Aston Villa

THOMAS TUCHEL has ruled Ollie Watkins out of England’s upcoming World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

The 29-year-old suffered a knock during a friendly against Wales on Thursday.

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He collided with a goalpost while sliding in to connect with a cross just six minutes before half-time.

The Aston Villa man was initially able to continue, but made way for Marcus Rashford at half-time.

Now, the striker has been ruled out of Tuesday’s clash with Latvia.

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IT will come as no surprise to their stylish famous fans, but Chelsea supporters are the best dressed in the Premier League.

The club’s followers are most likely to wear a smart suit for a night out, a survey has revealed.

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Celebrity fans including Gordon Ramsay, Jeremy Clarkson, David Baddiel, Madness singer Suggs and actor Phil Daniels are always well turned out for a trip to the club’s Stamford Bridge home — and regular fans have followed suit.

But it’s not really a surprise, as back in the Seventies Chelsea’s players, including Alan Hudson and Peter Osgood, were known as the kings of the King’s Road for their fashionable sense of style.

And the club’s 21st-century fans have maintained the tradition, according to research by betting site freebet.com, with 16 per cent getting suited and booted for a big night.

While fans of Newcastle, Burnley and Wolves were in the relegation zone with just one per cent being bothered to look smart.

The table shows there’s a clear North/South divide when it comes to off-the-pitch style.

The top seven spots are filled by teams from London and the south, with Man City and Leeds sharing eighth place with Brentford and West Ham with five per cent.

Spokesman Tim Agnew said: “Our research shows Chelsea fans are the best dressed fans in the Premier League.

“They already had a reputation for wearing Gucci and Prada and our research confirms Chelsea fans like to look sharp.”

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CLUB football is back for the Premier League this weekend after the international break.

After the last round of fixtures, a chaotic transfer deadline day followed as clubs splashed out £375million on new talent to take the overall spending for the window to over £3BILLION.

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And with that wave of new arrivals, including emergency loans, the conclusions of blockbuster sagas and shrewd deals, there will be several new faces for fans to watch.

SunSport has taken a look at stars who could make their debuts this weekend, including two club-record signings.

Kicking off the team in goal is new Manchester City star Gianluigi Donnarumma, who arrived on deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain for £26million.

New £18m Manchester United star Senne Lammens could have been selected just as easily, but they can let their goalkeeping do the talking during the Manchester Derby on Sunday.

Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie – signed on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with a £45m option to buy – put in a great display for Ecuador against Argentina and will partner £13m Bournemouth signing Veljko Milosavljevic and West Ham loanee Igor Julio in defence.

There are three more loanees to consider going forward: Tottenham’s Randal Kolo Muani, Nottingham Forest‘s Oleksandr Zinchenko and Aston Villa‘s Jadon Sancho, who all arrived in the twilight hours of the summer window.

Harvey Elliott followed Sancho to the struggling Villans from Liverpool on an initial loan with a £35m obligation to buy next summer.

The front three is where the majority of the star power and cost come into play.

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Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m sale from Man Utd to Chelsea, was not a deadline day switch but was only announced after the Blues’ most recent game at Stamford Bridge – meaning he will be in line for his debut this weekend.

Newcastle star Nick Woltemade is the club’s record signing at £69m.

The 23-year-old German looked impressive during the Under-21 Euros this summer, while he scored 17 for Stuttgart last season.

But he – alongside fellow new Toon ace Yoane Wissa – will have big boots to fill following Alexander Isak‘s record-breaking £130m departure to Liverpool.

Isak’s saga dragged on all summer and was on and off and then on and off again, before possibly the move of the summer was finally put to bed on deadline day.

Elsewhere, there are the likes of Kevin, Fulham‘s own £35m record-breaking arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk, Jaydee Canvot at Crystal Palace and Brian Brobbey at Sunderland who could also make first appearances for their new clubs at the weekend.

FORMER Prem stars who lost tens of millions in failed investments are demanding justice.

TV pundit Danny Murphy, 48, said he was a victim of “financial abuse” — turning to booze, drugs and gambling after losing about £5million.

