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Aston Villa’s start to the Premier League season has been anything but smooth.

Off-the-field uncertainty dominated their summer, and the hangover has been felt on the pitch.

The club only recorded their first league win of the season against Fulham on Sunday, lifting them out of the bottom three and into 16th place.

Their negative goal difference reflects a side still finding its rhythm, and the early results suggest that pressure is quickly building on Unai Emery’s squad.

The turbulence began with financial concerns. Villa’s transfer activity was clouded by PSR restrictions, which made it unclear whether they could reinforce without significant sales.

Star goalkeeper Emi Martínez came close to leaving for Manchester United, while Ollie Watkins also attracted interest from other top-flight clubs.

Somehow, Villa kept hold of both – as well as their brightest talent, Morgan Rogers – but the distractions were evident.

Rogers himself did little to dampen speculation, hinting in one interview that a move could be on the horizon.

Late in the window, Villa scrambled to bring in reinforcements, completing deals for Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho on deadline day.

It was a clear attempt to steady the ship and add creativity ahead of a campaign that will also see them compete in the Europa League.

A sixth-place finish last season raised expectations, but early form suggests off-field issues have seeped into the squad’s performances.

Why Morgan Rogers is synonymous with the malaise

No player better symbolises Villa’s current struggles than Rogers.

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough last season, making 54 appearances across all competitions, including 37 in the Premier League, where he produced eight goals and 11 assists.

That form subseuqently saw him win the PFA Premier League Young Player of the Year award.

His European contribution was also vital: four goals and three assists helped Villa reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

That productivity feels like a distant memory this term. Rogers has looked short on confidence and, crucially, short on decisiveness in possession.

In the defeat to Bologna, he played the full 90 minutes but registered 50 touches, completed just ten of 24 passes, and failed to record a shot on target. He attempted two dribbles and succeeded with neither, while losing possession a staggering 29 times.

For a player once celebrated for his dynamism and flair, those numbers are the starkest evidence yet of his current malaise.

The sense among supporters is that Rogers has become too predictable. Opponents now know his threat and actively look to smother him.

Some Villa fans have called for him to be dropped, suggesting that a spell out of the spotlight might help him rediscover his spark.

His recent form for England, where he registered an assist against Serbia, shows the talent is still there, but he has not been able to translate that into club form.

Aston Villa's Rogers replacement waiting in the wings

Waiting in the wings is Jadon Sancho.

The 25-year-old winger arrived on loan from Manchester United on deadline day, carrying a market value of around £25m.

This is a long way from the £125m peak valuation that this “crazy talent” – in the words of scout Jacek Kulig – held in 2020.

Matches Played

26

Goals

8

Assists

11

Progressive Carries

114

Progressive Passes

178

His fall from grace has been steep.

At Chelsea last season, his loan spell ended so unconvincingly that the club even paid United to release them from the obligation to make the move permanent.

Now at Villa Park, Sancho has featured three times, though he was an unused substitute in the win against Fulham.

This loan could represent the last chance for him in English football.

He will hope to reignite his career under Emery, with the Europa League providing additional opportunities for minutes and form.

His past record shows what he is capable of: a £73m transfer to Manchester United in 2021 was fuelled by dazzling performances at Borussia Dortmund, where his creativity and ball-carrying made him one of Europe’s hottest properties.

Internationally, Sancho still harbours ambitions of returning to the England setup, having already been capped 23 times.

With Thomas Tuchel putting together his squad for the World Cup, a run of form at Villa could put him back in contention.

More immediately, his arrival puts direct pressure on Rogers. If Emery decides to rotate, Sancho could step straight into the starting XI, offering pace, invention, and – if he can recapture even some of his Dortmund-era form – a cutting edge Villa desperately lack.

For now, Emery has been cautious, perhaps waiting for Sancho to fully adjust.

But the contrast between Rogers’ wastefulness and Sancho’s potential upside is difficult to ignore.

In many ways, Sancho embodies Villa’s gamble: if he thrives, he could spark their attack into life; if he fails, it could be another symbol of a club whose questionable off-field decisions continue to cloud their season.

