Aston Villa

Ged Scott
BBC Sport England

Image source, Getty Images

If Gary Shaw had played in the modern game, he would have won more than just seven England Under-21 caps.

He was more than good enough to have become an established full England international.

Having made his Villa debut early on in the 1978-79 season, Shaw got his chance when Andy Gray was sold to Wolves in September 1979, coupled with the injuries that wrecked Brian Little's career.

Shaw finished Villa top scorer in 1979-80, but it was Ron Saunders' signing of Peter Withe, already a league title winner with Nottingham Forest, as his strike partner up front that transformed Villa.

Together, the combination of big target man Withe and quicksilver Shaw alongside him turned Villa first into league champions in May 1981, then European champions in 1982.

In the league, as part of a Villa side that used just 14 players in 42 games, they notched a combined 38 goals (Withe's 20 to Shaw's 18) to earn the club a first league title in 71 years.

And, although the goals comparatively dried in the league the following season as Shaw missed 16 games through injury, he and Withe both scored three times each en route to beating Bayern Munich 1-0 to win the European Cup in Rotterdam.

Other than scoring in the two-leg European Super Cup win over Barcelona the following season, that night in Rotterdam turned out to be the highlight of Shaw's career when, in September 1983, he sustained the knee injury that ultimately ended his career.

He carried on playing in Denmark and Austria, as well as at Walsall, Kilmarnock and Shrewsbury Town, before finishing in Hong Kong in 1992.

But he remained involved in football through his work as a statistical analyst, supplying in-match data for home games at both Villa and Kidderminster Harriers, where he also became a regular, popular figure.

And, in later seasons, he was also involved back at Villa as a club ambassador, still fondly remembered by doe-eyed fans, journalists and ex-team-mates as 'Shawsy', the blond bombshell striker with the surest of touches in front of goal.

What are your memories of Shaw? Have your say here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa have paid tribute to club legend Gary Shaw, who has died aged 63 from injuries sustained in a fall.

He helped Villa win the 1981 league title and the European Cup in 1982, after coming through the youth ranks at his boyhood club, and went on to score 79 goals in 213 games for the West Midlands club.

"Aston Villa Football Club is deeply shocked and profoundly saddened to learn that Gary Shaw, one of our European Cup-winning heroes, has passed away.

"Gary was one of our own - a talented striker who delighted supporters with his goalscoring exploits which helped fire Villa to success in the 1980s.

"Individual accolades would also follow for a player who was idolised by many on the terraces.

"The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Gary's family and loved ones at this extremely difficult time."

Did you see Shaw play for Aston Villa? What are your memories of the European Cup-winning striker? Have your say here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa will be the sixth different team Unai Emery has managed in the Champions League, following spells with Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Paris Saint Germain and Villarreal.

The only manager who has taken charge of more than six different sides in the competition is Carlo Ancelotti with eight.

And according to the Opta predictor, Villa have a 0.2 per cent chance of winning the competition, with Manchester City most likely to lift the trophy at 24.9 per cent.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Aston Villa are ready to upset the European establishment again, according to former goalkeeper Nigel Spink.

The 66-year-old - who won the European Cup when Villa beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in 1982 - expects Unai Emery's side to provide some shocks this season.

Villa return to the competition for the first time since 1983 when they travel to Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday.

They also host Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bologna and Celtic, and travel to Club Bruge, RB Leipzig and Monaco.

"It's an open field and they've got a free shot in some ways. They will be one of those clubs who some won't think about going far into the competition," said Spink.

"We were in the same situation in '82 - no-one gave us a chance and look what happened. I'm not saying they're going to get to the final and win it, but they need to go and enjoy it.

"The pressure comes when you're Manchester City and expected to get to the final. They can play their football, relax and see how many big guns they can frighten along the way."

Spink made just his second Villa appearance when he replaced the injured Jimmy Rimmer after only 10 minutes of the final in Rotterdam 42 years ago.

He went on to make 468 appearances for the club, before leaving for West Brom in 1996.

Villa reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals last term, losing to Olympiakos, and Spink believes that experience will help them going into this season's new-look Champions League, with the league stage not finishing until January.

He added: "I would argue it might be a bit easier on them this year. The Champions League is Tuesday and Wednesday, while last year they were playing on Thursday and then the Sunday. That becomes an issue and that's a tougher competition to be involved in."

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

Here are some of your comments:

Aston Villa fans

Sandra: What a goal - pure class. What more does Duran have to do to start a match? Again, very poor defending nearly allowed Everton to make it 3-3. Villa showed courage and did not panic. A good rehearsal for Tuesday's match against Young Boys.

David: The excitement of a comeback and an absolute screamer mask another game where we haven't kept a clean sheet. Would be nice for Rogers to add goals to his great performances because he has the potential to set the league alight. Solid start to the season all round though.

Ian: Terrific, exciting game - but once again Villa make it hard for themselves. We need to improve defensively because we're giving away too many chances. However, going forward we're creating plenty of chances . We could - and should - have scored half a dozen. Great to see Ollie back in the goals and what can you say about Duran's winner? Now looking forward to the Champions League game.

Everton fans

Barry: Another inept defensive display. Defensive solidity is supposedly Dyche’s hallmark - without that we are worse than useless. This has all the signs of Dyche’s final season at Burnley when he took them down. Burnley’s board left it too late - with Everton totally rudderless, will we make the same mistake?

Tommy: I will say it again - there is no need to panic yet! There are many positive aspects to the game that bode well for the future. Yes, we've squandered another 2-0 lead. We will not end up in the top six, but we will not end up in the bottom three. There are at least four or five teams worse than us. Get behind Sean and the team. We will be OK!