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He was among up to 200 players who invested with Kingsbridge Asset Management in the 1990s and 2000s.

It attracted up to £417million before failed ventures led to loss of homes and bankruptcy.

Investors were deemed to be “victims of crime” in a police investigation but are still being chased for millions in tax.

Murphy is one of 11 stars, including ex-Arsenal ace Michael Thomas, calling for more protection from tax charges.

David McKee and Kevin McMenamin, who ran Kingsbridge, denied wrongdoing on BBC’s Panorama last night.

Murphy said he feels “shame” over his involvement.

“It’s the shame, embarrassment and guilt of getting yourself in a position that you think you’re better than,” he said.

“I’ve lost four – maybe five – million, roughly.

“The financial abuse I’ve suffered has caused me monumental problems in my life.”

He added: “The financial abuse in football and the dark side of football, is something that has gone under the radar for too long.”

MARC Guehi struck a blow for the good guys as he left Eagles’ boss Oliver Glasner with something to remember him by.

The Palace captain may be moving to pastures new inside the next 24 hours if his proposed move to Liverpool gets the green light.

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But his farewell present was a curling shot that underlined the star quality the Reds are paying for as Unai Emery’s chaotic summer imploded at Villa Park.

Guehi struck Palace’s second goal, building on Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first-half penalty on a night to forget for Villa’s boss.

And Ismaila Sarr rubbed salt into very open wounds by adding a third 12 minutes from time, nodding home after the hosts’ defence had followed the example of keeper Emi Martinez – and gone AWOL.

The Argentinian was left out because his mind was “elsewhere”.

The two-time winner of the world’s best keeper award was nowhere to be seen – apparently his mind was unable to cope with the prospect of a potential move away from Villa Park with Manchester United mulling over an offer.

He was declared unfit to play. And that went too for Emery’s side who spent a large chunk of this going around in circles.

Not so Guehi who may have a money-spinning switch to the champs in the offing.

His name was sung loud and proud by the visiting supporters who were appreciative of his professionalism.

And he had the benefit of celebrating in front of them as Villa’s proud unbeaten record was shattered.

Before tonight, Emery’s side were unbeaten on their own patch in the Premier League over the past 12 months.

But Palace are Villa’s bogey side – and they had a field day.

Glasner’s men have held the upper hand against Villa recently, winning four and drawing one of their last five encounters, including in the FA Cup semi-final four months ago.

As if to hammer home the point, the visiting contingent reminded the hosts of that 3-0 defeat, taunting them with “Did you cry at Wembley?” within seconds of the game getting underway.

By that stage, Villa’s stadium announcer had put a red line through his usual pre-match script which involved introducing the “world’s best” keeper Martinez to the home crowd.

Emery also mumbled his way through a pre-match television interview in which, when quizzed about the Argentinian’s absence, merely repeated the name of the Argentinian’s replacement, saying: “Marco Bizot, Marco Bizot.”

It was a bizarre reply to a fair question. Villa’s boss confirmed last Friday that he “didn’t expect” any of his main stars to leave the club.

It was almost as if any late interest had completely thrown the Spaniard – knocked him out of his stride. Palace then did the same to his team out on the green stuff.

Despite the excitement of a trip to Norway to face Fredrikstad in the Conference League on Thursday evening, Palace came with a game plan that stifled Villa at every turn.

The Eagles looked polished and took a 21st-minute lead when Mateta pulled away from Villa’s two centre-backs to receive a ball from Tyrick Mitchell on the left flank.

The Frenchman spotted Daichi Kamada making a run and threaded a pass into him.

The Japan international pushed the ball past Bizot whose outstretched leg clipped him. Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot.

The Dutch keeper couldn’t stop himself moving as Mateta dithered during his run-up and the Frenchman rolled the ball into the net.

Emery chose to blood Evann Guessand, a £26million signing from Nice, from the start. He showed some nice touches but it was the evergreen Ollie Watkins who posed the greatest threat.

The England international made something out of nothing when John McGinn simply booted the ball down the middle of the pitch, Dean Henderson standing up well to the striker’s shot.