Aston Villa heading for Benteke repeat over "top talent" & it's not Watkins

Aston Villa face echoes of the past as one of Unai Emery’s crop hints at an exit

ByWill Miller Sep 22, 2025

England captain Harry Kane has revealed that an 'NFL-like playbook' will help the Three Lions set-piece their way to the World Cup in North America next year. England have maximised dead ball situations to great effect in qualifying having scored five goals from set pieces and a further two from the penalty spot as they booked their flight across the pond with ease.

AFP25% of England's qualifying goals have been from set pieces

England complete their World Cup 2026 qualifying on Sunday evening when they take on Albania. The Three Lions will look to round off their qualification campaign with a 100% record having won all seven games so far and having beaten Albania at Wembley earlier this year, they'll fancy their chances of claiming another three points.

Thomas Tuchel's men are also yet to concede a goal in their seven matches so far and have netted 20 times on their way to booking their trip stateside next summer. England have fully utilised the set-piece weapons at the their disposal with 25% of their goals coming from corners or free kicks.

And Kane has now revealed that England have been developing an 'NFL-like playbook' as the Three Lions look to secure World Cup glory for the first time since 1966 in North America next year.

AdvertisementKane explains England's World Cup plan

Ahead of Sunday's game against Albania, Kane was asked about the importance of set pieces in USA, Mexico and Canada next summer. "It is massive to be honest," he said.

"I know it is not the prettiest part of the game, but we have always been big on set plays, both defending and attacking. I feel like we are getting in some really good routines attacking-wise. Obviously Dec and players like that can put in perfect crosses and are doing it week-in, week-out for their clubs as well."

Kane also revealed that he has been working with assistant coach Anthony Barry and set-play analyst Paul Quilter, who worked together at Chelsea, as England look to nail their set-piece routines.

"We want to build a book of set plays," Kane added. "So we can go into the tournament, where there is not a lot of time to practice. You want to have an NFL-like playbook in a way. Where you look at the opposition and see if they are zonal or man-marking and we can pick what we want to do.

"We don’t get loads of time to do it on the grass, as meetings are really important. With Paul and Anthony here, they try to go through the detail. It is about the lads taking it in – more mentally than physically – and hopefully by the summer we will have a good mixture of set plays that we can go from."

AFPEngland no strangers to set-piece dominance

Kane was part of the England squad that made it to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. The Three Lions relied heavily on set pieces to progress to the last four in Russia under Gareth Southgate, scoring six times from corners of free kicks, more than any other nation.

As such, the England captain knows just how important set pieces can be, adding: "Ultimately, the best team at set plays normally goes on to be the best team in the tournament. They go on to have clean sheets, they go on to the latter stages. We did that in 2018, we did that in Euro 2020. Our defensive record is really good as well. So, that is a big part."

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Three Lions could lean on Arsenal expertise

England boss Tuchel is able to call upon Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, the pair crucial in the Gunners' superb start to the season. The north London side sit top of the table after 11 matches, four points clear of second placed Manchester City and eight above defending champions Liverpool.

Arsenal have maximised set piece situations in their title bid and have scored more goals from corners or free kicks (10) than any other team in the Premier League this season, coining the term 'Set Piece FC' as a result. Rice himself ranks joint fourth for chances created from set pieces in England's top tier this term, with nine, 

When two England batsmen make 250-plus scores within a span of three months, it does result in interesting matches

