Aston Villa

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Aston Villa secured Champions League qualification with a fourth-place finish in the Premier League and reached the Europa Conference League semi-final.

David Michael, from My Old Man Said, external, has given his verdict on the 2023-24 campaign.

Season rating: 10/10. Villa getting back into the Champions League after 42 years out of Europe's top competition is a superb headline achievement. Winning the Europa Conference League would have made it an 11/10 season.

Happy with your manager? Very happy. He is one of the best managers in the world. It is as simple as that. Ultimately, he will have to win a trophy at Villa to cement his legacy, but that is well within his powers. He has Villa supporters dreaming of silverware again.

Unsung hero: Youri Tielemans. Despite being a key summer signing, he had to wait several months before making his first Premier League start. Fans were initially unconvinced, but the Belgium midfielder's patience and effort was rewarded, as he fast grew into a vital player for the team.

Player you would most like to sign: If there is room for this Villa team to improve, it is certainly in defence. If the recent young full-back signings, Kosta Nedeljkovic and Lino Sousa, both step up to next season’s matchday squad, that could save further spend in that department, as would Tyrone Mings returning at the same level as before. Overall, there will not be wholesale change because of the club's Financial Fair Play position, but it might be worth calling Crystal Palace to see if any of their forward players fancy the Champions League next season.

Best away fans: Despite honourable mentions to the likes of Ajax, Lille and Olympiakos, Hibernian's away fans were on another level to any Premier League visitors. Their rendition of Sunshine On Leith when the score over two legs was getting ugly was one of the true highlights at Villa Park this season. A credit to their club.

See how our other fan writers rated their club's season here

Aston Villa have made a £12.8m bid for 32-year-old Sevilla and Argentina defender Marcos Acuna. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Villa are also interested in 24-year-old Italy defender Raoul Bellanova, after he impressed during his first season with Torino, but Manchester United and West Ham United are also keen. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external

Villa will rival Tottenham for 24-year-old Italy defender Andrea Cambiaso, who is valued at £34m by Juventus. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Aston Villa are closing in on a deal to re-sign Luton Town and former England midfielder Ross Barkley on a permanent basis, four years after the 30-year-old joined on loan from Chelsea. (Guardian), external

Meanwhile, Villa are willing to listen to offers for 31-year-old Brazilian defender Diego Carlos, as they look to comply with profit and sustainability rules. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Finally, Unai Emery wants to sign 25-year-old Barcelona and Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo. (Sport - in Spanish), external

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

After defeat by Crystal Palace on the final day, we asked you what Aston Villa need to do over the summer to prepare for their Champions League campaign next season.

Here are some of your answers:

Mark: Need a striker, another defensive midfielder to cover for Kamara, and probably another centre-back.

Chris: We do need a much larger squad, but in terms of quality we need a lot less than people think. The players to come back from injury make us very competitive. We just need a decent second-choice goalkeeper and a top striker to rival Ollie. Emery will still want a left-sided winger, but Rodgers has made that less urgent.

Veronica: Just because we crawled over the finishing line there’s no need to panic buy. These guys got us into the elite European mix and we should keep our faith in them, but there is an obvious need to improve the bench. Strength in depth is why the 'bigger' clubs maintain their top positions and so if we can add to our attack then that would be my priority.

Andy: The negative this season has been not being able to have Mings since the first match and Konsa playing right-back as we need him in central. We need a new right-back as Cash isn’t good enough and a second striker as Duran really needs to go out on loan. I think Archer could do a job for us next season.

Aston Villa duo Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins have been included in Opta's Premier League team of the season.

The pair helped Unai Emery's side finish fourth in the table and qualify for next season's Champions League.

Martinez

Based on Opta's expected goals on target conceded model, which takes into account the quality of attempts on target faced, Martinez prevented 8.8 goals in the league this season, the second-highest tally of any goalkeeper in the competition.

Watkins

Watkins provided a league-high 13 assists in the Premier League this season, while his 19 goals is the joint-most by an Villa player in a campaign.

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from the final 10 games of the Premier League season.

If you missed Sunday's Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.

Also, listen back to the two BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:

• Man City 3-1 West Ham

• Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth

Image source, Getty Images

Former Chelsea, Aston Villa and Sheffield United midfielder Ian Hamilton has died at the age of 73.

Hamilton became Chelsea's youngest league player and goalscorer aged 16, and had a spell at Southend before joining Villa in 1969, going on to win the 1975 League Cup with the club.

Hamilton, known as "Chico", signed for the Blades a year later and also spent time playing in the USA.

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has been speaking to BBC Sport after his side fell to a heavy defeat on the last day of the season: "When you lose 5-0, you are disappointed and maybe a little bit embarrassed by the result. Today, we were not 100% with our power we have shown all season and, of course, we did everything on Monday against Liverpool at home.