Emery chose to shake it up at the interval. By that stage, Villa were yet to find the net and it was to another Argentinian – a forgotten one – that he turned.

Emi Buendia sparked a response – but it was all huff, puff and no end product.

Guehi then showed them how to do it as Villa failed to clear a Mitchell cross.

Palace moved forward on the left and Guehi took aim with a stunning effort that left Bizot grasping at thin air.

Sarr then sealed the points with a close-range header following a long throw allowing the visiting skipper to leave on a high.

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CRYSTAL PALACE fans have been struck by another bout of tough luck as the Premier League has rescheduled their upcoming match with Aston Villa

The match, scheduled to be held at Villa Park on Friday August 29th, has been moved to a 7pm Sunday kick-off.

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The move adds insult to injury following the confirmation of their demotion to the Europa Conference League for the upcoming season.

The rescheduling has been made to accommodate the second leg of the Eagles’ opening fixture of that competition.

They will face either Fredrikstad or Midtjylland on August 28th.

The decision has piled the misery on to fans who are only just coming to terms with the brutal rejection of their CAS appeal on Monday.

Some fans have taken to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the impractical timing of the fixture.

One fan said: “7pm on a Sunday is outrageous.”

Another sarcastically pointed out the difficulties the fixture can bring travelling fans.

They said: “Oh brilliant. That will be fun with an early shift the next day.”

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The game’s 9pm finish will cause havoc for fans making the over-200-mile round trip from Selhurst Park to Villa Park.

The topsy-turvy week just keeps getting more conflicting for fans following their surprise victory over Liverpool to secure the Community Shield on Sunday.

Ecstasy made way for disappointment as news emerged of their defeat at CAS the following day.

Now news has emerged that Spurs have joined Arsenal in their pursuit of Palace talisman Eberechi Eze.

And now Liverpool have reportedly agreed terms with Palace captain Marc Guehi over a move to Anfield.

Should one or both of those deals go through, the club will be in dire shape ahead of their season opener at Chelsea this weekend.

BLACK Sabbath fans were left stunned by sky-high prices at Villa Park – with a pint setting punters back up to £8 during the legendary band’s final hometown gig.

The Back to the Beginning supershow, held at Aston Villa’s stadium in Birmingham, marks Ozzy Osbourne’s last ever live performance – and the first time the full band have played together in two decades.

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But for many fans, the bar and food prices were almost as jaw-dropping as the music.

Inside the venue, a pint of Poretti lager was going for £8, with a half pint at £4.

A pint of Somersby cider wasn’t far behind at £7, or £3.50 for a half.

Cocktail fans after something stronger had to fork out £13 for a draught Rum Punch – while even a bottle of water cost £3.50.

In the Doug Ellis stand, the prices were just as steep – with a Carlsberg Pilsner priced at £6.50, a glass of wine for £7, and both a gin and tonic and a vodka lemonade costing £7.50 each.

And it wasn’t just the drinks that had fans digging deep.

Food options were limited and pricey too – with a sausage roll setting you back £5, a steaky pasty £6.50, and Yardbirds chicken and chips costing a whopping £15.

Even the basics weren’t cheap – a can of Coke was £3.50, a bar of chocolate £2.50, and a bag of Walkers crisps £2.20.

Fancy a hot drink? That’s £3.95 for a tea and £4.50 for an espresso.

Fans weren’t impressed.

Some took to social media to vent their frustration, saying the prices were “festival-level rip-offs” and that it “left a bad taste before the music even started”.

One gig-goer told us: “I knew it’d be expensive but £8 for a pint and £7 for chips? That’s taking the Mick.”

Another said: “You expect a bit of markup, but this is madness.

Ozzy’s not the only one going out with a bang – so is my bank account.”

The backlash over food and drink prices follows recent criticism surrounding the cost of VIP meet-and-greet packages with Ozzy Osbourne, set to take place during his upcoming appearance at Comic Con Midlands.

Fans are being charged £666 for the ‘Ultimate Sin’ VIP package – which includes a group photo with Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly, and Jack. But only two people are allowed per photo (except under-5s).

