Aston Villa

Hannah Gowen
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Season score out of 10 and overriding emotion?

9/10. This season has been Aston Villa's best of the 21st Century. After failing to score in the first four games, and only having three points on the Premier League board after five matches, the outlook was concerning. Yet, here we stand at the end of May, with a major European trophy and fourth place in the league.

There's been plenty of highs and lows, but the seismic achievements of this campaign far outweigh the challenges.

Best moment and why?

Villa lifting their first trophy in 30 years, and first European silverware since 1982, is the best moment of the season. Fans of all ages will agree - that night in Istanbul is immortalised.

Player of season and why?

Matty Cash has been excellent. With no trusted deputy at right-back, he has carried the weight of the position on his shoulders, playing 45 games and adding goals and assists. His improvement has been significant.

Unsung hero and why?

Emiliano Buendia's return last summer failed to excite at the time, but he has provided some of Villa's most impactful and memorable moments of the campaign. Whether it be the stunning goal against Freiburg or his last-gasp winner against Arsenal, the Argentine proved himself to be invaluable.

Biggest disappointment?

The loan of Donyell Malen to Roma in January did not make much sense at the time, and still doesn't. Since his move to Serie A he has registered 14 goals in 18 appearances. Signing Tammy Abraham as a Malen replacement currently seems like a bad bit of business.

What needs to change this summer?

The club's recruitment has generally been poor over the past few years. A summer transfer window that retains the club's best, sells in the right places and recruits new stars will be essential to take Unai Emery's Villa to the next level.

Major hope for next season?

The hope for next season and beyond is to build momentum from this moment of success. Fans cannot wait another 30 years for silverware, so continuing to battle among the elite and add trophies is essential.

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Aston Villa have unveiled their new home kit for the 2026-27 season, which has been inspired by the club's kit designs from the 1960s.

The Villans have moved away from their "modern era raglan-sleeved" home shirts and opted for "a more unconventional" claret and blue colourway.

Bold "glow blue" shorts and socks finish off the home kit, which will not only be worn in the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but also in the Champions League.

Aston Villa, AC Milan and Besiktas are keen on Liverpool's England defender Joe Gomez, 29. (Mail), external

Meanwhile, Arsenal are ready to step up their interest in Villa and Three Lions forward Morgan Rogers, 23. (Talksport), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Now the curtain has come down on the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, here is my end-of-season review - with a look back to what I predicted in August.

Prediction: 5th

What more can be said about Unai Emery's work at Aston Villa? Back to the Champions League and the club's first trophy since 1996 with his fifth Europa League win.

Emery's perfectionist streak makes his management of Villa a work of art, with work-rate, organisation and talent making for a top-class team.

Morgan Rogers is the centrepiece, but the key to it all is Emery and a team and club built in his own image and likeness. He is on course to go down in history as a Villa legend.

What I said in August: "I fully expect them to be at the sharp end of the Premier League once more under the outstanding guidance of Emery."

Check out the rest of my review here

Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Newcastle's 28-year-old England winger Harvey Barnes as they prepare for the Champions League next season. (Mail), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We asked for your views on Aston Villa's season now that the 2025-26 campaign has come to a close.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: Fantastic season considering the appalling start we had. Unbelievable achievement with hopefully our first of many trophies. Next task? Keep the vultures away that will come circling for our manager and amazing team. Up the Villa.

Ron: Wonderful season, after it started so badly with no goals or wins in first five games. Who knows what would have happened if we had a good start. Nice one, Unai, thank you. UTV.

Mossy: Wow! I wasn't expecting to win that game after the week we have had but incredibly they turned it around after half-time to cap a truly exceptional season. To finish five points clear in fourth and win the Europa League is the stuff of dreams for Villa. Unai Emery has spectacularly turned this massive club fully around from relegation fodder to European champions and Champions League contenders. Onwards and upwards. UTV!

Stew: What a way to finish the season! European trophy, fourth in the Premier League, doing the double over last year's champions. This Villa team has been amazing, and as for Unai Emery, simply... thank you!

Brendan: What a brilliant way to finish the season and what a season we have had. From a terrible start with our first six games to an unbelievable run up to Christmas. We hung in there, got our Champions League place and brought some silverware back to Villa. Thank you Villa for making an old man so happy. UTV!

Emma: Wow... What a season - fourth in the league and Europa League winners. Been amazing. Thank you, Unai Emery, and all the players for giving us some wonderful memories.

Deb: Couldn't be more proud of Villa and the shift everyone has put in - the best season in 40 years of watching. At 68, my only hope is another trophy before I hit 80! Not too greedy I hope - oh, and Emery stays until retirement. UTV.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from all 10 fixtures on the final day of the Premier League season.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 1-0 Everton

• West Ham United 3-0 Leeds United

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Arsenal

• Brighton 0-3 Manchester United

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to BBC Match of the day: "It's been an outstanding week and season, especially the way we finished. The last three matches, our focus was very important. We recovered our energy and quality to beat Liverpool. Manchester City and finish with 65 points and fourth in the league.

