Villa

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez revealed he broke his finger during the warm-up before his side’s Europa League final win against Freiburg.

The Argentine suffered the injury moments before kick-off in Istanbul and had to be checked over by a physio.

But he managed to play the entire match on Wednesday as Villa won 3-0 to secure their first European trophy for 44 years.

The 33-year-old did not have much to do, as goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers ended Villa’s 30-year wait for a major trophy, but still managed to make two saves.

He said: “Today I broke my finger during the warm-up and for me, every bad thing brings something good. I’ve done this my whole life and I’ll keep doing it.

“Should I be worried? Well, I’ve never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I’m proud to defend Aston Villa.”

The injury also did not stop Martinez from joining in the post-match celebrations as he jumped into the Villa fans before hoisting manager Unai Emery aloft.

Argentina will hope Martinez’s injury is not too serious with their World Cup squad set to be announced before next month’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The former Arsenal keeper has now won every final he has played in during his career, including the FA Cup final, the World Cup final, two Copa Americas and now the Europa League.

A regular visitor to Villa Park, Prince William was spotted in the crowd celebrating as Villa beat Nottingham Forest earlier this month to secure their place in the Europa League final.

So it was only right that the prince made the trip to Turkey to witness Villa history.

Television cameras picked up on the prince soaking it all in before kick-off, before celebrating with those close by as Villa got a grip on the trophy.

The prince also made sure to capture the historic moment when John McGinn hoisted the trophy high above his head.

Villa captain McGinn labelled Prince William as “just a normal guy” after the win.

McGinn told TNT Sports: “He’s a classy man, he was in the dressing room before the game.

“He’s a massive Villa fan, he was never going to miss it. He’s just a normal guy, it’s great to have his support.”

The prince started supporting Villa during his school days in Berkshire, choosing a team further afield as he did not want to follow the crowd.

“A long time ago at school, I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Manchester United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams,” he told the BBC in 2015.

“I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”

William was born 26 days after Villa’s European Cup final win against Bayern Munich on 26 May 1982.

He has spoken previously about the joy he gets from following a club with the ups and downs that Villa have experienced.

“Aston Villa‘s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea [in the final],” he added.

“It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.”

At Besiktas Park on Wednesday, Emery will stand on the touchline for his sixth Europa League final in 12 years.

He lost the 2019 final to Chelsea while at Arsenal, where his 18-month reign was seen as a failure.

But he has more triumphs in the competition than any other manager; three with Sevilla – in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – when they beat Liverpool – before a penalty shootout victory over Manchester United with Villarreal in 2021.

Emery, though, insists that will mean nothing come kick-off against their Bundesliga rivals.

“I am not a king in this competition,” he said. “I am now here with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done and of course it’s there in that moment but with it I am not winning.

“I need to win [in Turkey] with the players we have now, with Villa now. So now it’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.

“If you are not respecting the opponent, you are closer to losing. If you are not respecting Europe, like we did during the process, we are not here. This is the strong mentality we had before.

“We have a huge challenge, a huge challenge. Are we thinking about the next party on Friday? No, no.”

The former Paris St Germain boss has managed 115 games in the Europa League, winning 71, and his best win rate in the competition is his 85.7% with Villa.

Those wins are a competition record. And since the start of 2023-24, no side has won more European matches than Villa’s tally of 26.

Emery – bizarrely overlooked in the Premier League’s Manager of the Season nominations – spoke to his players on Saturday morning, a debrief following Friday’s 4-2 win over Liverpool which sealed Champions League qualification.

He also reminded them about the journey the club has been on since he replaced Steven Gerrard in late 2022 – a Europa Conference League semi-final, a Champions League quarter-final and two top-five finishes.

Emery has needed a way with words at times, refusing to lay into his players at half-time during the abject defeat by Tottenham at the start of the month.

It was something the squad appreciated, a fatherly touch of reminding them of what they have achieved together.

Liverpool’s woes deepen as Ollie Watkins scores a brace to help his side to a dominant win at Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins scored twice as Aston Villa eased to a 4-2 Premier League victory over Liverpool to seal Champions League qualification for next ⁠season and leave their visitors looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack.

The win on Friday moves Villa into fourth place with 62 points from their 37 games, leapfrogging their opponents, who have 59 points from ⁠the same number of matches.

Liverpool remain vulnerable to being caught by both Bournemouth and Brighton in the race for a Champions League place as they slipped to a 12th defeat of the season with a single point from the last nine available.

Morgan Rogers gave Villa a first half lead before Virgil van ‌Dijk equalised for Liverpool early in the second period and then got another in added time.

