," Kompany said in his pre-match news conference: "They're very well organised. You can see what they want to do in every phase of the game. They're compact.

"It's a similar style to Bayer Leverkusen. Being compact between the lines, how they pose a threat on the counter and the runs they want to make in behind. They do that very well, which is why they did so well last season.

"Everyone knows it's been over 40 years since Aston Villa last played in the European Cup. What they did last season was extraordinary. They've earned it. They're a really organised team with a good atmosphere at home. But Bayern are used to these nights. We want to enjoy it, and the players are hopefully up for playing here."

Kompany played in England for 11 years for Manchester City and spent a further two years as Burnley manager, so is well aware of the imposing atmosphere at Villa Park.

"There's great tradition here," he said. "You can see that - you can feel it too. I was in England for a total of 13 years. My wife and children are English. I know the stadium, the team and the coach very well. So, it's important we go into the game full of courage."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins revealed he would like to replace Harry Kane as England's main man one day.

The forward has four goals in 15 caps for the Three Lions and scored the dramatic late winner against the Netherlands that took England to the Euro 2024 final in the summer.

Villa face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday with Kane expected to be fit despite suffering an ankle injury in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

England's record goalscorer has 10 goals in seven games for Bayern this season but Watkins spoke about his desire to be his international successor.

"That’s a tough question," he said. "Everyone is fighting for a position on the pitch and I want to be the man to play, but day in day out we have a good relationship.

"We talk and when I’m in the camp, I speak to him so there’s no animosity and I’m doing all I can to be on the pitch and so is he.

"Harry is a top player. Everyone knows what he’s capable of, he’s shown what he can do over the previous seasons, but the whole Bayern team are one of the best teams in the competition and we all know that.

"He’s got the records and scored the amount of goals he has for a reason and he’s well talked about for a reason. He gets all the credit he deserves and he’s put in a lot of hard work over the years to get there.

"I’m just trying to work on myself, improve day by day and do the extra work I can to help my team and help us score goals, create goals and see where that gets me."

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There is a quiet confidence at Aston Villa's training ground.

Ahead of facing Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, both Unai Emery and Ollie Watkins spoke about having already proved themselves against the best in the Premier League.

Watkins insisted Villa are not just here to "make the most" of playing against the six-time winners at Villa Park, they are not in the Champions League to be tourists.

Yet the manager did fire a warning that he feels Villa are conceding too many goals this season - managing just one clean sheet in last month's 3-0 win at Young Boys which opened their European campaign.

Bayern have scored 30 goals this season, in seven games, including hitting nine past Dinamo Zagreb last month.

Harry Kane has 10 goals in seven appearances and if fit - having suffered an ankle injury in the 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday - could continue punishing Villa, having scored against them five times for Tottenham.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery says the team cannot continue to concede goals at the rate that they are if they are to be successful.

Villa have kept just one clean-sheet in all competitions so far this season and that came in the 3-0 win over Young Boys in their Champions League opener.

"We are not defending like last year. It’s not for the defenders, the goalkeeper, it’s for everyone," Emery explained.

"The first defenders are the strikers and the first attacking player is the goalkeeper.

"We have to improve because we cannot concede the goals we are conceding each match we are playing. I believe in our work but we are conceding more goals than normal."

A second Champions League clean-sheet for Villa will mean keeping out England striker Harry Kane if he overcomes an ankle injury to feature.

When asked about the plan to stop Kane, Emery added: "We analyse the tactical areas collectively and then you have to stop the players.

"He knows us and we know him but his capacity and potential will be on the pitch.

"They have two strong centre-backs, good midfielders, good wingers and we have to stop them collectively and individually. There will be a lot of duels. We have to be alert and focused."

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins says playing in the Champions League is a moment he has "dreamt of" since childhood.

Villa welcome Bayern Munich to Villa Park on Wednesday evening in what will be the club's first Champions League fixture on home soil since 1983.

"These are the nights we all dreamt of especially since I came here," Watkins said.

