Updates from 3pm GMT kick-offs in England and beyondLive scores | Tables | Fixtures | Aston Villa v Man City – live Championship latest There are three early games in the Championship. Callum Lang has just completed a hat-trick to put Portsmouth 3-1 up at home to Frank Lampard’s Coventry™. Hull 1-1 Swansea Portsmouth 3-1 Coventrry Sheff Wed 1-0 Stoke Thomas Frank combines football-man nous and being ultra competitive – he rarely admits his team deserved to lose – with an adaptability to modern, US-style front-office stats. He, Matthew Benham and Phil Giles, the director of football, have decided attack is the best form of defence, the low quality of opposing Premier League defenders something to be exploited. Brentford’s influence and innovation are recognised. The Arsenal set-piece guru Nicolas Jover, now celebrated by a mural outside the Emirates Stadium, and the Manchester United coach Andreas Georgson worked as specialists within Frank’s coaching team. Giles has been linked with replacing Edu as Arsenal’s sporting director. Continue reading...

Pep Guardiola has made a host of changes to his Manchester City side for their clash at Aston Villa with Kyle Walker among those to be dropped as the right-back struggles for form

Premier League updates from the 12.30pm GMT kick-offLive scores | Tables | Fixtures | And you can email Barry Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Kamara, McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers, Duran Substitutes: Bogarde, Buendia, Barkley, Watkins, Mings, Maatsen, Nedeljkovic, Bailey, Olsen Referee: Peter Bankes. Assistants: Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh. Fourth official: Andy Madley. VAR: Darren England. Assistant VAR: Darren Cann. Continue reading...

Unai Emery's men face Manchester City in their final outing before Christmas

Manchester City face Aston Villa looking to turn around their terrible form and could soon look for help in the January transfer market with their Premier League charges looming over them

Jack Grealish has won three Premier League titles, a Champions League and high-profile endorsements since joining Manchester City but the jury remains out on whether it has been a success

Manager says his accent leads to ‘dismissive’ coverageAustralian says Emery and Nuno had similar treatment Ange Postecoglou has said some of the criticism he receives is offensive, personal and disrespectful. The Tottenham manager, whose attack-minded tactics have been questioned – most recently after Thursday’s 4-3 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United – ­wonders whether this is influenced by his ­Australian accent or the disdain he shows for established practices. Postecoglou said he saw the same thing happen to Unai Emery at ­Arsenal and Nuno Espírito Santo when the Portuguese was in charge of Spurs. Emery, now at Aston Villa, was ­ridiculed at times for his ­difficulties with English ­pronunciation. Nuno is doing well at Nottingham Forest after an unhappy 17-game spell at Spurs in 2021. Continue reading...

City coach will not consider reverting to a false 9Rúben Dias ruled out for lengthy spell with muscle injury Pep Guardiola has said he will not consider dropping Erling Haaland and adopting a false No 9 in an attempt to find a formula to arrest Manchester City’s run of eight defeats in 11 matches. City travel to Aston Villa for Saturday’s early kick-off, with the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest on 4 December the champions’ only triumph since they beat Southampton 1-0 on 26 October. Continue reading...

FixturesAston Villa Vs. Manchester City - Sat, Dec 21st 2024, 12:30 Aston Villa have been finalising preparations for their last match before Christmas as Manchester City visit Villa Park on Saturday. Unai Emery and his squad have going through their paces at Bodymoor Heath in readiness to face the reigning Premier League champions. Villa head into the lunchtime encounter just two points and two places behind City in the table. You can view the latest training images below…

Aston Villa take on Manchester City on Saturday while Liverpool visit Tottenham in Sunday’s standout fixture Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Villa Park Continue reading...

Everything you need to know ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash at Villa Park

Manager speaks to the media from Bodymoor Heath

Bristol Rovers are "up for the challenge" after being drawn against Women's Super League side Aston Villa in the the FA Cup, says defender Layah Douglas.

Young Lions discover their Round of 32 opponents