"We finished on Tuesday, in our mind, when we achieved our target for the season. Today, we tried to have a good finish to the season but we didn't play with consistency.

"It was a difficult match because they are playing very well and secondly because we had finished the season, in our minds, when we achieved the result last Tuesday.

"We tried to compete and be organised like we have all season, but we have to accept how we've finished and how we achieved our objective last Tuesday."

On whether he will take any time off during the summer break: "Yes, I need it, but I need to analyse deeply, with time, and also to enjoy the rest because this season was really tough.

"We achieved a lot but we demanded a lot of the players, so we have to rest and prepare professionally, but also take time on decisions."

Here are the key facts and figures from Sunday's game between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in the Premier League.

• Crystal Palace have won six of their past seven Premier League games (D1), as many as they managed in their previous 30 matches in the competition (D9 L15). The Eagles have collected 24 points in 13 matches under Oliver Glasner, with only Manchester City (35), Arsenal (34) and Chelsea (28) claiming more points since the manager's first game in February.

• Aston Villa are the first side to concede 60 or more goals and finish inside the top four since Norwich in 1992-93 (65, finished third). Villa are also the first side to concede five or more goals in their first and final matches of a top-flight season since Manchester City in 1962-63.

• Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored 16 Premier League goals this season - only Andrew Johnson has netted more for the Eagles across a single campaign in the competition (21 in 2004-05).

• Mateta has become just the second French player to score in seven home Premier League home appearances in a row, after Thierry Henry for Arsenal between May and October 2004.

• Mateta's hat-trick was the 14th to be scored on the final day of a Premier League season, and the first since Harry Kane's treble for Tottenham against Hull in 2016-17. It was also the first hat-trick to be scored by a Crystal Palace player at Selhurst Park in the Premier League.

• Michael Olise has been directly involved in 16 goals across just 14 starts in the Premier League this term (10 goals, six assists), only Cesc Fabregas (17 in 2016-17) has been involved in more goals across a single season in the competition having started fewer than 15 games.

Jean-Philippe Mateta struck a hat-trick while Eberechi Eze scored twice as Crystal Palace thrashed a sorry Aston Villa to finish 10th and equal their best finish in the Premier League.

The French striker scored twice before the break, and secured his hat-trick through an Eze assist.

Mateta then set up Eze for his second goal, his first having come early in the second half.

Palace end the season with an unbeaten run of seven games while Villa, having already secured fourth place, could only claim two points from a possible 12 in the final stretch.

What did you make of the game?

Palace fans - how optimistic are you for next season?, external

Villa fans - where are improvements needed before Champions League football in 2024-25?, external

Follow reaction and read the match report

The 2023-24 Premier League season might be drawing to a close, but BBC Sport's dedicated coverage of Aston Villa will be sticking around for the summer.

From transfer gossip to club news to fan views - we have got you covered.

So make sure you don't miss anything by following your club and signing up to notifications straight to your devices.

After that, all you need to do is keep returning to your club's page throughout the summer - simple!

All 20 teams are in action on the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season, with the title winners, European spots and one relegation place still to be confirmed.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For this weekend's final games of the season, he takes on Gladiators star Legend.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Crystal Palace's biggest challenge is going to be keeping hold of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who form such a formidable forward line.

They have helped the Eagles put together this great run of five wins and a draw from their past six games, and I think we will see more of the same on Sunday.

Aston Villa know they are in next season's Champions League, so it is job done for Unai Emery and his players.

They have probably been on the lash to celebrate since Tottenham lost against Manchester City on Tuesday, so I am going with a Palace win.

Legend's prediction: 2-1

Palace are banging the goals in and with Villa only just being confirmed in fourth, there could be that massive comedown where all that stress, anxiety, motivation and pressure comes out, and suddenly it is all gone.

Read all of Sutton's predictions for the final day of the season here

Image source, Getty Images

If you haven't done so already, you have until 10:00 BST on Wednesday, 22 May to cast your vote for Aston Villa's player of the season from our shortlist.

The candidates have been chosen by fan writer Richard Sutherland from The Villa Park Podcast, external.

Find out the reasons behind his selections and make your choice here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport Senior Football News Reporter

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been speaking to the media before his side go to Crystal Palace on the final day of the Premier League season on SUnday (16:00 BST kick-off),

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Nicolo Zaniolo is out with a metatarsal injury, while Matty Cash, Youri Tielemans, Jacob Ramsey, Alex Moreno, Emi Buendia, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are also sidelined.