"Playing Champions League football for Villa is the best it can get really, I think we’ve all got to go out there and enjoy it. Not make the most of it because that sounds like we’re underestimating ourselves, but just enjoy it because it’s so long since the club has been involved in a competition like this, and for me personally, I haven’t experienced Champions League football before so I want to enjoy it because this is what I dreamt of as a kid."

When asked if he believes the squad could be overawed by the occasion, Watkins added: "I don’t think so, players have played in the Champions League from the squad in different clubs so we do have that experience there.

"We’re in the best hands possible, our manager has experienced and won a lot of trophies and managed a lot of Champions League games. We have all faith in him and in the squad and confidence that when we play our best football we can put anyone to the test and perform.

"The fans will be excited and we as players will be but it’s more excitement and looking forward to it than pressure."

Ben Ramsdale
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League game against Bayern Munich (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Emery said the team are "motivated" and "excited" to be back playing in the Champions League at Villa Park against "one of the best teams in the world" in Bayern Munich.

• On the test his side face, Emery said: "We are coming back to Europe last year, Europe is something very important but very difficult. They are favourites tomorrow but we are at home."

• On the absence of John McGinn: "We have to accept it. I want the best players on the field tomorrow. I want to face the best players and I want to play with our best players but we have to accept we have some injuries and we are ready to compete."

• Matty Cash, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are all back in training but are also "not going to play tomorrow".

• On the importance of the fixture: "The most important thing is to be consistent in the season and the Premier League is the first objective. Tomorrow we are playing a special, special match for everybody but I am preparing the match the same as I did on Sunday against Ipswich."

• On mistakes leading to goals against Ipswich Town: "We have to accept when we make mistakes, starting with me. Every match I am trying to be humble and identify my mistakes. It's the same circumstance with a player. I will never punish a player for making a mistake for the next match."

• He said the team "are not defending like last year" and it's something they have to "correct quickly".

• On Harry Kane: "We analyse the tactical areas collectively and then you have to stop the players. He knows us and we know him but his capacity and potential will be on the pitch."

David Michael
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

If there is a fixture that truly signals Aston Villa’s return to the Champions League, it is this week’s clash with Bayern Munich. The 2nd of March 1983 seems a long time away, when Juventus’s galaxy of stars - including Michel Platini, Zbigniew Boniek, and much of Italy’s 1982 World Cup-winning squad - provided the opposition the last time Villa Park hosted the competition.

Having been a serial Europa League winner, Unai Emery has previously expressed his own ambition to win the Champions League. Interestingly, of all the clubs he’s managed, Aston Villa is the only one with its name already engraved on European football’s most prestigious prize.

If Emery could take Villareal to the semi-finals in 2022, then Villa are a live dog in this tournament. In that very campaign, Emery’s team disposed of Bayern in the quarter-finals and Juventus the round before, so Villa’s upcoming fixtures against the same opponents will hold no fear for him.

On Wednesday, Bayern may be the bookies' favourites, but Villa will not be the underdogs they were in Rotterdam in 1982. Last season, between the Premier League's four Champions Leagues qualifying teams, Villa held the best head-to-head record.

This game, however, is about more than just Emery’s tactical acumen. It is a night for Aston Villa’s supporters and the players who were there when the club last lifted the European Cup in 1982. It feels like the story has come full circle, right on the club’s 150th anniversary.

For younger generations, who have endured some woeful seasons in the past decade, it is a first taste of what their club has the potential to truly be.

While commercialisation increasingly exploits the emotions and history of the game - evident in the staggering Villa Park ticket prices - this match offers a rare, genuine connection to the past.

It is a night when fans can almost reach out and touch the legacy of 1982, and at the same time, witness a new chapter in Villa’s rich history unfold before their eyes.

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

Aston Villa and West Ham are battling to sign Valencia's 24-year-old Spanish forward Hugo Duro for up to £25m. (Caught Offside), external

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

Image source, Getty Images

After his impressive start to the season, we asked readers to vote on whether Morgan Rogers should be included in interim manager Lee Carsley's latest England squad which will be announced on Thursday.

