The end of the October international window is upon us, club football fans. Get ready for four more weeks of Premier League fun before we're lulled back into the November break. Fortunately, there's non-stop action before then to look forward to, beginning with some mouth-watering fixtures this coming weekend, including Manchester United's trip to Liverpool.
Of all the England players who were left out of Thomas Tuchel's squad for their October fixtures, Jude Bellingham's omission seemed the most confusing. The midfielder has been one of the Three Lions' main protagonists ever since breaking into the starting XI post-Euro 2020 heartbreak and has long been heralded as a key player for whichever team he's representing.
England have been dealt a fresh blow to their attacking plans, with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins forced to withdraw from Thomas Tuchel’s squad after suffering a freak injury. The Three Lions were without all-time leading goal-scorer Harry Kane for a friendly date with Wales, as he nurses a knock of his own, with a selection headache being posed ahead of a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
Thomas Tuchel offered an update on Ollie Watkins' injury after the England striker was forced off in their win against Wales following a nasty collision with the woodwork. England's 3-0 dismantling of Wales on Thursday night might have looked like smooth sailing on the scoreboard, but Watkins' collision left the Three Lions bench fearing the worst.
Morgan Rogers was delighted to make the most of his opportunity to impress for England against Wales, with the Aston Villa playmaker aware that "people will take your role" if the demands of head coach Thomas Tuchel are not met. Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham is among those to have missed out on a place in the latest Three Lions squad, with competition for places now fierce across all areas of the field.
Rayan has emerged as one of the most promising talents in Brazilian football and his performances haven't gone unnoticed by some of the Premier League's heavy hitters. Tottenham have now emerged as the favourites to sign the teenage forward, who has also attracted interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa. However, it's Spurs who are the frontrunners for the 19-year-old.
Aston Villa's first European away day of the season has been marred by fan violence in Rotterdam. Villa take on Feyenoord in matchday two of the Europa League phase as they sought to follow up recent victories over Bologna and Fulham. However, the build up to the game saw fans of both sides clashing ahead of the match at De Kuip.
Manchester United could revisit their interest in Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in January, despite signing Senne Lammens earlier this year. With Ruben Amorim under pressure after a poor start to the campaign, the club are expected to explore reinforcements — and former Red Devils scout Mick Brown believes Martinez remains firmly on their radar.
Morgan Rogers endured an evening to forget when facing Bologna in the Europa League, despite seeing Aston Villa battle their way to a much-needed 1-0 win. The England international has been struggling for form at the start of the 2025-26 campaign and was ironically cheered by his own supporters as some wayward passing fell under the microscope at Villa Park.
Aston Villa president of football operations Monchi has stepped down from his role at the club and now details behind his exit have come to light. Unai Emery's side have had a difficult start to the season after a summer transfer window where they spent just €30 million (£26m). Real Sociedad's former sporting director Roberto Olabe will replace Monchi but all is not well at Villa.
With two Big Six clashes and a Merseyside derby, there was a lot to get excited about in the Premier League this weekend. And with last-minute goals, red cards aplenty and a couple of narrative shifts, it sure did not disappoint. Pep Guardiola did his best Jose Mourinho impression and took his Manchester City side to Arsenal to defend deep and play on the counterattack.
A furious Unai Emery slammed his "lazy" Aston Villa players after they blew a lead against 10-man Sunderland on Sunday. Following their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, Villa are languishing down in 18th in the Premier League table with only three points from their opening five games.
Jadon Sancho has been warned that his career is “going to turn into a circus” if he struggles at Aston Villa this season. The winger joined Unai Emery’s side on a season-long loan from Manchester United on deadline day in an attempt to get his career back on track. Sancho had been told he was not part of United boss Ruben Amorim’s plans for the 2025-26 season, with the 25-year-old training away from the rest of the squad before completing his switch to Villa.
AC Milan are preparing a new contract for Alexis Saelemaekers after turning down strong interest from Aston Villa, Juventus and Roma. The Belgian has quickly become a cornerstone under Max Allegri since returning from loan spells, impressing in a new 3-5-2 system and delivering decisive contributions in Serie A’s opening weeks.
Elon Musk, long regarded as untouchable at the summit of the global rich list, found himself toppled this month, and the man who did it has a surprising link to English football. Musk, whose fortune Forbes pegged at a staggering $425 billion earlier this year, slipped after a wobble in his valuation. Into the void stepped Oracle kingpin Larry Ellison, who saw his wealth skyrocket on the back of a stock market surge.
Unai Emery explained why he kept Jadon Sancho on the bench against Everton last Saturday as the Manchester United loanee is forced to wait on his Aston Villa debut. After being shunned from the first team and included in Ruben Amorim's "bomb squad", Sancho was destined to leave Old Trafford during the transfer window and he eventually managed to secure a loan move to Villa Park on deadline day.
Unai Emery hailed Aston Villa star Emi Martinez for his sensational performance against Everton following a failed move to Manchester United. However, in a shock turn, United ditched Martinez at the last minute and instead signed Belgian youngster Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp. That switch paved the way for Andre Onana’s loan departure to Trabzonspor, but left Martinez high and dry in Birmingham.
Jack Grealish has already exceeded his xA by 2.4 goals since joining Everton. The last time this was in positive territory was at Villa in 20/21. Intro: Grealish’s loan spell with the Toffees has kick-started his career, with Everton making him their main creative force. How will he fare against Villa?
Jadon Sancho could reportedly end up in MLS as the Manchester United flop is interested in a stateside switch in the future after sealing his loan to Aston Villa. When United splashed £73 million ($99m) to prise him away from Borussia Dortmund in 2021, the winger was hailed as the missing piece of their attacking puzzle. Sancho himself called it “a dream come true.” Fast forward three years, and that dream has dissolved into a prolonged nightmare.
Jadon Sancho has been ripped to shreds by Jamie Carragher, who claims the Manchester United outcast doesn't have "much ability". Sancho returned to Old Trafford after a season-long spell at Chelsea as the Blues opted against buying the winger permanently. He was instantly relegated to Ruben Amorim's "bomb squad", before eventually being shipped out on loan again on deadline day, this time to Aston Villa.
Aston Villa
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