Bill Ricquier26-Feb-2016When Ben Stokes made 258 against South Africa in Cape Town in January 2016, he became the second Englishman in three months to have made 250-plus in a Test innings. Alastair Cook scored 263 against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in October 2015. This is very unusual for England. The last time two of their batsmen made such big scores in such a short period was in the home series against West Indies in 1957, when Peter May made 285 in the first Test and Tom Graveney 258 in the third.Oddly enough, England failed to win any of these games. This is perhaps not as surprising as it might seem, although none of these games was entirely typical – the type here being one where one or more batsmen makes an enormous score.Games such as this usually go one of two ways: an overwhelming win or a numbingly dull draw. You don’t get many nail-biting finishes. The Oval 1938 provided a classic instance of the former. England won this extraordinary match by an innings and 579 runs, making a then record score of 903 for 7, with the 22-year-old Len Hutton making 364 in over 13 hours. Australia, in contrast, were bowled out twice in four-and-a-half hours. Australia’s captain was Don Bradman (who made five scores of over 250 in his career). But Bradman twisted his ankle while bowling (somewhat improbably ) and did not bat in either innings: neither did opening batsman Jack Fingleton. So this stands out as an extreme example of the first type.A similar case of ruthless dominance, albeit on a smaller scale, occurred in Calcutta in 1958-59. Rohan Kanhai made 256 in a West Indies total of 614 for 5. India managed 124 and 154. In their second innings, fast bowler Roy Gilchrist took 6 for 55. Seven batsmen were clean bowled and three caught behind.In Colombo in 1997, India made 537 for 8, with Sachin Tendulkar , one of three centurions, top-scoring with 143. Sri Lanka replied with 952 for 6: Sanath Jayasuriya made 340. After that there was no time for anything else. That is an extreme version of the second type , but there are plenty more where that came from. (Jayasuriya made two Test scores of over 250 though many would argue that his most significant innings was his 213 at The Oval in 1998.)A slightly unusual example was England’s game against the West Indies in Kingston in 1929-30. This was the unique winter when MCC sent two representative sides out, one to the Caribbean and one to New Zealand. The Kingston game was the fourth of the series and, each side having won once, it was decided that the game would be played to a finish.As it turned out, nine days weren’t enough. England batted first and made 849, Andrew Sandham scoring 325 with a seven, a five and 27 fours. It was Test cricket’s highest score for three months; Bradman scored 334 at Headingley in June 1930. West Indies were bowled out for 286. England really should have won but their captain, the Honourable FSG Calthorpe must have felt that their lead of 563 was not sufficient and decided to bat again rather than enforce the follow-on. On the eighth and ninth days it rained and then the England players had to go home. The game was drawn” by agreement”.Now those four England games.May’s innings of 285 not out at Edgbaston was one of the great rearguards, like Hanif Mohammed’s 337 in Bridgetown in 1958 and Gary Kirsten’s 275 against England in Durban in 1999. But May’s innings was genuinely pivotal. On the West Indies’ previous visit to England, in 1950, a key influence in their unexpected victory had been the bowling of their young spinners, Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine. Valentine did not play at Edgbaston but Ramadhin was all over England on the first day and bowled them out for 186. West Indies made 474 (Collie Smith 161) and their position seemed indomitable. But May and Colin Cowdrey put on 411 for the fourth wicket in England’s second innings. Ramadhin took 2 for 179 in 98 overs. When they finally batted again the West Indies were like a different side, scrambling to save the game at 72 for 7.England won three of the remaining four games in the series by an innings but could not win the third Test at Trent Bridge. Graveney’s 258 was one of three centuries as England piled up 619 for 6. West Indies were forced to follow on despite Frank Worrell carrying his bat for 191. Brian Statham and Fred Trueman reduced them to 89 for 5 in their second innings but Smith again played magnificently for 168 and captain John Goddard hung on for over three hours for 61. In the end, England had too much to do in their second innings.Abu Dhabi 2015 was not unlike Edgbaston 1957. On England’s previous visit to the UAE they had been routed 3-0 by Pakistan’s spinners. Cook was under pressure as his side faced a Pakistan first innings of 523 for 8. Cook’s innings of 263 took 836 minutes: the third-longest innings by minutes batted. (Cook had previously made 294 against India and of course there was his mood-changing 235 not out in Brisbane in 2010.) Then England surprised everyone by bowling Pakistan out for 173, leaving themselves a target of 99 to win. For the usual assortment of reasons they could not quite manage this. Cook, like May, was criticised for batting on too long. But few of the pundits expected Adil Rashid, who took none for 163 in his first innings in Test cricket, to get 5 for 64 in the second.Cape Town 2016 was a one-off entirely because of the astonishing innings by Stokes. His 258 took 338 minutes and 198 balls. Stokes went from 74 to 204 in the first session of the second day. When Cook declared at 629 for 6 on the second afternoon there was, as they say, so much time left in the game. What this means to the fielding side is enough time to bowl the opposition out twice. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out like that. Hashim Amla (two scores of over 250 but a mere 201 here) was able to declare on the fourth evening on 627 for 7 (made in 211 overs compared to England’s 125.5). The true significance of Stokes’ innings was now becoming clear: he had played so well that England could actually lose.When they took lunch on the fifth day at 87 for 4, it really did look possible. Cook must have been starting to have anxious thoughts about modern England’s nightmare game – Adelaide 2006-7. Had he, like Andrew Flintoff, declared not too late but too early? In the end a combination of Jonny Bairstow and bad light saw England to safety.Stokes must have been relieved. After all, you wouldn’t want to be the first player to score 250- plus in a Test innings and end up on the losing side.