Want an autograph? That’ll cost extra.

Ozzy will sign a book for £225, or a poster, album or toy for £375. And if you want him to sign your guitar or mic?

That’ll be £750 – bringing the total package cost to £1,416.

Fan backlash has been fierce. One wrote: “Laughable prices, genuinely laughable.”

Another joked: “Time to start selling me kidney.”

While fans might be fuming over costs, the buzz inside Villa Park is electric.

This is a historic night – the last time Birmingham’s own heavy metal gods will share the stage in their hometown.

Ozzy, who’s battled serious health issues in recent years, admitted he won’t be performing a full set.

He said: “We’re only playing a couple of songs each.

“I don’t want people thinking ‘we’re getting ripped off’, because it’s just going to be … what’s the word? … a sample.”

He added: “I’ll be there, and I’ll do the best I can. So all I can do is turn up.”

The Back to the Beginning festival line-up is packed with legends, including Metallica, Slayer and Pantera – all joining in to celebrate Black Sabbath’s final bow.

Fans from across the UK – and some flying in from overseas – have packed out the stadium to say one last goodbye to the band that helped invent heavy metal.

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ASTON VILLA want to hijack Bournemouth’s move for Rennes skipper Adrien Truffert.

Villa look keen on the left-back and could swoop for the 23-year-old if they can quickly sell a player.

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The Cherries are close to agreeing a £20million deal for France international Truffert.

They see him as a replacement for Milos Kerkez, who is expected to join Liverpool.

Truffert has scored two goals and provided two assists in 33 Ligue 1 games this season.

But the 23-year-old has understandably struggled to get into France‘s star-studded squad.

The full-back has made just one appearances for the Les Bleus, after receiving his first call-up fir two Uefa Nations League matches.

The switches get more complicated when you consider that Bournemouth were interested in Anfield left-back Andy Robertson.

The Villa Park outfit may struggle to bring the 32-year-old Scot to the West Midlands, considering Arne Slot’s stance on an exit.

Unai Emery is believed to be in the market for a new left-back with Frenchman Lucas Digne and Ian Maatsen failing to impress the Spaniard.

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Bournemouth are also in the market for Spanish keeper Joan Garcia, who was linked with Arsenal.

The 24-year-old is set to sign for Barcelona from Espanyol — but could then be loaned out for a season in the Premier League.

ASTON VILLA are ready to cancel Philippe Coutinho’s contract some 654 days after he last played for them.

The playmaker, 32, is currently on loan at Brazilian side Vasco da Gama, where he’s scored eight times in 43 outings.

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Coutinho, who also spent last season on loan at Qatari side Al-Duhail, has not played for Villa since the start of the 2023/24 campaign — exactly 654 days ago.

But he still has a year remaining on his lucrative £125,000-a-week contract, which Coutinho signed in 2022 after making his shock loan from Barcelona permanent for £17million.

And the Athletic claims Villa chiefs have now made it a priority to get his high wages off their books ahead of another summer splurge.

Coutinho hit the ground running when he moved to Villa Park on loan in January 2022, scoring five goals in 19 games under Steven Gerard.

But standards slipped after his move became permanent, with the ex-Liverpool and Bayern Munich star netting just once in the following 24 outings.

And Coutinho now looks set to become a free agent if Villa can agree a deal to terminate his contract this month.

He’s not the only potential outgoing as Unai Emery’s men look to balance the books.

Emi Martinez, Lucas Digne and Leon Bailey could be sold for the right price, with Emi Buendia, Leander Dendocker, Enzo Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior up for grabs.

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There is also interest in Ollie Watkins, Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers, but Villa are desperate to keep all three.

Emery is preparing for several incomings too.

Marco Asensio’s loan from Paris Saint-Germain could be made permanent.

While Villa are huge fans of Southampton winger Tyler Dibling.

MARCUS RASHFORD has emerged as a target for Inter Milan – as they look to bounce back from their Champions League final horror show. 

