Aston Villa
Why Manchester United turned to Senne Lammens instead of Emiliano Martínez
How Manchester United chose Senne Lammens after internal scouting advice over Emiliano Martínez 2025
Manchester United completed negotiations for Senne Lammens on Sept. 1 after a summer in which Emiliano Martínez’s future remained unsettled. Martínez had been linked with a move to Old Trafford and at one point appeared to bid farewell to Aston Villa supporters, but he stayed and has since spoken publicly about that decision.
The Argentine’s status was uncertain when the new season began in August. His return was delayed after the opening day and he made his comeback in the following Villa match, only to be left out of the squad for a game played the day before the summer transfer deadline. United continued talks over Lammens and did not close that deal until Sept. 1, a timeline that allowed the club to keep options open.
“Sometimes football can change, managers can come in and go. People move around the place, but it doesn’t mean that I [don’t] have full respect and love for [Aston Villa],” Martínez told reporters ahead of this week’s Europa League final in Istanbul.
“I had a commitment with Aston Villa. I’m a World Cup winner [with Argentina ] with Aston Villa. I won two [Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper awards] with Aston Villa. I will always and forever love this club. One day I am going to retire and somebody else will be between the sticks.
“I’m in a European final, we are in Champions League [next season] again, with all the ups and downs. We’ve got a top coach, we’ve got a top captain, we have a decent core of the team and when we stick together and fight together, we can beat anybody.
“I’m really proud to stay. I made the right choice.”
Reports since have suggested United’s then manager Ruben Amorim favoured Martínez for his experience, while a rival view from inside the club recommended Lammens. That recommendation came from goalkeeping scout Tony Coton, who had tracked Lammens for six years through Belgium’s youth teams, Club Brugge and a senior breakthrough with Royal Antwerp.
Coton discussed his assessment on Manchester United’s Inside Carrington podcast. “I wanted to see his concentration levels if, when I’m talking, he is looking elsewhere. Is he looking at the video still and this, that and the other?” Coton said. “And he was just locked. He was just locked onto me and I’m thinking: ‘Yeah, he’s got a real focus.’ And I’d seen that in his game.
“[United] asked me could he go straight into the team and I said: ‘Yes, straight away.’ I had to say that anyway because I’d recommended him!”
Martínez, who became a top-flight starter at 28 after a decade as a backup at Arsenal, still has a contract with Aston Villa until the summer of 2029. He would be close to 37 by its expiry and will have spent nine years at Villa Park. In recent seasons Villa have gone deep in European competitions, qualified for the Champions League twice and come within a point of a second top-four Premier League finish in three years.
Arsenal
October Premier League award nominees announced
Premier League October award nominees include standout performers and managers across the division.
The Premier League has named the contenders for its October 2026 Player and Manager of the Month awards, with eight players and six managers included on the respective shortlists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson enjoyed a productive month, finishing October with four goals and one assist from four appearances as his team beat Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United after a slow opening to the season.
Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson also reached four goals in the month. The former Chelsea player scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and also found the net in draws against Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal are represented by Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice after a perfect month. Konsa impressed in defence while William Saliba was absent, keeping two clean sheets in three outings and scoring his first goal for the club. Rice contributed two important assists at the other end.
Jack Rudoni’s form has helped Coventry City. The newly promoted side took two wins from four matches in October, with Rudoni scoring three times as they moved further away from the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur also had an unbeaten month, and Jan Paul van Hecke played a key role in wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutch defender last month.
Brighton have two nominees in Luka Vušković and Bart Verbruggen. Three clean sheets in four matches brought recognition for the Seagulls’ defence.
On the managerial shortlist, Chelsea scored more goals than any other team in October with nine, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta guided his side to the top of the table. Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Rose complete the list after strong runs during the month.
Month
Player
Club
August
João Pedro
Chelsea
September
Pascal Groß
Brighton
Month
Manager
Club
August
Sergej Jakirović
Hull
September
Aston Villa
Villa signal long-term Emery backing amid United speculation
Villa reinforce Emery’s future as reports link the manager with Manchester United again this week.
Aston Villa have moved to underline Unai Emery’s future at the club at a time when links with Manchester United continue to circulate.
Emery has been central to Villa’s rise, guiding them into the Champions League and delivering their first major trophy in 30 years last season with the Europa League. That track record makes him a natural fit for a club of Manchester United’s stature, especially given his history of success at Sevilla and Villarreal, as well as his experience at Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
However, Villa’s position around their manager is clearly a sensitive one. The club recently threatened legal action against pundit Jamie Carragher over remarks made on the Stick to Football podcast last month. In his comments on Emery and Manchester United, Carragher suggested the Spaniard might want the chance to “manage a giant again,” while also saying, “There is a chain in football, whether you like it or not. Shut the f— up, Aston Villa fans. Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.”
After a public apology in which Carragher described his wording as “clumsy and wrong,” the matter was dropped.
Reports earlier this week stated Emery is “happy” at Aston Villa, has no release clause in his contract, and is not expected to leave. Villa have now added further weight to that view by publicising a meeting focused on “the club’s long-term strategic direction.”
One outcome from that meeting was “establishing a clear commitment beyond 2029” under Emery’s leadership. While the club stopped short of announcing a new deal, his current contract expires in 2029, and the wording strongly suggests a longer partnership is being prepared. The Athletic report that such an agreement is close.
Villa said: “The meeting brought together Nassef Sawiris, the club’s Chairman, and Unai Emery alongside President of Football Operations Roberto Olabe and Director of Football Operations Damián Vidagany.”
Aston Villa
Carrick Gets Breathing Space After United’s Roma Fightback
United’s comeback over Roma offers Carrick relief, but Villa and the November break still loom.
Old Trafford has staged many remarkable evenings, but Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League win over Roma may prove especially significant for Michael Carrick. Trailing by two goals inside 18 minutes, United looked to be heading for a damaging defeat before a Matheus Cunha-inspired recovery changed the mood entirely.
The victory does not erase the wider concerns around the team, yet it at least gives Carrick a platform before the weekend trip to Aston Villa. That match will be United’s final fixture before the November international break, a point at which the club’s decision-makers will have a clear chance to weigh up the manager’s future and consider whether a change is needed.
At half-time, with boos around the stadium and United behind, Carrick’s position appeared seriously threatened. Instead, the second half offered a striking response. Any suggestion that the players had stopped battling for him was undermined by a much sharper and more determined 45 minutes.
The numbers reflected the shift. In the opening half, United produced just 0.24 expected goals, five shots and one effort on target, while Roma held the edge in every key area. After the break, the hosts generated 2.46 expected goals, registered 10 shots and placed five efforts on target, scoring three times in the process.
That turnaround gives Carrick a measure of relief and guarantees he will lead the side against Villa. United could still have acted before the break if another poor result had followed, but the 45-year-old now has another opportunity to strengthen his case.
Villa are unbeaten in their last five Premier League matches, yet United can draw comfort from the recent record in this fixture, having won six of the last eight meetings and 13 of the last 15 at Old Trafford.
Even so, the pressure remains intense. United have won only three of their 14 matches across all competitions this season, while public criticism from Lisandro Martínez and Bruno Fernandes has added to the strain. Carrick may have bought time, but the wider picture still leaves his future uncertain.
