Latest news with #AmadouOnana
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Exactly what you want in front of you'
Former Premier League defender Ashley Williams highlighted Amadou Onana as one of Aston Villa's standout performers in their victory against Bournemouth: "I was really impressed with him coming in for [Youri] Tielemans. It was a really strong and powerful midfield performance - as a centre back, that is exactly what you want in front of you."He just sat in the middle of the pitch all game, starting off attacks and breaking up play. He was big and strong on corners which is what they needed with Bournemouth having numerous corners. In a really big game for Villa, it was a strong performance."Watch the full analysis here
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aston Villa officials unhappy with Premier League fixture change, citing 'prejudice'
Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at the Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland) Aston Villa's Amadou Onana celebrates after the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) Aston Villa players react disappointed after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Aston Villa players react disappointed after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery reacts during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at the Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland) Aston Villa's Amadou Onana celebrates after the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Fulham at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) Aston Villa players react disappointed after the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Aston Villa at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jon Super) Aston Villa officials have expressed their unhappiness with the Premier League for bringing forward a match against Tottenham by two days to help Spurs maximize preparation time for a potential appearance in the Europa League final. The match was due to be played on Sunday, May 18, but will now take place on Friday, May 16 — five days before the title match in the Europa League in Bilbao, Spain. Advertisement Tottenham leads Bodø/Glimt 3-1 from the first leg of the semifinals, with the return match on Thursday in Norway. The fixture rearrangement gives Villa — a team chasing Champions League qualification — two fewer days to prepare for Tottenham, which might also choose to play a stronger lineup now there is more time to recover for a possible European final. It also will affect travel and logistical arrangements for some Villa fans. Monchi, president of football operations at Villa, took to X to say the change in match date 'is not what we wanted' and represented 'the least damaging alternative.' 'Our fans didn't deserve (it),' he wrote on the social network site, 'but we tried hard to keep the match to protect the most important for us: YOU and OUR TEAM.' Advertisement Damian Vidagany, Villa director of football operations, went further in a long post on X, saying there was a 'clear prejudice' toward Villa fans and bemoaning the fact that his club 'didn't feel this support' over its last two European campaigns — in the Europa Conference League last season and the Champions League this season. 'European football is not only demanding for English clubs just on the verge of the finals,' Vidagany wrote. Villa is in seventh place in the Premier League and in a battle with five other teams to secure the remaining four Champions League qualification spots on offer. Liverpool, the already crowned champion, has already qualified. While it is commonplace in other countries, there has been no precedent for the Premier League moving games to benefit clubs playing in Europe. Advertisement Manchester United is also in the Europa League semifinals and holds a 3-0 lead over Athletic Bilbao from the first leg in Spain last week. United will be playing a Premier League game on Friday, May 16, too — against Chelsea. So United and Tottenham would have the same amount of preparation time should they both reach the Europa League final. ___ AP soccer:
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
What are the 'one or two dangers lurking under the surface' at Villa?
I was lucky to be covering the match of the weekend at Villa Park and bold enough to predict there would be quite a few goals - but maybe it wasn't that brave considering the two attack-minded teams.When you get two well-matched teams playing in a situation where one side desperately wants to win, but the other needs to win, the usual outcome is the team who needs the victory gets it. These were the stakes at Villa Park, Unai Emery's men simply had to get all three points to get back in the Champions League-chasing pack.Newcastle are safely in that elite group, for the moment, so they could afford the odd defeat.Villa won easily but can they keep the impressive run going, with this streak of high-stress, difficult games not stopping any time soon?Next up is Manchester City, not the easiest of away games and then the FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace. There may well be a cup final and a top-five finish on the horizon and they look to me to be in better shape than any of their challengers.The depth and quality are stunning. Amadou Onana, Marcus Rashford, Donyell Malen and Jacob Ramsey were fabulously effective substitutes on Saturday, and there are still more top players in the tactical brilliance of the manager, the top-level recruitment in every transfer window as well - as the balance and age of the squad right now - there is a decent argument that they are as likely as anyone to be challenging Liverpool for the title next season.There are one or two dangers lurking under the surface, though. Tiresome sustainability rules must be carefully managed, but even they pale in comparison with the fear of Unai Emery being lured away.It would take a Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or the like, but considering the job he has done at Villa, do not be surprised if the richest clubs started sniffing around.I hope he isn't tempted, because what he has at Villa may well be perfectly suited to up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Onana now 'needs to help Villa meet their goals' to justify price tag
There is a train of thought from some supporters to justify ever-increasing ticket prices: if fans want big-name signings, they should expect to pay more for argument overlooks the fact that any increase in ticket prices only makes a minor contribution to the club's revenue compared with sponsorships and Premier League and Champions League broadcasting in terms of Aston Villa, Amadou Onana certainly questions such simplistic summer, Onana arrived from Everton as Villa's marquee signing, with a price tag of £50m. The plan was clear: at 6ft 5in, he would boost the physical profile of the team, bolster the side's spine and form a formidable defensive midfield partnership with Boubacar Kamara in the Champions League, allowing Villa to potentially stifle the competition's as we approach the business end of the season, that vision feels more theory than has started just 14 of 29 Premier League games and three of 10 Champions League a promising start, injuries have significantly limited his influence. When he has played, he has often looked surprisingly lightweight for someone of his stature - erratic in the tackle and too easily is now back from injury but will be shy of game time going into Villa's upcoming two-legged tussle with Paris St-Germain in the Champions League far, his most memorable contributions have been his post-match, animated crowd celebrations and light-hearted, wannabe fashionista social media charisma alone does not win trophies or represent a good investment of supporters' are not here to make up the numbers. Unai Emery is serious about competing on the biggest stages and the club's big-money signings certainly need to Onana does not help Villa meet their goals in the closing stages of this season, then the club will have some serious questions to answer - not least to fans being asked to pay more under the guise of you agree with David that Onana needs to offer more over the rest of this season? Or is their another player who needs to step up more? Let us know here Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external
