Aston Villa
Monchi to depart as Villa move quickly to secure Roberto Olabe
Monchi poised to leave Aston Villa; reports say Roberto Olabe has been lined up as successor. Today.
A significant sporting change is unfolding at Aston Villa after a poor start to the season. After no wins from five games left them in the relegation zone in the early weeks, the club looks set to alter the structure that holds sporting power at Villa Park. Reports indicate Monchi will leave his role as president of football operations, with an agreement on a successor already reported to be in place.
The Athletic first reported Monchi’s imminent departure. The Spaniard is a revered recruiter, credited with building multiple Sevilla sides across two spells that dominated the Europa League. He joined Villa in 2023 at Unai Emery’s request and played a role in helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in decades and subsequently reach the quarter-finals.
The squad has shown signs of stagnation, a situation no doubt hindered by PSR limitations and the need to stay compliant that drew the ire of frustrated fans all summer. In response, Villa have moved quickly to avoid leaving a gap at the top of the sporting hierarchy.
A later report from The Athletic named Roberto Olabe as the man lined up to succeed Monchi, saying Villa have hammered out a deal with the Spaniard known for his work with Real Sociedad. Olabe, 57, left the San Sebastian club at the end of last season.
Over the past seven years Olabe was involved in the buying and selling of players such as Alexander Isak, Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, while Martin Ødegaard also passed through in a crucial period of his career. He is additionally credited with work overseeing sporting strategy at Independiente del Valle at a time when Moisés Caicedo, Piero Hincapié and others were produced by the Ecuadorian club.
Club officials are reported to be moving to implement the change quickly. For now, Aston Villa face the immediate challenge of reversing early-season results while the club’s sporting leadership is reconfigured.
Arsenal
Late Buendía Strike Denies Arsenal as Trossard Briefly Restores Hope
Buendía’s late strike in stoppage time handed Villa a 2-1 victory after Trossard had levelled. At 95′
Arsenal suffered a devastating 95th-minute defeat as Emiliano Buendía rifled home the decisive goal to give Aston Villa a 2–1 Premier League victory. Leandro Trossard, introduced at half time, had levelled quickly after the break and offered Arsenal hope, but Villa’s stoppage-time winner proved decisive.
David Raya produced a number of important interventions, including a fine save to deny Ollie Watkins, but was ultimately helpless to stop Cash’s earlier fierce effort and Buendía’s late finish. Ben White provided attacking width on the right and linked well with Bukayo Saka, while Jurriën Timber and Piero Hincapié coped for the most part with Villa’s direct forward play.
Riccardo Calafiori pushed high early on but was cautioned after the hour mark and will be suspended next weekend. Martin Ødegaard led Arsenal’s creative work, producing dangerous shots and passes in the final third. Declan Rice covered big distances in an all-action display and made a key block to thwart Cash in the first half as well as forcing the turnover that led to Arsenal’s leveller.
Bukayo Saka was Arsenal’s principal attacking threat and supplied the cross for Trossard’s equaliser. Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze were withdrawn at half time after limited involvement; Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres replaced them and had differing impacts. Substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were introduced later as Arsenal sought a late winner, while Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marli Salmon, Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli were listed among the unused options.
Villa’s Starting XI read Emiliano Martínez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers; Ollie Watkins. Villa’s bench included Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho, Lamare Bogarde, Emi Buendía and Victor Lindelöf among the subs used.
The defeat hands Manchester City and Chelsea the opportunity to close the gap on Arsenal, while Villa moved to within three points of the table-toppers. Arsenal will regroup after a game decided in the final seconds.
Arsenal
Shortlists for November Premier League Player and Manager of the Month
Nominees for November’s Premier League Player and Manager awards, highlighting key performances. Stars
The Premier League shortlists for November have been published, highlighting individual runs that shaped the month.
Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes closed November with three goals, two of which arrived in the win over Manchester City. Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall delivered a memorable strike against Manchester United, also scoring against Newcastle and providing an assist against Fulham. Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku produced one of the season’s most eye-catching individual displays as he demolished Liverpool and helped Pep Guardiola’s side remain competitive in the title race.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes finished November with four assists, creating goals against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. Morgan Gibbs-White enjoyed a three-game scoring streak for Nottingham Forest, firing home against Man Utd, Leeds United and in the away victory at Liverpool.
Chelsea defender Reece James featured in all four of the Blues’ Premier League matches in November. His assist in the 1–1 draw with Arsenal capped off a truly stunning individual showing in a month which yielded a total of three clean sheets. Arsenal’s Declan Rice added attacking impetus with a goal against Burnley and an assist in the north London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur.
Brentford striker Igor Thiago continued his hot form, adding five goals across November with strikes against Newcastle, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley among them.
Managers with strong cases included Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s unbeaten month, which produced wins over Burnley and Tottenham as well as draws with Sunderland and Chelsea. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa won three of four and emerged as outside contenders in the title race. Pep Guardiola’s Man City scored a league-high 10 goals in November, including the victory over Liverpool. Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion conceded once in four games, producing wins over Leeds, Brentford and Nottingham Forest. Chelsea went unbeaten under Enzo Maresca with three wins and a draw. Marco Silva’s Fulham recorded three wins over Wolves, Sunderland and Tottenham.
Recent monthly winners: Jack Grealish (Everton, August), Erling Haaland (Man City, September), Bryan Mbeumo (Man Utd, October). Recent manager winners: Arne Slot (Liverpool, August), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace, September), Ruben Amorim (Man Utd, October).
Arsenal
Ranking the Premier League’s Top Goalkeepers: Seven Stoppers Who Matter
Seven Premier League goalkeepers stand out for shot-stopping, presence and recent form. Top reflexes.
Premier League goalkeeping is unforgiving, yet several custodians have combined reflexes, presence and consistency to keep their teams competitive. This piece surveys seven current Premier League keepers and the specific traits that have defined their recent seasons.
Jordan Pickford has transitioned from an erratic young keeper into England’s first-choice stopper with greater composure. Once an error-prone, overly aggressive goalkeeper, Pickford has mellowed in past seasons and is all the better for it. He is often mocked for his relatively small stature, but incredible reflexes and an ability to produce jaw-dropping stops have made him crucial for Everton during testing spells. The consistency he has developed ensures he is one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers and also one of the leading stoppers in the world.
Guglielmo Vicario offers stunning saves and agile shot-stopping for Tottenham Hotspur. What he lacks in commanding the penalty area he offsets with cat-like reflexes that have repeatedly spared Spurs. He has proven a reliable presence for Tottenham since joining the club in 2023 and has firmly endeared himself to the Tottenham faithful.
Giorgi Mamardashvili arrived as Liverpool’s planned long-term successor to Alisson. The Georgian honed his craft in La Liga with Valencia and drew wider attention with his performances at Euro 2024. He is an imposing, all-round goalkeeper who deals effectively with balls into his box, though there remains work to be done regarding his distribution.
Matz Sels returned to England in February 2024 and became a central figure in Nottingham Forest’s 2024–25 European run. Having featured infrequently for Newcastle United in 2016–17 before moving on to Anderlecht and Strasbourg, Sels improved with age. He shared the Premier League Golden Glove with David Raya after a league-high 13 clean sheets.
Emiliano Martínez continues to deliver for Aston Villa and for Argentina. A two-time Yashin Trophy winner and World Cup winner, Martínez’s shot-stopping and leadership are clear, and his re-integration into Unai Emery’s squad after summer uncertainty underlines his elite mindset.
Gianluigi Donnarumma joined Manchester City after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. PSG parted ways amid debate over his ball distribution and reported financial demands. At the Etihad, his large frame and quick reflexes have been immediate assets.
David Raya replaced Aaron Ramsdale at the start of 2023–24 and has proven an inspired addition for Arsenal. The ex-Brentford goalkeeper provides expert distribution, quiet self-assurance and reliable reactions, helping to transform Arsenal’s rearguard.