Celtic moved back to the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Sunday with a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock in the first game after the international break.

Goals from Daizen Maeda and Kelechi Iheanacho sealed all three points for the Hoops, who had found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time.

Iheanacho, who came off the bench to make his debut for the club, scored from the penalty spot in the 96th minute to secure the victory for Brendan Rodgers.

Despite the fact that Celtic won the match, there were a few worrying performances across the board for Celtic, who have scored one goal from open play in their last three games in all competitions.

Rodgers has plenty of options to choose in most positions, perhaps apart from centre-forward, and players know that they need to step up and deliver consistent displays to keep their spot in the side.

With this in mind, Reo Hatate is one of the players who needs to up his game in the coming weeks to retain his position in the starting line-up moving forward.

Why Reo Hatate needs to improve his performances

The Japan international failed to impress against Kilmarnock after being selected to start alongside Callum McGregor and Benjamin Nygren in the middle of the park.

Hatate is in the team to be a threat at the top end of the pitch by scoring and creating goals, as a dynamic midfielder who is not the type to sit back and defend.

Unfortunately, the 27-year-old star was fairly anonymous at the top end of the pitch throughout his 70 minutes of game time, with no shots on target and no ‘big chances’ created for his team, per Sofascore.

Since his exceptional goal against Aberdeen, shown in the clip above, near the start of August, Hatate has failed to produce a goal or an assist for the Scottish giants in the middle of the park.

His performances across the two legs against Kairat, in which Celtic failed to score a single goal, were particularly disappointing for a player of his quality in midfield.

Minutes

90

105

Shots on target

1

0

Pass accuracy

84%

68%

Big chances created

0

1

Duels won

0/8

3/15

Fouls committed

3

4

Possession lost

16x

25x

As you can see in the table above, Hatate did not do enough to help the team offensively or defensively, as he was dominated in duels whilst being incredibly wasteful with the ball at his feet.

It is frustrating to see the Japan international turn in consistently underwhelming performances because he has the quality to do better. Last season, he scored ten goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ for Celtic in 27 starts in the Premiership, per Sofascore.

This shows that he is capable of producing more quality in the final third, which is why Rodgers should expect him to do more if he wants to keep his place in the side.

Thankfully, for Celtic, the Northern Irish head coach has been brewing the club’s next Hatate over the last 13 months or so in the form of Luke McCowan.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Scottish midfielder was signed from Dundee for a fee of £1m in the summer of 2024 and he has proven himself to be a useful squad member, whose value has soared during his time at Parkhead.

Celtic are brewing their next Reo Hatate

As aforementioned, Hatate is in the Hoops team to deliver quality in the final third by scoring and assisting goals, which is exactly what McCowan was born to do.

The left-footed midfield star has been a bit-part player for the most part throughout his career in Glasgow to date, but his performances when called upon suggest that Rodgers is brewing a talent who could take Hatate’s place as a regular starter.

Per Transfermarkt, McCowan’s value has soared to £2.2m, more than double what the club paid for him. That is higher than new signing Sebastian Tounekti, who is valued at £1m, despite the Tunisia international’s impressive debut with five completed dribbles against Kilmarnock.

The Scottish midfielder has proven his worth by delivering quality performances on the pitch in the Premiership when called upon by the Scottish giants since the start of last season.

His value soaring above Tounekti’s, who is an exciting new signing for the Hoops this season, is a testament to the quality he has shown for the club to date.

McCowan has already scored one goal in one start in the league so far this term for the Hoops, with his strike against St Mirren on the opening day to claim all three points for the team.