The Manchester United forward, 27, spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa, with his red-hot form securing him a place back in the England squad.

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But Villa, who narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot for 2025-26, are unlikely to make a permanent move for Rashford due to the player’s sky-high wages.

Unai Emery and Co are now firmly focused on other targets and hope to keep hold of Ollie Watkins, who has been linked with an exit from Villa Park. 

Sources close to Rashford told SunSport he doesn’t see a future at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim. 

The pair reportedly fell out last season with the Portuguese manager unhappy with Rashford’s attitude during training and off the field.

And that means Rashford is frantically searching for a new club, which has put Inter Milan on red-alert.

The Italian giants are looking to rebuild their side in the wake of the Champions League final demolition at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

Inter were thrashed 5-0 in a defeat which came on the back of them throwing away the Serie A title late in the season, opening the door for Napoli.

Club chiefs believe that Rashford could be a key acquisition and would excite supporters.

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And although Man Utd would prefer a permanent deal, Inter are also exploring the option of a long-term loan move. 

A source said: “Marcus is open-minded to a move abroad, and a fresh start.

“Lots of players have made the move from the Premier League to Serie A in recent years and performed very well. That’s why the idea of such a switch excites both the player and Inter.”

Rashford is one of a number of players in limbo at United.

Team-mates Jadon Sancho and Antony both ended the campaign on loan at other clubs and are deemed surplus to requirements.

But United face a challenge in offloading all of them due to their massive wages.

LEON BAILEY is expected to seal a life-changing £25 million move to Saudi Arabia this week.

The Aston Villa forward is the subject of an offer believed to be from league newcomers Neom.

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His agents have already held initial discussions with the Pro League club.

Jamaican international Bailey, 27, is set to earn up to £10 million a year, tax-free.

He was a key member of the Villa squad that qualified for the Champions League last season but has since fallen out of favour.

The emergence of Morgan Rogers and the arrival of Marcus Rashford, combined with a series of niggling injuries, frustrated Bailey throughout the past campaign.

Bailey’s imminent departure adds to mounting speculation that Emi Martinez could also leave the club this summer.

The Argentine World Cup winner was left in tears after Villa’s final home game of the season, further fuelling rumours that it may have been his last appearance at Villa Park.

When asked about the futures of both Bailey and Martinez ahead of the final game of the season, Villa boss Unai Emery said: “Now we are focused on the matches we are playing.

“It is the last match here I don’t know, we will see. We will see about the team and the players.

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“How they respond and how focused they are on how we prepare for games.”

Villa are set for a big summer having already said goodbye to winger Marcus Rashford, who arrived from Manchester United late last season and made a significant impact.

The 27-year-old had been sidelined by United manager Ruben Amorim but was a breath of fresh air as Villa narrowly missed out on a Champions League spot.

Sunsport understands Rashford has not entirely ruled out a return to Villa Park.

However, interest from clubs abroad has made negotiations delicate at this stage.

Martinez, 32, fuelled speculation when he broke down in tears and  took a bow in front of the Holte End after Villa’s final home game of the season.

Some feared it was a farewell and since then he was  linked with a  lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League.

Man United, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are also rumoured to be keen.

Martinez’s contract runs until 2029 but a bid of £40million or more would ease Villa’s PSR concerns.

ELLIE ALDERSON is the fiancee of Aston Villa and England star Ollie Watkins.

After Euro 2024, the 28-year-old Premier League forward announced on Instagram that he and Ellie are engaged!

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Who is Ollie Watkins’ fiancee Ellie Alderson?

Ellie Alderson was born in Berkshire on June 3, 1996.

She has a twin sister, Sofie, who regularly shares pics of the pair together on Instagram.

Ellie has a diploma in interior design.

She has been in a relationship with Ollie Watkins since 2018 and the couple live together in Birmingham.

On July 21 2024, Ollie proposed to long-time partner Ellie at Lake Como – and the two announced their great news on Instagram the following day.

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Often supporting her partner, she attends football awards events with him and is a regular at Villa Park.

How many children do Ollie Watkins and Ellie Alderson have?