But Watkins’ double and a brilliant late fourth from John McGinn sealed the win for Unai Emery’s side, who head into Wednesday’s Europa League final against Freiburg in buoyant mood.

“We had to get over the line,” McGinn told Sky Sports. It allows us to be excited and enjoy Wednesday properly.

“[Watkins] was obviously disappointed in March [being left out of the England squad] but if it gave him a kick ⁠up the backside, he’s certainly responded in the best way.

“We’re so fortunate to ⁠have him, what he’s done for this club the past few seasons has been incredible. Hopefully he can carry that into next week.”

Villa head to Istanbul to meet Freiburg with one of their major goals this season already achieved, and the chance ⁠to lift silverware to cap their campaign.

The hosts took the lead on 42 minutes against the run of play. Lucas Digne found Rogers in space ⁠on the left-hand side of the box and the forward curled ⁠it into the far corner.

Liverpool levelled on 52 minutes when Van Dijk headed home at the back post from Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick, before 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha struck the base of the post from the edge of the box.

But a slip from Szoboszlai ‌presented Watkins with a second goal for the home side, and Emiliano Buendia struck the Liverpool post with a curling shot as Villa looked the more likely to score again.

And so it proved as ‌Watkins ‌netted his second via a rebound from close range.

McGinn curled in a beautiful shot to make it 4-1 on 89 minutes, before Van Dijk’s second headed goal brought some respectability to the scoreline.

Liverpool manager ‌Arne Slot said he feels no added pressure after the defeat but admitted ⁠his side are conceding too many soft goals.

“It’s not about me, it’s about us being disappointed with the result,” Slot told the BBC. “I spoke yesterday on it [my future] and that’s enough.

“Our focus is on the Brentford game [next weekend] and making sure we earn the support of the fans by starting the game aggressive and ⁠well.”

Villa scored four times on Friday but might have had several ⁠more goals as they cut apart Liverpool’s defence.

“We have conceded a ⁠lot of goals this season, which you’d find hard to believe unless you live it and that’s what we did today,” he said.

“Villa were the better team and the game ‌went away from us.”

Since the last international break, no player has scored more Premier League goals than Watkins’ nine.

Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland is second on that list with seven, while Nottingham Forest‘s Morgan Gibbs-White is the next best English player on five.

But, while Watkins may well be arguably England’s most in-form striker heading into the World Cup, realistically the spot everyone is vying for is the number one back-up position to captain Kane.

Ivan Toney has been in prolific form all season for Al-Ahli but playing in the Saudi Pro League means his numbers are difficult to directly compare with the other contenders.

Of the rest, Watkins’ 19 goals in all competitions puts him five ahead of both Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who returned to the England fold after a five-year exile in March, and Danny Welbeck, whose last cap was in 2018.

“He’s got to be on the plane,” former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie said on Sky Sports when asked about Watkins’ chances of being included this summer. “Since being left out we’ve just seen a massive turning of the corner.

“He’s been relentless in front of goal, he’s shown his capabilities. He’s a totally different player to Harry Kane and gives them something different.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot acknowledges his side’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa is frustrating for himself, the players and the fans as they now need to win against Brentford on the final day of the season to secure Champions League qualification.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool

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There are lots of coaches in the Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoffs glad to see that Villa Park is in the Division 2 playoffs because of the Spartans’ strong pitching.

Villa Park, the No. 1 seed in Division 2, has a terrific one-two starting duo in junior Logan Hoppie (10-1, 1.28 ERA) and senior Jack McGuire (6-2, 1.62 ERA).

McGuire is 6 feet 5 and has 82 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings. He had a 16-strikeout performance this season. Hoppie has a two-hit shutout of Crestview League champion Cypress on his resume.

Villa Park finished the regular season at 19-8-1 under veteran coach Burt Call and in second place in league. If the Spartans can get some hitting help, the pitchers will handle the rest. Villa Park opens the playoffs on Thursday at home against Elsinore.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

INVESTIGATORS think Towie star Jake Hall died from a horror chest injury caused by broken glass.

Jake, 35, suffered head wounds after allegedly turning aggressive and trying to harm himself during a party at the £200-a-night Majorcan villa he was renting.

Sources close to the investigation said the worst injury the reality star suffered was a chest wound from a shard of glass after smashing into a door.

The insider said: “The thorax injury was the one emergency responders at the scene felt was the most traumatic one and most likely to have been fatal.”

Jake’s autopsy is expected to take place today in the Majorcan capital Palma, but the results will not be publicly released.