The former Dundee star, who was described as “tenacious” by writer Kai Watson, ended the 2024/25 campaign with eight goals and eight assists in 16 starts in the Premiership for Dundee and Celtic combined.

xG

0.31

Top 3%

Goals

0.46

Top 4%

Shots on target

1.26

Top 3%

xA

0.40

Top 3%

Assists

0.46

Top 5%

Chances created

2.51

Top 5%

As you can see in the table above, McCowan racked up 0.92 goals and assists per 90 in the top-flight last season, which shows that he consistently delivered when called upon in the final third.

This suggests that he has the potential to overtake Hatate as the starter in that midfield slot, because the Japanese flop has only scored one goal and failed to provide any assists in six starts in all competitions this season, per Sofascore.

Rodgers may have unearthed Celtic's next Tierney & it's not Saracchi

Celtic may have found their next Kieran Tierney and it is not Marcelo Saracchi.

ByDan Emery Sep 14, 2025

Therefore, Rodgers may be brewing the successor to Hatate’s place in the XI in McCowan, who could become a regular if the Japan international does not improve his performances.

Nikesh Arora believes tech consortium can help Hundred become “multi-billion dollar product”

Matt Roller07-Aug-2025The head of the Silicon Valley technology consortium that bid £144 million (US$193 million approx.) for a 49% stake in London Spirit in January believes that the Hundred can become “a multi-billion dollar product” to rival the IPL.Nikesh Arora, the CEO of cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks, leads Cricket Investor Holdings Limited – better known as the ‘Tech Titans’ – and is a newly-appointed board member at Spirit after they completed their lucrative deal for a minority stake. They will run the franchise as a joint venture with MCC, who hosted the consortium at Lord’s this week.The consortium has grown in number since seeing off significant competition from Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group in a virtual auction earlier this year, with Arora estimating that 15 of its members were at Lord’s to watch the Hundred’s opening match day – which saw Spirit’s women beat Oval Invincibles, but the men’s team bowled out for 80.Related

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They met Justin Langer and Kane Williamson at a training session on Monday, and dined in the pavilion that evening before lining a hospitality suite in the Edrich Stand on Tuesday. The CEOs of Adobe, Google and YouTube are all involved; Satyan Gajwani, the vice-chairman of Times Internet, suggested that not even the World Economic Forum could bring them all together.Arora and Gajwani walked across the outfield and posed by the pitch after Tuesday night’s games, a display of power which laid bare the new era that awaits English cricket. “This is a way to get involved with one of the most storied and hallowed grounds in the world,” Arora said at Lord’s, while watching his new team for the first time. “It’s like bringing our passions to our work.”We’ve never had buyer’s remorse. We’ve never been stressed about what we paid. I have more people who want to be part of the consortium now than I had before I made the investment, so it’s not a problem. Many of them are here; they flew from the US to come watch it. This is a passion for every one of us… It’s going to be fun.”Chair Mark Nicholas has promised MCC members a “major relaunch” of the franchise once the joint venture assumes operational control from the ECB on October 1. The London Spirit name is expected to remain for the time being but new sponsors and new kits have been lined up, potentially incorporating egg-and-bacon trim or piping as a nod to the club’s famous colours.Justin Langer, David Warner and Kane Williamson arrive before the game•Getty ImagesThe eight Hundred franchises were sold at a combined valuation of around £975 million ($1.3 billion approx.) earlier this year. Six deals have now been signed off, with Cain International and Reliance Industries expected to complete their purchases of stakes in Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles respectively after the 2025 season is complete.Arora believes that the arrival of eight new investors simultaneously can “optimise” the Hundred and turn it into a “product” that rivals the most lucrative league in the world: “The IPL started from nowhere, and became a multi-billion dollar product. Why couldn’t this be that product? It’s not just us, there are eight new shareholders, give or take, across eight new franchises.”They all have successful businesses or cricket operations somewhere in the world. If that energy, that passion, that creativity, that innovation is brought to this, imagine what they could do? The ECB incubated it, which is great. But I’m sure there are ways to optimise things a bit better. I don’t think the Hundred is a bad product… It’s about creating the excitement around it.”

Spent an incredible few days with the London Spirit ownership group at @HomeOfCricket. It's an unparalleled group that's going to take London Spirit to greater heights in @thehundred pic.twitter.com/PCfvvpZ8Hn

— Satyan Gajwani (@satyan) August 6, 2025