Ollie and Ellie announced on April 19, 2023, that they have had their second child together.

Ellie took to Instagram giving her 14,000 followers a glimpse of their new child who they have decided to call Marley.

And Ollie posted: “Our little man is here. Truly blessed! Marley watkins 17.4.23”

The couple also showed the moment their 19-month-old daughter, Amara May, met her little brother for the first time.

Ellie announced her pregnancy on her social media platforms in November 2022 with a comment “Another member pending..”

Amara was born on September 15, 2021.

What is Ollie Watkins’ Aston Villa salary?

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Ollie signed a new five-year contract in 2020 as he moved from Brentford to Aston Villa.

The former Brentford striker has blossomed in his time in the Midlands and in particular since new manager Unai Emery has come to the club.

Playing as a sole striker in the team, his performances has seen him make five appearances in Gareth Southgate‘s England squads.

Emery spoke about Watkins “The striker is very important to me. I spoke with [Watkins] at the beginning about the relationship here. 

“I told him that I want the best of you and the way he is doing; practising, being humble to improve. This is the way.

“Then, he has a big career to do in his future. It’s very important as well to try and speak about other players because he is not going to score if his team-mates aren’t helping him to do it.

“For us, Ollie Watkins is very important. He’s not only scoring but his commitment every day, trying to add more work, watching his clips.”

England’s new Euros Wags

ENGLAND football stars will be hoping their other halves will bring them good luck in Germany this summer and SunSport runs down the new faces to expect to see.

Erica Correa: We exclusively revealed Man Utd star Marcus Rashford has been growing close to the Colombia-born model.

Laura Celia Valk: The Dutch stunner is rumoured to be dating Jude Bellginham and staying in his Madrid mansion.

Ellie Alderson: The interior designer is with Ollie Watkins, who will be hoping for a place on the plane after missing the last Euros and World Cup.

Dani Dyer: The actor and reality TV star is going out with Jarrod Bowen, who is in fine form and in line for a Euros call up.

Annie Keating: Girlfriend to Anthony Gordon, who is vying for a place in England’s competitive frontline.

Iris Law: The model and daughter to actor Jude sparked romance rumours with Trent Alexander-Arnold after they were spotted together.

The striker’s new contract saw his weekly wage increase to £75k per week.

Due to his current form, there has been talk of a new deal, to tie the player to the club for longer than the current contract which expires in June 2025.

Aston Villa will be keen to get the in-form striker to commit his future to the team with some of the biggest clubs in Europe taking interest in the form of the player.

He has 14 goals and six assists in 2023, a figure that can only be bettered by Man City‘s Erling Haaland.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST would have earned a Champions League spot at the expense of Newcastle if VAR did not exist.

And the Magpies’ escape from any consequences for their home defeat by Everton is put into even starker content as they would have missed out on European football altogether without the technology.

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SunSport have analysed all 380 Prem matches this term and worked out how the table would have looked if the original on-field decisions had not been overturned after intervention by the Stockley Park video booth.

Our number crunchers found that Eddie Howe’s men were by far the biggest beneficiaries of VAR changes. 

Newcastle had a staggering 13 decisions changed in their favour, with just five reversals hurting them.

That brought a net figure of +8, with Aston Villa and West Ham next in the benefits column with each having four more interventions in their favour than against them.

Our analysis, which assumes every penalty that was initially awarded and then wiped was scored, suggests that without VAR Newcastle would have picked up four fewer points – dropping them to eighth in the table – and conceded seven more goals.

Forest, whose home defeat by Chelsea left them in the Conference League slot, would have finished fifth in our “No VAR” table.

And Bournemouth, ninth in the actual table, would have been preparing for a first continental campaign in the Europa League without the technology changes.

Andoni Iraola’s side had 11 VAR changes against them and just three in their favour, costing the Cherries EIGHT points and seven goals.

The study of the 111 changed decisions cannot determine definitively what would have happened in real life if the initial decisions had not been overturned.

But one of the most contentious calls saw Dango Ouattara’s last-gasp “winner” against Newcastle in August chalked off for a handball PGMOL chief Howard Webb subsequently conceded was wrongly overturned after the VAR intervention.