Richard: It's a hard watch. Great to score two goals at Villa Park, but any Evertonian worth their salt knows two is never enough these days with that defence. Yes, we could have scored more - but we didn't. As has happened so many times in the past, another worldie did for us! Deja vu - for all the wrong reasons!

Gary Linker brings you highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.

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

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa 3-2 Everton

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Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Satruday's victory against Everton: "It was an entertaining game, end-to-end at times - a lot of goals and chances.

"A good game to watch as a fan and a nice game to play in. These are the games you want to play in. We have shown great character to come from behind and get the three points."

On ending a possible goal drought: "I wouldn't say it's a drought. The start of this season I have come into it and I've had good opportunities that I've not taken, it is down to me to finish it.

"Today I did, and I have come away with two goals."

On Jhon Duran's goal: "That's what he's got in his locker, he has got a lot of ability. We have seen him score worldies before, when he comes onto the pitch he's always a handful.

"If you back yourself to shoot from that far, why not?"

Image source, Getty Images

Unai Emery spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Aston Villa's victory against Everton: “It was a good match, for our supporters and theirs. I think we deserved [the win].

“I’m very happy because I think the three points are very important for us – and how we achieved them gives us confidence. Even at 2-0, we were trying to keep our game plan in our mind.

“Today was difficult, because some players started training on Friday after the international break. The mind has to be focused on each moment. We’re playing again on Tuesday [in the Champions League]. The Premier League is the most important competition we’ll have this year. Of course the Champions League is big for the supporters and we have to be competitive there, but we can’t waste a match in the Premier League.”

On Jhon Duran’s goal: “Today, Watkins started [the comeback]. They played 15 minutes together. [Duran] has been confident as a player, with his skills and within our structure. He has scored like that before. We know [he can do it]. He’s confident to shoot from there.

“He’s scoring. I’m very happy because we have two strikers and we have to try to manage both. Today we started to play both. We have to try to keep the balance.”

Image source, Getty Images

Seven of Jhon Duran’s eight Premier League goals for Aston Villa have come as a substitute, with all three of his goals in the competition this season being winning goals from the bench. Indeed, no player has scored more winners as a substitute in a single Premier League campaign.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Aston Villa’s performance, external

What did you make of Everton’s display?, external

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Read the match report and follow reaction

There are eight Premier League games on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you all the action and reaction throughout the day.

All time are BST

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BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries:

• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest

• Aston Villa v Everton

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.

For week four, he takes on Femi Koleoso and Ife Ogunjobi from jazz band Ezra Collective, the 2023 Mercury Music Prize winners.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Everton boss Sean Dyche is under the pump after their capitulation against Bournemouth last time out. It feels like some of their fans have turned against Dyche now, which I think is ridiculous, but he does need a result and unfortunately for him Villa Park is not a place I see Everton getting anything.

The Toffees got hammered 4-0 there last season and, although they will put up a fight, they are not going to get a result on this occasion either.

How many goals Villa get might depend on whether Ollie Watkins is fit. He's in my Fantasy team, which is bad news for him anyway, but he is an injury doubt after pulling out of the England squad.

Koleoso's prediction: 2-0

Leon Bailey to score, and Villa to win.

Ogunjobi prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Everton (kick-off 17:30).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• OIlie Watkins, who withdrew from the England squad during the international break, is "progressively getting better and he is in the squad and being in the squad the thinking tomorrow is that he will be available to play."

• On managing a busy schedule: "We have one year with this experience and we were playing more or less similar matches. We are expecting to play minimum until January, it depends if we progress in the Champions League and even the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. Hopefully we can play more matches. Of course it is difficult to manage it with a lot of matches. The Champions League starts next week but we have experience. I will manage the matches, trying to focus each match with the players we have available and 100% to play."

• On the competition between Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran up front: "I'm happy, I want it. I want our players competing, each one to increase and add quality for us. Of course they are two strikers in good form and last year they played together sometimes. Last year their connection wasn't so good on the pitch."

• Emery added: "But Jhon Duran is getting mature, he is getting confidence. Ollie Watkins, after his small problems and after he came trying to get fitness quick, progressively he is feeling better and they can play individually or they can play together. Of course I want the best of them from here until the end of the season and I am happy it is those players in this form."

• The manager also spoke about the discontent among fans over ticket pricing for Champions League matches: "The supporters are very, very important for us. They are the heart of us, of Aston Villa. We are very motivated for the Champions League, very excited and I can understand that they are not comfortable with increasing the prices. But hopefully, it will be worth that decision because we are enjoying and getting to this level and keeping it."

• On potential protests at Villa Park: "I am aware and I will try tomorrow to play, focusing and connecting with our supporters like we usually do here. Hopefully they can support like they are usually doing and hopefully we can connect with them. I respect them, I respect as well they do not agree with this situation but we are increasing our level, we are playing in the Champions League, we are playing more matches and I know the supporters will support us again and we have to accept if someone is protesting something. I know and I respect it."

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

Full commentary of Aston Villa v Everton from 17:30 on BBC Radio 5 Live

Inter Milan are interested in signing Aston Villa's English midfielder Jacob Ramsey, 23. (Caughtoffside, external)

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

Image source, Aston Villa FC

Aston Villa have revealed their new third kit for the 2024-25 season.

The navy kit includes metallic silver and black detailing and makes reference to the club's 150th anniversary, with the shirts having 'AV 150' printed on the back.

Speaking to the club's official website, external Aston Villa's president of business Chris Heck said: “This new third kit represents the best of Aston Villa’s history and future.

"The design speaks to our club’s proud heritage while embracing the vibrant energy of our supporters. The midnight blue kit represents the club returning to European nights this year in the Champions League, complemented by the vibrant silver as a nod to all the trophies won over the last 150 years.

"We are excited to see our players and fans wearing it this season.”

Image source, Aston Villa FC