"A huge honour me to compete with Pep Guardiola. He is the best. I built my career a lot of time competing against him, especially in Spain. I didn't beat him. I came here to England, with Villa I could beat him.

"That makes me a privileged man to compete against him. The level he has - he is the best coach in the world. It is very difficult to prepare a game plan against him."

Listen to more from Emery on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Aston Villa have won back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time in 2026 – the Villans won five of their seven Premier League games this season against teams starting the day in the top four positions (L2).

• Ollie Watins is the first player in Premier League history to score a brace against each of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the same campaign.

• Since the start of April, Watkins (11) is one of only two players playing in Europe's big-five leagues with 10+ goals across all competitions, along with Harry Kane (13).

Shamoon Hafez
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa had already secured a Champions League spot for next season following their victory over Liverpool last time out, so could enjoy their day out in the Manchester sun after a week to remember.

Unai Emery's side came into the contest against Manchester City on the back of lifting their first trophy in 30 years by thumping German side Freiburg on Wednesday, a win that rubberstamped the remarkable turnaround in fortunes since the Spaniard took over at Villa Park.

The ex-Arsenal boss warmly greeted his compatriot Pep Guardiola before kick-off and watched a lacklustre first half, during which the much-changed visitors failed to get going.

But they restored parity immediately after the restart as Ollie Watkins stabbed home from close range before scoring a brilliant second after managing to stay onside.

The striker, who is expected to be understudy to England captain Harry Kane at the World Cup, heads to North America in fine form, scoring eight goals in his past 10 league games.

Aston Villa signed off their season with a 2-1 win at Manchester City.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know how you're feeling now the curtain has come down on the 2025-26 campaign?

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page for a selection of your replies - reaction and analysis to follow shortly

Pep Guardiola has named his final Manchester City squad after confirming he will step down as manager following this game.

The Premier League is gone and there is nothing to play for so fringe players such as James Trafford, Rico Lewis, Nico Gonzalez and Savinho are given starts, while topscorer Erling Haaland is given the day off.

Captain Bernardo Silva and John Stones both start in their final games for the club.

Man City XI: Trafford, Lewis, Stone, Dias, Ake, Gonzalez, Silva, Reijnders, Foden, Savinho, Semenyo.

Aston Villa will still be coming back down to earth following their brilliant Europa League triumph on Wednesday and Unai Emery makes numerous changes too.

Only England international Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Buendia and Victor Lindelof start from the midweek win over Freiburg.

Aston Villa XI: Bizot, Bogarde, Mings, Garcia, Maatsen, Lindelof, Luiz, Barkley, Bailey, Buendia, Watkins.

It is the last day of the Premier League, every side is in action this Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brighton v Manchester United - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Burnley v Wolves

• Crystal Palace v Arsenal - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Fulham v Newcastle

• Liverpool v Brentford

• Manchester City v Aston Villa

• Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth

• Sunderland v Chelsea

• Tottenham v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• West Ham v Leeds - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off times 16:00 BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play West Ham v Leeds", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa left Manchester at the end of last season with a sense of frustration and failure.

Controversially denied a Champions League spot - Morgan Rogers' goal dramatically ruled out before Emi Martinez was sent off in defeat by Manchester United which cost them a top four place, external - Villa went back down the M6 fuming.

This time, days after their Europa League win in Istanbul against Freiburg,, external the mood is totally different.

Back in the Champions League - having guaranteed a top-five spot in the Premier League - and having ended a 30-year trophy drought with a European title, it is party time.

Fans packed Birmingham for Thursday's parade - following the 20,000 who made the trip to Turkey - with Villa potentially entering a defining period in their history.

They are still expected to sell a major player - Rogers the most likely to generate cash to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations - and a summer of change is expected.

There is an acknowledgement the squad needs reshaping and several departures are expected so the transfer window is crucial to help Villa and Unai Emery carve their future.

Emery will be given the trust - as he has always been - to make the changes he feels are needed.

He has brought Villa the success they so desperately craved and after last season's sense of injustice, which then bled into a wretched start this term, time is a great healer.

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

This one gets a little bit confusing, but Aston Villa's Europa League final win over Freiburg make things clearer.

Because England has won one of two Elite Performance Spots (EPS) for next season's Champions League, five Premier League clubs will feature in the competition instead of four. Like England, Spain have also guaranteed five clubs.

We already know that Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Villa are four of those.

But because of Villa winning the Europa League, there is a scenario where six English clubs qualify for the Champions League next term.

For that to happen, Villa would need to finish fifth.

Currently, they are fourth - three points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool. That means Liverpool would need to beat Brentford and hope Villa lose at City for them to overtake Unai Emery's team.

Fans of Bournemouth and Brighton will also hope this happens. If it does, it means one of them would join Liverpool and be a sixth English team in the Champions League.