Over the course of the season there were 12 goals and 25 penalties awarded through VAR intervention – with 21 of those spot-kicks converted – compared to 48 goals and 11 penalties disallowed.

Liverpool’s 10-point advantage over Arsenal at the top of the pile would have been reduced to just two without VAR, as the Gunners lost eight points from the six overturns against them – including “winning” goals against Chelsea, Fulham and Aston Villa.

Chelsea and Manchester City swap places, with the Londoners up to third, with Villa down one to take the Conference League slot.

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THE final day of the Premier League is here, and there is so much still to be decided!

Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest are the FIVE teams in the mix for the remaining three Champions League spots.

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CHELSEA’S Champions League qualification clash with Nottingham Forest has been picked for TV.

The Premier League has confirmed which fixtures will be broadcast on the last day of the season.

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Chelsea’s visit to Nottingham Forest will decide which team qualifies for next season’s Champions League.

The match will be shown on Sky Sports, with the broadcaster also set to air Liverpool vs Crystal Palace.

Kick-off times for the two fixtures remain the same – Sunday 4:00pm – with all ten matches starting at the same time.

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EMI MARTINEZ is wanted by Manchester United and Barcelona after he hinted at an Aston Villa exit, reports in Argentina say.

Martinez joined Villa from Arsenal in 2020 – following eight years in North London where he was loaned six times.

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And he emerged as one of the best keepers in the league, also cementing his place as Argentina No1 before their 2022 World Cup win.

But Martinez – whose contract expires in 2029 after extending it in the summer of 2024 – appeared to hint that he is leaving the club.

He was seen tearfully waving to fans following Villa’s 2-0 home win against Tottenham – suggesting he is preparing for an exit.

And according to Argentine TV channel DSports, United and Barca are both interested in signing Martinez and the keeper has offers from both.

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DREAM TEAM managers are putting their faith in Erling Haaland (£7.8m) ahead of Gameweek 36.

Not only is Manchester City’s No9 the second-most popular recruit this week, he’s currently the most selected captain.

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Mohamed Salah (£6.8m) has been the most popular skipper almost every week since he established a healthy lead at the top of the rankings but many gaffers are reverting to Haaland because Pep Guardiola’s side are one of just four teams with two fixtures to fulfil this Gameweek.

There’s the small matter of the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace this Saturday before a Premier League meeting with Bournemouth at the Etihad on Tuesday night.

The Norwegian poacher returned from injury against Southampton last weekend and mustered just two points but his overall record of 30 goals and 352 points remains highly impressive.

Rotation is the lingering spectre that haunts almost every Man City asset and Haaland may be particularly susceptible having just returned from a spell on the sidelines, with Omar Marmoush (£4.8m) a more than competent understudy.

But it goes without saying that Haaland is capable of earning enough points to justify the captain’s armband in just 15 minutes if everything clicks, such is his goalscoring pedigree.

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There’s no shortage of options for Dream Team bosses who want to take on Haaland in Gameweek 36.

Bruno Fernandes (£7m) has been a near-permanent inclusion among the captaincy candidates in the second half of the campaign and with good reason.

Manchester United’s captain averages eight points-per-game having notched 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions this term.

Ruben Amorim has said that his team selection to face Chelsea this evening will not be overly disrupted by preparations for Wednesday night’s Europa League final.

If we are to take the Red Devils’ boss on his word then Fernandes is surely in line to start against both the Blues and Spurs this coming Gameweek.

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Elsewhere, Eberechi Eze (£5.1m) is a tempting option as someone who would provide a key point of difference.

Crystal Palace’s No10 is the most-popular transfer target ahead of today’s 6pm deadline but not currently among the most selected captains.

Eze excelled in Gameweek 35 with an 18-point haul at Tottenham’s expense and is therefore well placed to provide healthy returns again with Man City and Wolves in his sights.

However, it’s hard to predict Palace’s starting line-up on Tuesday night as they don’t have much to play for in the league.

