Aston Villa will go into Thursday night’s Europa League semi-final first leg slightly damaged by their difficult game against Fulham in the Premier League.
With just one shot on target for the Cottagers all game, Unai Emery’s men were off a run of form that saw them score eight goals at Villa Park against Sunderland and Bologna, as the 1-0 defeats were devastating.
Thankfully, it’s a short trip to Nottingham for the first leg, as the Villans face Premier League side Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, for a chance to reach the Europa League final.
Sitting comfortably in fifth place in the league standings, again, Villa fans will have one eye on the summer already, in terms of arrivals in the West Midlands.
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The top five places in the Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
The team |
Points |
|
1. |
Arsenal |
73 |
|
2. |
Manchester City |
70 |
|
3. |
Manchester United |
58 |
|
4. |
Liverpool |
58 |
|
5. |
Aston Villa |
58 |
Aston Villa organize free travel
Brighton and Hove Albion currently sit in sixth place on 50 points, so barring a dramatic collapse, Emery’s men should win Champions League football at the end of the campaign. There is, of course, a way to win the Europa League final, too.
A place near this special table doesn’t look like it will be enough to keep Morgan Rogers at Villa Park, though, with the West Midlands giants linked with a full list of midfield targets.
Curtis Jones is believed to be in the sights of Villa, as the born-and-bred Scouser looks to leave Liverpool, while Harry Wilson’s free transfer was canceled after Fulham’s 1-0 win at Craven Cottage.
Alongside Wilson potentially joining on a free transfer, new reports from Germany suggest the Europa League finalists will follow Borussia Dortmund striker Julian Brandt on another potential free transfer at the end of the season, with Brandt confirming he will leave Dortmund at the end of his contract.
With Emery noted as having admired the German’s dynamic nature in forward positions, Villa are seen as having taken part in any race, with Newcastle United also keen. Both Premier League clubs are said to be preparing an ‘aggressive’ bid for the player.
How Brandt can be Rashford 2.0
The Spaniard is likely to win the next Marcus Rashford by cleverly snapping up Brandt, with the Bremen-born former wonder-boy, like the current Barcelona striker, among other similarities.
Rashford was an immediate hit at Villa Park last season, when he joined Emery’s side on a short loan deal from Manchester United, the 28-year-old desperately needed a boost in confidence, and he got it after opening his Villa account in the Premier League with a downward strike.
He never looked back from that point on, as he helped himself to another three goals and six assists in just 17 games. The hope will be that Brandt can put Villa in the first team as soon as he joins, should another surprise move happen.
Once, like Rashford, winning a player for the price of Brandt at Villa Park would have been considered absurd, with Jurgen Klopp allegedly a big fan back in 2017, at the Liverpool helm, as he tried to make a deal with Germany, with the arrival of Mohamed Salah.
His moment to shine in the Premier League could finally be here, now, and with his 303-game stay at Dortmund coming to an end, the 29-year-old will be praying for success in England, to quickly forget his long association with the Black and Yellow finishing.
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Brandt’s career numbers at the senior position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Games |
Terms + Help |
|
AM |
233 |
37 + 65 |
|
LW |
147 |
48 + 45 |
|
RW |
76 |
19 + 14 |
Rashford needed a break at Villa himself as his playing days at Old Trafford faded, and it’s clear the 48-year-old German is no wash-up to struggle, with 57 goals and 69 assists to his name at Signal Iduna Park, 14 of which have come this season. On that evidence, it is no surprise that European football expert Zach Lowy described him as “one of the most exciting talents in Europe”.
Therefore, he should be able to perform well, like his Manchester-born colleague, with nine Champions League goals, and help Villa’s chances of success in Europe’s top competition, should they get there.
In addition, he can play down the wings, and in the middle, like Rashford, he has all the necessary ingredients to be an amazing free transfer deal, “it’s not easy” The midfielder – as once named by scout Antonio Mango – could be a fan favorite right from the start.
After Fulham: The Aston Villa star may not play another minute at the club
Aston Villa slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Fulham on Saturday lunchtime.