Villa’s wretched 2-1 home defeat by Tottenham on Sunday – a third consecutive loss – did not give them the ideal platform, even if Emery made eight changes.

It underlined the lack of depth within the squad, with Emi Martinez, Matty Cash, Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers viewed as the only first-choice starters in Sunday’s XI.

Emery, though, has earned admiration from at least two fellow Premier League managers who have been privately impressed with the decisions he made – a clear focus on his biggest game at the club – and how he stuck to the strategy.

He has won the Europa League a record four times – three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal – and with minds focused those close to Emery expect to see a different performance to Sunday’s surrender.

“We are improving, including myself, and we will have more challenges to set for the present or future,” said Emery, when asked if this is the last chance for this squad to win something.

“I don’t think tomorrow is the last opportunity for us or anyone. The players are enjoying the process we are doing and they are aware about how difficult football is, and this is the greatest moment we are having in the last three years.

“It will break nothing about how we are thinking and trying to improve.”

Even if Emery believes they can push for honours beyond this season and with Champions League football – Villa should finish in the Premier League’s top five regardless of their European fate – changes are expected.

The squad needs to be refreshed and selling players is the easiest way to comply with regulations – with England forward Morgan Rogers their biggest asset.

There is a realisation a significant number need to be recycled and Emery has been aware since the opening month of the season what needs to be done.

He and president of football operations Roberto Olabe are aligned, but Olabe was brought in to help progress Villa further, more medium and longer term.

Going forward there will be more focus on younger players, and filling the necessary first-team gaps with more senior signings, but Emery, the same as any manager, wants players who are ready now.

The pair are close – Emery handpicked Olabe to replace Monchi in September – so a common ground is found and the duo spend hours talking about tactics and philosophies, conversations which usually start in the club’s canteen at Bodymoor Heath.

Yet the desire for new players to take Villa to the next level is the hardest task.

Jedward star John Grimes has revealed that the Celebrity Ex On the Beach was put under security lockdown after the building was stormed by curious fans wondering what was going on

Jedward star John Grimes has revealed that the Celebrity Ex On the Beach villa was put under security lockdown. The former X Factor contestant, who shot to fame alongside his twin brother Edward on the ITV talent show in 2009, can currently be seen taking part in the fourth series of the Paramount+ hit, which began airing in March.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star, 34, filmed the show alongside Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan as well Toby Aromolaran and Curtis Pritchard, both of Love Island fame, and Towie’s Dani Imbert amongst a host of others, but this is one of the very rare times he has appeared on-screen alongside his twin.

The programme, which sees famous faces staying abroad and beginning relationships only for their former flames to get involved, is all filmed in Tenerife and John has now explained all about the fan intrusion that all took place in the sunny location. He said: “People knew the location of the villa.

READ MORE: Helen Flanagan axed from Celeb Ex On The Beach after just four episodesREAD MORE: Curtis Pritchard spills on villa ‘sex’ and ‘compulsive liar’ claims

Speaking to The Sun, he continued: “Fans and people in the local area were trying to come into the grounds. Things kept happening. It was the only lit up place in a desolate area, so people were like, ‘What’s that? Let’s try to get in…’ Producers were like, ‘We’re trying to film a show.’ Security stopped anyone from getting in!”

John, who alongside his twin, enjoyed hits with tracks like Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) and Lipstick after finding fame on The X Factor, recently explained what it was like going solo for the reality show.

He said: “Every now and again there are some pre-judged opinions about me out there, but I think going on this show marks a new chapter because I did it on my own, away from Edward. It’s a different situation.

“I was just talking to [Edward] there on the phone. He was a huge supporter of me doing the show, as was Gemma [Collins]. She was very excited. At first, I was a bit kind of touch-and-go. I thought, “Oh, will I do this?”

The star, who was greeted by his ex-girlfriend Sarah Carragher during his time filming the series, also spoke of how he asked his brother for advice when he was approached to to the show.

“But obviously, I always confide in Edward and he was like, “Oh yeah, you should do it,” because you always end things on a neutral note with your exes. If they wash up on the beach, you possibly rekindle something, maybe start cleaning slates,” he added.

“I think it’s like, obviously, you take that risk going on the show. You don’t know who’s going to pull up, but the one that does pull up may say, “You know what, maybe I’ll give them another chance.” John recently revealed via social media that he and Sarah are back together, but the move was said to have angered bosses behind the scenes.

A source said: “John posting that he’s back with his ex was terrible timing as it makes his whole storyline on the show pointless. Cast were asked to keep a bit of mystery around who got back with their ex and who hooked up with who so people tuned in, but clearly John was so thrilled he just went ahead and posted without thinking.

