Aston Villa
Seven Premier League exits that could still happen before summer windows close
Seven Premier League players still have time to move this summer as late windows remain open. still.
Several high-profile squad issues from the summer transfer period remain unresolved as windows in other countries stay open. A number of players who sought moves during the summer have seen potential destinations narrow, but transfers are still possible.
Emiliano Martínez looked to have said farewell to Aston Villa supporters at the end of last season but did not complete a move and now faces an uncomfortable return. He was linked with Manchester United late in the window, but United signed Senne Lammens instead. Martínez has been connected with the Saudi Pro League and could still be a target there; Galatasaray are another reported option after failing to sign Éderson.
André Onana has not actively pursued an exit and is content at Manchester United, yet the arrival of Lammens has altered the goalkeeper pecking order. Onana has been replaced by Altay Bayındır for all three of United’s Premier League matches this season and only featured in the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town. A move to Turkey or Saudi Arabia remains a possibility if offers appear.
Tyrell Malacia was the only member of Manchester United’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ who did not secure an exit, with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony all leaving. A late loan to Elche fell through and the left back is currently in limbo, with first-team minutes at Old Trafford unlikely.
Raheem Sterling’s loan at Arsenal diminished his standing and a permanent exit from Chelsea did not materialise despite reported interest, including from Fulham. Sterling has never played abroad and, given Chelsea’s reported weekly wage commitment, a move away will be costly for the club if they fail to shift him.
Axel Disasi arrived at Chelsea from Monaco for £39 million but fell down the pecking order under Enzo Maresca and spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa. Villa declined to sign him permanently and links to Bournemouth and Monaco did not progress. Chelsea continue to pay his reported wages and clubs in Turkey, Portugal or Saudi Arabia could offer a solution.
Yves Bissouma has been marginalised since Thomas Frank’s arrival at Tottenham Hotspur and was even omitted from the club’s league phase Champions League squad. Reports link him with interest from Turkey and Saudi Arabia as Spurs seek to recoup a fee before his contract runs down next summer.
Jamaal Lascelles has been pushed further down the pecking order at Newcastle United following the signing of Malick Thiaw. He has not featured this season, though he was on the bench for the goalless draw at Leeds United, and The Athletic reports Newcastle may allow him to leave this summer despite the domestic deadline.
Aston Villa
Next five fixtures: how Man Utd, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea stack up
Next five fixtures for Man Utd, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea will influence the top-five race.
The 30th weekend of Premier League action closed with results that tightened the conversation around the top five. Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea each confront runs of fixtures that could define their finishes.
Aston Villa’s reverse at Old Trafford was another disappointing entry on a poor run of form. Arsenal sit 19 points clear of Emery’s side, and the defeat was notable for Ollie Watkins being withdrawn after an hour. Morgan Rogers was also ineffective in that match.
Chelsea suffered their own setback on Saturday. Referee Paul Tierney interfered with their pre-match routine and, as the coverage noted, “don’t forget folks, you must pay respect to the ball”. Liam Rosenior’s side conceded a preventable goal to Anthony Gordon.
Those two results helped Liverpool climb back into the Premier League top five, but they did not fully capitalise. Liverpool were held to a 1–1 draw by Tottenham Hotspur. The match featured a problematic moment from Guglielmo Vicario when facing Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick.
European results will influence whether five Premier League places for continental competition are available. After the first legs of the round of 16, the situation is less promising than it once appeared.
Fixtures coming up (next five):
Man Utd: Bournemouth (A) – March 20; Leeds (H) – April 13; Chelsea (A) – April 18; Liverpool (H) – May 2; Brentford (H) – April 27.
Aston Villa: West Ham (H) – March 22; Nott’m Forest (A) – April 11; Sunderland (H) – April 18; Fulham (A) – April 27; Tottenham (H) – May 2.
Liverpool: Brighton (A) – March 21; Fulham (H) – April 11; Everton (A) – April 19; Tottenham (H) – May 2; Man Utd (A) – May 2.
Chelsea: Everton (A) – March 21; Man City (H) – April 12; Man Utd (H) – April 18; Crystal Palace (H) – April 25; Brighton (A) – April 26.
Manchester United’s home run has included wins over Manchester City, Villa, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Fulham. Three of United’s next five are at Old Trafford. Bournemouth’s form can vary, and there is a mouthwatering clash with Chelsea in the colloquially named Alejandro Garnacho derby.
Aston Villa’s schedule appears friendly on paper, but Emery’s Europa League glory hunters are low on confidence and rank in the bottom five for Premier League points picked up in 2026. West Ham and Nottingham Forest present real threats in fixtures that carry relegation stakes.