The Cherries only need a point at Nottingham Forest to guarantee a top-six finish.

Meanwhile, the Seagulls would need to beat Manchester United and for Bournemouth to lose to finish sixth.

Liverpool only need a point to guarantee a top-five finish. But if they lose at home to the Bees, they would only not finish fifth if Bournemouth win at Forest and the Cherries overturned a six-goal deficit in goal difference. Of course, if they ended up in sixth then it would be Europa League and not Champions League for the Anfield side.

Whoever finishes in seventh will also enter the Europa League.

A win for Brighton would guarantee them Europa League football at least. If the Seagulls fail to win and Chelsea win at Sunderland, the Blues would overtake Albion.

Chelsea can also overtake Brighton with a draw, if Brighton were to lose by two goals and Brentford fail to win at Liverpool.

Whoever finishes eighth will enter the Conference League next season.

Got it?

Next season is going to feel really odd without Pep Guardiola in the Premier League.

News of his impending departure broke at the start of the week and he has been such a big part of our game with the way City have played, and the way he has changed how coaches think and how we all think about football.

I think Pep will go out on a high, helped by the fact Aston Villa will still be celebrating after their brilliant Europa League win.

City have got plenty to celebrate too, though. Yes, they missed out on the league title but they have still won two cups this season, which is not to be sniffed at.

Sutton's prediction: 4-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City and Aston Villa meet at Etihad Stadium on Sunday with both clubs bound for the Champions League next season having experienced vastly different emotions this week.

Pep Guardiola's City handed the title to Arsenal with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday, meaning they will have to settle for second place and a domestic cup double.

Adios, Pep

With Guardiola having confirmed his departure on Friday, the send-off for the Spaniard – plus playing legends Bernardo Silva and John Stones – will surely be a rousing one given the 20 trophies he has delivered in his decade-long reign.

Presently, City are on a 15-game unbeaten streak in the league, having lost just once since November. Erling Haaland has scored in each of the past five games and is extremely likely to pick up the Premier League Golden Boot yet again, leading Brentford's Igor Thiago by 27 goals to 22.

A third award in four seasons in England would see the Norway striker join lofty company – just four players have three or more wins to their name.

Victory against Villa would give City the best home record in the competition – the only time they've lost at the Etihad this season was against Tottenham Hotspur in their first such game of the campaign way back in August.

In this exact fixture, City have been dominant for the past two decades; they've won 19 of their past 20 league home games against the Birmingham club, emerging victorious in all 15 since a 2-0 loss in April 2007.

The Etihad's expanded North Stand – which is to be renamed the Pep Guardiola Stand – was tested successfully midweek, meaning this match will almost certainly set a new attendance record for the stadium.

Victorious Villa

Aston Villa could be forgiven for dismissing this game as an irrelevance given their emphatic win over Freiburg in Wednesday's Europa League final, the club's first major trophy in 30 years.

But where Unai Emery's side finish in the table has enormous ramifications for the other top-flight clubs chasing European football.

If Villa, currently fourth, were to end up fifth, it would mean a sixth Premier League team qualifies for next season's Champions League, albeit the two Europa League spots would be reduced to one (whoever comes seventh). The team in eighth would earn a spot in the Conference League.

England internationals Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers have been crucial to Villa's success this season and both were named in Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad on Friday.

Rogers has been involved in more goals this season than any other Englishman attached to a Premier League club. Watkins is joint-second, underlining the debt Villa owe to the pair.

Emery's men won the reverse fixture 1-0 in October through a Matty Cash strike, meaning Villa are looking to complete the league double over City for the first time since 1962-63.

They do, however, tend to struggle with the season's closer. The Villains have lost their final Premier League match of the season more often than any other side (16), including a 3-2 loss at the Etihad in 2021-22.

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Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has labelled Pep Guardiola "the only genius" in football before his final Manchester City game.

The City boss steps down after a decade and 20 trophies at the Etihad, with Villa's visit in the Premier League on Sunday his finale.

Emery started facing Guardiola's all-conquering Barcelona side with Valencia in 2008 and knows the impact he has made on the game.

"He is the best coach in the world. He is a huge inspiration for other coaches. The only genius is him," he said.

"As a competitor, wow. Always, every day, I can understand more how he is managing his team through the chapters.

"It's my pleasure to play against Guardiola. It's my honour to face him.

"I was starting in Valencia and four years in a row we were competing - Barcelona and Valencia - and it was his best moment in Barcelona. His impact was crazy good and we were always finishing third.

"I didn't beat him. They were asking me in the press conference, you can't beat Guardiola. I answered, if I am keeping my position to face him it's really been fantastic.

"I beat him here after a long time with Aston Villa and always how he shows me massive respect is something I appreciate a lot."

For this week's edition, Daz Hale is joined in the studio by former Wolves and Walsall striker David Kelly.

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