• On qualifying for the Champions League after clinching fourth spot ahead of Tottenham: "It was amazing when we got it. At the beginning of the season it was a dream. We worked hard to get there. I told you earlier in the season, until game 33, 34 maybe we could change the target. Even when we lost the fifth place possibility (the Premier League’s additional Champions League place), we had to fight hard again. The party on Tuesday was fantastic. I was really happy with the players and coaches. I know how important it is to be there and compete in it."

• He continued: "Through the Premier League, to get it is very difficult. To get it is fantastic. Now, after the next challenge, it is about preparing for the new season."

• On challenging for the title and trying to win the Champions League next season: "It is a dream. It is very difficult. When we were at the beginning of the season playing two matches against Manchester City and Arsenal, we won both matches. We were there. Those teams are amazing, with consistency. I want to get better - I have my dreams and I believe in my dreams. Of course my objective is to win the Premier League or the Champions League. We are not contenders, but it is our dream to get something like that in the league or in the Champions League."

• On the club matching his ambitions: “When I arrived here, my conversations with Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were about winning trophies and getting Europe. To get there, you have to be competitive. Even if we don’t have the budget, we have to be intelligent and clinical in our decisions. This is still my objective. We are in the Champions League and we want to keep it. It is our challenge.”

• On his favourite moment of the season: “When we lost against Nottingham Forest away, it was November. I told the players before the match, my objective at the end of the season was to be there. Tottenham were better than us. I want to compete with this team because we can be close to them. If we are fighting there we will get into the top five. And we lost. After the match, I told them I believed more. It was the best moment to believe with the players. Two weeks ago I told them again: 'Do you remember that moment?'"

• Reacting to Wolves' resolution to scrap VAR at the Premier League’s AGM next month: "I believe in VAR. I want VAR. The referees need VAR. I want to completely keep it. VAR has to improve as well, but it is fair always. Sometimes they can make mistakes - like me, like everybody. If you analyse deeply, it is completely fair. In England, VAR is being more or less always right."

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

Aston Villa midfielder Philippe Coutinho, who is on loan at Al-Duhail SC in Qatar, could rejoin his former team Vasco da Gama in a loan deal with an obligation to buy for £5m. (TNT Sports Brazil, via Mail), external

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

Wolves are in the news this week for their pursuit of a vote on the scrapping of VAR.

Their wishes drew further scrutiny on Wednesday when Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon found himself in the middle of a contentious call before offering a strong view on the technology after his side went down at Manchester United.

"Modified" is the word when we are talking about VAR going to a vote.

We are still getting to grips with it, but we have seen some good come from it. There have been some instances of indifferent decisions because calls are getting too many looks at them from so many angles.

They still do not know what is a good tackle and what is not. I think they need help from some former players, who have been in that situation and understand what the differences are in those challenges.

We keep talking about different angles and that is not going to go away because with VAR or without it, on certain challenges we would still disagree. You could have two current players in a room and they still would not agree.

It is Wolves' opinion on VAR and if they feel it is not working for them, then you can understand why they are saying to have a go without it again.

Molineux boss Gary O'Neil has been very frustrated, but he has also been balanced and tried to stay quiet. Now he does not want to stay quiet because he feels it does not benefit them and decisions are not going their way.

Overall, we have seen good things from VAR, even if it does bring with it a delay and a wait.

It would be a shame now for it to all go away when we have all the technology in place.

Michael Brown was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Nick Mashiter
Senior football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Former boss Dean Smith believes Aston Villa are beginning a new era after reaching the Champions League.

The Charlotte FC head coach expects Unai Emery's side to consistently challenge for the top four now they have broken through.

Villa will play in the Champions League for the first time since it was rebranded from the European Cup after sealing fourth position in the Premier League earlier this week.

They most recently played in Europe's top club competition in 1982-83, having lifted the trophy in 1982, and Smith expects this to be a new dawn of challenging at the top.

"I believe it will because of the owners' (Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris) passion and drive to become one of those teams who can be a top-six team every year," said Smith, who was in charge of Villa between 2018 and 2021 and led the club to promotion from the Championship in 2019.

"I remember when I first went for talks with Suso, Christian Purslow and the owners and there was a five-year plan to get into the Champions League. This is the fifth year and their plan has come to fruition.

"The owners had a vision, had to spend for what they wanted to do and going from the Championship to the Champions League in five years is an incredible achievement.

"I believed it was achievable. I said when we were promoted the next step was to stay up, and once we did, we spent our money really well, we brought in Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash, Bertrand Traore and Ross Barkley on loan.

"I always felt after finishing 17th in that first year [back in the Premier League], climbing six or seven places would be really achievable, which is what we did [finishing 11th in 2020-21]. The next step of climbing two or three places was going to be hard because you were trying to pass established clubs.

"You were always going to have to overtake one of them to get to that elite level. Unai has done unbelievably well."