And it seems most believe he should be. The most popular answer thus far is 'Deserves a place in the squad' with 33% of the votes - almost a third.

Here is the full breakdown of results so far:

7% - Not ready yet

5% - Still has more to prove

9% - Not quite yet but maybe in the future

7% - Maybe

20% - Potentially but there's lots of competition

33% - Deserves a place in the squad

20% - Should be starting

Read Phil Cartwright's full article on Morgan Rogers and cast your vote here

Image source, Getty Images

When interim manager Lee Carsley announces his next England squad on Thursday, there will be plenty of Aston Villa supporters looking out for the name of Morgan Rogers on the list.

In what has been a fine start to the season for Villa - Unai Emery's side have taken 13 points from their first six Premier League matches - Rogers' performances have been a major positive.

Playing in a central position behind the main forward, Rogers' understanding with striker Ollie Watkins is developing week by week.

Rogers set up Watkins for Villa's equaliser against Wolves on 21 September and also provided a tap-in for Jhon Duran to wrap up a 3-1 win.

Against Ipswich, Rogers calmly collected from Jacob Greaves' poor clearance, swapped passes with Watkins and fired into the bottom corner to score his first Premier League goal of the season.

However, for those unsure or unaware of Rogers' ability at the top level, it was his display in Villa's 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on 24 August which perhaps did most to bring his talents to wider attention.

Carsley chose not to include Rogers in his squad for September's Nations League games against Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Instead he was selected for the Under-21 side, a decision which "surprised" Villa boss Unai Emery, external, who said Rogers was "not a player for the second team".

Read more on Rogers rise from Championship football to Champions League here

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa keeper Emi Martinez has apologised for offensive behaviour while on international duty with Argentina.

The 32-year-old has been handed a two-match international ban for slapping a television camera after defeat with his country in one fixture and for a lewd gesture made in the aftermath of another.

He will miss games against Venezuela and Bolivia in October but will be available for Aston Villa.

"I accept the sanction of Fifa and I apologise if I offended anyone, the moment of celebration is to make many kids smile and not disrespect anyone," he wrote on Instagram.

"I will support my friends on this FIFA date with the pain of not being able to be there.

"It was never my intention to disrespect anyone, nor did I understand that a gesture well received by people was offensive, but I will try not to offend anyone anymore and just focus on winning titles with Argentina and Aston Villa."

Image source, Getty Images

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

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Greg: This is the first time this season when it has felt like last season. Real belief today. I can't remember a player who has reached legendary status at Portman Road quicker than Liam Delap. What a heart that lad has!

Paul: Brilliant. Aston Villa were outplayed for most of the match. We were a little loose in defence for about 15 minutes in the first half and it cost us with two soft Villa goals. After that, Villa produced little of quality. Delap was brilliant, especially on his second goal while Phillips, Burns, and Davis dominated down the middle. Keep it up boys!

Alan: I think we are finally looking like a Premier League team. One mistake which led to their first goal, but other than that we really held our own and probably should have won it in the end. Our best performance so far, we were fighting for our lives against Brighton, but today looked like the better team against a Champions League side.

Mat: Spirited display and you can see week on week the likes of Hutchison and Clarke having the confidence to attack teams with full commitment. Once our imposter syndrome is put to bed, there will be a lot of teams drop points at Portman Road this season and the signs continue to be bright against a whole new level of quality in the Premier League.

Villa fans

Susan: It was not the best preparation for the upcoming game against Bayern. A good result for Ipswich and it was not Delap who helped them to a draw, but again, bad defending by Villa. Still feel Emery needs to change the 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2. Villa will find the Man Utd match tough.

Rob: Disjointed performance especially at the back where Carlos continues to look out of place. Missed McGinn in midfield with Ramsey for once having a poor game and as soon as Rogers went off we lacked presence in midfield. Unai will sort it out though - fifth after six games is okay.

Colin: Probably close to our strongest team, we looked comfortable through a lot of the match but the intensity of Ipswich earned them a deserved draw. Villa’s defensive mistakes continue and the return of Mings cannot come soon enough. He organises, challenges and puts his body on the line for the team. Martinez is losing some gloss!