Aston Villa
United Hold Firm to Beat Villa as Fernandes Hits Century of Assists
United beat Villa 3-1 as Fernandes reached 100 assists for the club and Cunha supplied the finish…
Manchester United produced a controlled home display to defeat Aston Villa 3–1 at Old Trafford. Villa levelled early through Ross Barkley’s crisp left-foot drive, but Matheus Cunha turned the game with a well-timed run in behind Ezri Konsa and a composed finish beyond Martínez.
Bruno Fernandes again shaped the decisive moves. He was the architect of Cunha’s goal and, across the afternoon, accumulated his 15th and 16th assists of the 2025–26 Premier League season, taking him to 100 assists for the club. His brilliant pass for Cunha was his 16th assist of this Premier League season, breaking United’s club record previously held by David Beckham. Benjamin Šeško’s deflected effort later wrong-footed Martínez and put the result beyond doubt.
The match also underlined Casemiro’s return to form. Once criticised during 2024–25 and the target of the comment “Leave the football before the football leaves you,” from Jamie Carragher, Casemiro has since become a steadying presence. Approaching the end of his contract and having communicated that he’ll be leaving in the summer, he has stabilised things for Carrick since he took interim charge, complemented Kobbie Mainoo and added a renewed goal threat, including from set pieces. Fans may well hope for one more year if this level continues.
Player ratings:
GK: Senne Lammens—6.5: Barely called into action. Could do nothing to stop Barkley’s low drive.
RB: Diogo Dalot—7.3: Recalled for Noussair Mazraoui and justified his selection.
CB: Leny Yoro—7.7: Maturing and making better decisions; the back four switch suits him.
CB: Harry Maguire—7.4: A hooking on the hour-mark for Ollie Watkins underlines his handling of Villa’s main threat.
LB: Luke Shaw—7.4: Perhaps his most consistent spell in terms of performance and fitness.
CM: Casemiro—7.7: Another game, another goal for the serial Champions League winner.
CM: Kobbie Mainoo—8.0: Outperformed Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley, sending a strong signal to England manager Thomas Tuchel.
RM: Amad Diallo—7.7: Restored to the lineup for Šeško, solid but offered limited end product.
AM: Bruno Fernandes (c)—8.9: The standout, providing the decisive pass and a club-record assist tally.
LM: Matheus Cunha—7.9: A superbly timed run and finish.
ST: Bryan Mbeumo—6.5: Hard-working for 75 minutes but lacked clinical edge.
SUB: Benjamin Šeško (75’ for Mbeumo)—7.0: Converted to make it his eighth goal of the season.
SUB: Manuel Ugarte (90’ for Casemiro)—N/A
Unused subs: Altay Bayındır, Ayden Heaven, Tyler Fletcher, Noussair Mazraoui, Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzeem, Tyrell Malacia.
Match stats: possession 53% to 47%, xG 1.07 to 1.02, shots 16 to 9, shots on target 6 to 2, big chances 3 each, passing accuracy 85% each, fouls 10 to 5.
Aston Villa
Carrick opts for pressing pace as Šeško starts on the bench against Aston Villa
Carrick benches Šeško for Villa, restoring Amad and deploying Mbeumo to lead the press and counters.
Michael Carrick has left Benjamin Šeško on the bench for the visit of Aston Villa, bringing Amad Diallo back into the starting lineup and moving Bryan Mbeumo to lead the attack. Carrick has restored the Cameroonian to the centre forward role, hoping the intense pressing that has powered recent improvements can also end a four-match scoring drought for Mbeumo.
United’s uptick under Carrick has involved discarding Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 structure in favour of a disciplined, organised press that has forced errors from Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. That approach depends on relentless running from Mbeumo, Amad, Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha to unsettle opponents and force mistakes.
Amad’s work on the right has been particularly noteworthy. His willingness to track back and support either Diogo Dalot or Noussair Mazraoui adds balance, and his tackling improved when he operated as a right wingback for Amorim. Mbeumo provides similar levels of running but is not as sharp in the tackle as Amad, according to the observations reported.
Durability also plays a part. Amad has completed the full 90 minutes in five of the seven Premier League matches he has started, while Šeško has had far fewer full matches. Šeško has shown value as an impact option, frequently coming on to replace either Mbeumo or Cunha depending on the state of a game.
Aston Villa arrive with injury issues but remain a compact defensive unit noted for their ability to absorb pressure and make it difficult to play through. Carrick may therefore favour players who can hurt Villa on the counter, prioritising acceleration and quick transitions. Mbeumo, Cunha and Amad offer that burst in abundance; Šeško is quick once at top speed but does not possess the same initial acceleration.
Fulfilling his prematch media duties, Carrick admitted taking Šeško out of the team was not a decision he took lightly.
“Yeah, we’ve just got a good forward line to choose from, and it’s just getting that balance right really from game to game.” he told Sky Sports. “Whether it’s starting the game, whether it’s the impact coming off the bench.