“Bosses are fuming but it’s not like he did it on purpose. Sarah has been quietly telling her pals, as well as John, that she’s really nervous to be thrust into the spotlight and so John wanted to throw his support behind her all the way.”

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was highly critical of the video assistant referee for not sending off Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in two impassioned rants after his side’s 1-0 loss in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.

Anderson avoided punishment for a first-half sliding tackle in which he won the ball but then caught the ankle of Ollie Watkins with a high, studs-up challenge.

Referee Joao Pinheiro did not take action – and there was only what appeared to be a very brief VAR review before the incident was cleared.

Forest would go on to win through a VAR-awarded penalty which Chris Wood scored – but Emery accepted that decision.

“Fantastic, the referee, fantastic,” Emery told TNT Sports. “But the VAR is so, so bad. It’s a clear red card – I don’t understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it’s so clear.

“And it’s very, very important. It’s a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible.

“The referee – fantastic, fantastic job, 10 out of 10. I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.

“But I watched it back – wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. Wow, VAR – where are you? Please. It is your responsibility, we are professionals. You are doing very bad work because it was so clear for everybody [to see]. He could break his ankle.

“I respect the referees always but VAR, I don’t understand. It’s not fair.”

Kearns said she was grateful to Dr Blackadder-Weinstein for urging her to go to the hospital.

Sepsis, which can be life-threatening and is difficult to spot, is an emergency reaction to infection where the immune system overcompensates and damages tissues and organs.

“We had to go through like, three, four days of hell in hospital, the two of us, up in Birmingham and, I don’t think we realized how much we went through until now,” Kearns said.

“I’m so thankful for the doctors here at Villa, because if I was at home that day, and I probably would have rung my mum saying, ‘Oh, I feel a bit like flu-ish symptoms’, everyone would just say, ‘Have a sleep’ or whatnot, but Jodie made me go to the hospital.

“I was not wanting to go, because there’s nothing worse than obviously going to a hospital, but they probably saved my life because I had sepsis, and while having that, I wasn’t even thinking about the sepsis. It was: I’ve lost my child – and Liam was probably thinking the same.”

Kearns has visited Villa’s training ground to see her team-mates and work on rebuilding her fitness, but said she is still dealing with the mental trauma.

“I wouldn’t say I’m fully coping,” Kearns said.

“There’s days like today where I feel good, I’ve been in and around the [Aston Villa] girls and stuff, I’ve done my bike, I’ve done my testing, like, ready to get back on to it.

“But yesterday, I was upset all day because I got some news about the things we have to sort and it just comes and goes in waves.”

Kearns recognises that everyone deals with grief differently but stressed the importance of not “suffering in silence”.

She highlighted Tommy’s – the UK’s largest pregnancy and baby loss charity – as an important resource to lean on.

Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as Villa manager in October 2022 with Villa hovering just above the relegation zone on goal difference.

The former Arsenal and Villarreal boss brought with him his own backroom staff, with many of the old guard departing.

Former Sevilla goalkeeper Monchi also joined as Villa’s president of football operations in June 2023 – having previously worked with Emery at Sevilla and winning three Europa League titles together.

Emery immediately made an impact, imposing structure, clarity and belief on a Villa side that was once again flirting with relegation to guide them to a top‑seven finish and European qualification in his first season.

The following campaign proved the progress was no fluke.

Turning Villa Park into a fortress, they established themselves as a top‑four contender during 2023-24 while also reaching the semi-finals of the Conference League, where they were beaten 6-2 on aggregate by Olympiakos.

“The first year we got here in the Conference League, a lot of us hadn’t played in Europe so when we got to the latter stages there was a lot of pressure,” Watkins said.

“Each year we’ve learned and taken something from it. And to trust the manager because he’s so experienced in this competition. He’s won it numerous times so we believe in what he tells us and keep going.”

A first taste of top-tier European competition since 1982-83 came last season when they reached the Champions League quarter-finals against Emery’s former side Paris St-Germain.

And on their way to the last eight, they posted memorable league-stage wins against Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig while also holding Juventus to a goalless draw.

And this season’s run on the continental stage further underlines their upward trajectory under the Spaniard.

“It’s an amazing achievement for us to progress to the semi-finals and to go one step further than last year in the Champions League,” Watkins said.

“We’re really enjoying being in this competition and this is where we want to be, in the semi-finals.”

Emery told TNT Sports: “I’m very happy. We were organised and tried to impose our ideas and style, which is not easy against Bologna.”

“We are so happy with the way we are performing in this competition. It was fantastic. We are in the semi-finals, but there is still work to do.”