Carlos: It was clear Villa players had their minds on Wednesday’s game against Bayern, otherwise they would have won this comfortably. Players lost focus in the second half trying to avoid Ipswich's aggressive and dirty tackling. Delap took his goals well, but they came from Villa. Ipswich will look back at it as a missed opportunity. Villa move on to a bigger fixture.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones and former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy have been praising "terrific" Aston Villa centre-forward Ollie Watkins on Match of the Day 2.

When asked about having to mark the England international, Jones revealed that he was a "real handful" to play against: "He is a terrific player - he has shown that for club and country now.

"What I like about him is that he can come short and offer that dynamic, but he can also go in behind. He is a real handful and he is quite comfortable playing on the shoulder of the defender."

Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have contributed more goals and assists in the Premier League than Ollie Watkins since Unai Emery took charge of Aston Villa in November 2022 - with Watkins scoring 36 goals and registering 19 assists.

Murphy added: "He just looks like a player that is completely comfortable in his own skin and what he is good at.

"Every aspect of his game has improved under Unai Emery and he is also being pushed for a place by Jhon Duran, so that always helps you raise your game. He is a terrific player."

Catch up on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

Tom Gayle
Match of the Day 2 commentator at Portman Road

Image source, Getty Images

I could tell from Ollie Watkins’ body language as he walked into the interview room that his vibe was two points dropped rather than being satisfied with a draw away from home.

Until Liam Delap’s equaliser, Aston Villa were set to go level on points with leaders Liverpool, and secure their best start to a top flight campaign since 1931.

While Villa’s defensive frailties remain and it is 11 Premier League matches since Unai Emery’s side last kept a clean sheet, Watkins’ numbers show he is continuing to deliver on his established reputation for being one of Europe's most complete strikers.

Four goals and two assists from the opening six league games is a career best return for the 28-year-old.

Watkin’s described to me his one assist after the opening three matches as "a bit of slow start," and then retracted his follow up of "I’m finding my feet now," a statement he viewed as "being too humble." He changed his stance, stating: "I’m on a roll now so the goals are going to keep flowing." Such comments are more befitting of the elite aura he’s clearly keen to project.

Any suggestions of Watkins coming across as arrogant were quickly balanced out by acknowledging the role of his team-mates as he added: "The way the boys are playing and creating chances for me, it’s a dream to be honest. I’m looking forward to many more games and many more goals."

Next up is the Champions League and Bayern Munich. Which, fitness permitting for the England captain, should provide the latest offering of the Harry Kane versus Watkins international debate which caught fire during the back end of Euro 2024.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's two Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Arsenal 4-2 Leicester City

• Wolves 1-2 Liverpool

• Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa

• Manchester United 0-3 Tottenham

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

England interim boss Lee Carsley will name his squad for October's Nations League games against Greece and Finland on Thursday, and plenty will be checking that list to see if the name of Morgan Rogers is included.

The 22-year-old's form has been one of the major positives for Aston Villa in the first six weeks of the campaign and he was rewarded with a first club goal of the campaign in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Ipswich.

There was a degree of fortune about how he received possession, but Rogers showed calmness to control Jacob Greaves' poor attempted clearance and then exchange passes with Ollie Watkins before finishing emphatically into the corner.

There was also evidence of his exceptional ball-carrying ability in one second-half run when a succession of Ipswich tacklers tried in vain to dispossess him.

Carsley has a wealth of attacking options to choose from but, on present form, Rogers may become increasingly difficult to ignore.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to BBC Sport after today's draw: "It was a pretty good match and I think the draw was fair.

"We were better in the first half, the second half we lost our concentration and the consequences happened because they scored and they could have scored one more.

"We had our chances but we conceded more than normal and we didn’t control things like we did in the first half. I am not happy with the point but I have to accept it because I think it is fair.

"They had their game plan of course when they scored it was a surprise because we started well. I wanted us to finish strongly and oppose and we didn’t do that."