If the Eagles triumph at Wembley then Eze and friends may still be partying by the time they’re due to host Vitor Pereira’s side.

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Lastly, we’ll include Ollie Watkins (£4.4m) and Morgan Rogers (£4.3m) in the captaincy candidates.

Aston Villa only have one fixture this coming Gameweek but it might be a profitable one.

The Villains are due to host Spurs this evening and there’s every chance Ange Postecoglou will name a weakened XI to prioritise the Europa League final.

The North Londoners haven’t got the tightest defence at the best of times – they’ve shipped 82 goals in all competitions this season! – and so Villa’s most prominent attackers could thrive against a second-string outfit with other things on their mind.

Make sure to select your captain (and vice captain) before 6pm today!

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE? You’re having a laugh.

We’ve all heard it. The derisory chant from opposition fans when one of the so-called ‘big guns’ is having an off day.

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For example, Southampton supporters had every right to aim it at the multi-billionaires of Manchester City last weekend, when they couldn’t find a way past the worst team in the Premier League.

Only now what was once a mildly amusing terrace jibe sums up perfectly what the leading club competition in the world has become. A joke.

Next season there will be a record SIX English teams in the Champions League.

Almost one third of the entire Premier League will be waved straight into the bizarre league phase by Uefa’s welcoming doormen at an empty small town disco on a wet Tuesday night.

Anyone can come in. From Liverpool who finished top, right down to hapless Tottenham or abject Manchester United hovering above the relegation zone.

It is time to officially ban the phrase ‘elite competition’ whenever the Champions League is mentioned on TV and radio or written in print.

There was a time when you had to win your domestic league to progress into the highest level of European football the following season.

Simple as that.

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We are now at a point where English Premier League teams have to work harder to stay out of the modern Champions League than to get in.

Spurs and Man United, regular participants in the past, have done spectacularly well trying to cock up their seasons. Yet

by virtue of winning the Europa League one of them will be alongside Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, the already declared winners of their respective leagues.

Erratic Chelsea, under the guidance of boss Enzo Maresca, have lost to Ipswich, Fulham and Brighton.

From winning five Premier League games in a row, they went winless in the next five and couldn’t string a pass together.

They lag 20 POINTS behind the bona fide champions of England from Anfield and are fifth.

Don’t bet against them being in next season’s Champions League.

The constant tinkering and chiselling away at a once simple game has led to Uefa getting its knickers in a right old twist.

Fifth in this year’s Premier League grants a free pass into the treasure trove of the Champions League thanks to the coefficients which measure success where once it was about winning.

A whole page is devoted to thrill-a-minute ‘coefficients’ on the governing body’s website to explain how a system that would baffle Stephen Hawking’s much cleverer cousin actually works: “Uefa calculates the coefficient of each club each season based on the clubs’ results in the  Uefa Champions League, Uefa Europa League and Uefa Conference League.

“The season coefficients from the five most recent seasons are used to rank the clubs for seeding purposes (sporting club coefficient).

“In addition, the season coefficients from the ten most recent seasons are used to calculate revenue club coefficients for revenue distribution purposes only.”

And that’s just the overview.

There’s a gag in there somewhere about how many coefficients does it take to ruin a game of football? Only I can’t see a funny punch line.

There was a time back when the world was black and white in the 1950s when two imaginative French journalists took inspiration from South America and came up with the idea of the best clubs from each country competing for a trophy on our continent.

Ironically, it wasn’t called the Champions League back then. It was the plain old European Cup. A cup fought over by teams in Europe. Simple eh?

Liverpool’s first steps into the European Cup came in 1964, our sole representatives having won the league the previous season under Bill Shankly.

Next season they share the honour with five other English teams and some of them are pretty ordinary.

If Spurs win the Europa League and follow it up by winning the Champions League next year, the champions of Europe will come from a team currently 17th in England’s top division.

You can argue it won’t happen. Yet somehow a side which has lost more league games than it has won this season is in a European final next week.

That’s cup football for you and it’s a wonderful lottery. Qualification for the Champions League is not. It’s a boring carve up.

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