24/09/2025

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | SEPT 24, 2025

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‘Frustrated and disappointed’ Emery seeks Europa League lift with Villa as Forest end long absence

U NAI EMERY will hope a return to the Europa League this week serves as the spark plug that ignites Aston Villa’s season, while Nottingham Forest embark on their first European campaign in 30 years. Emery is the most successful manager in Europa League history, winning the title three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal, but his Villa side have made a troubled start to the new campaign. Villa are winless through their first five Premier League games and had failed to even score before Sunday’s 1-1 draw at 10-man Sunderland, which left Emery “frustrated and disappointed”. “Our start, we’ve not been doing well,” admitted the Spaniard, who also took Arsenal to the Europa League final in 2019. “There is still work to do; some players are adapting in the squad and our idea, and they will need time. “Other players were here last year and know how we want to build the team and how we were being successful in the last three years.” Villa reached the quarterfinals of last season’s Champions League before losing 5-4 on aggregate to eventual winners Paris Saint Germain. They missed out on qualifying again for Europe’s top club competition on the final day of last season, with this their first appearance in the Europa League main draw since 2008-09. Villa begin at home to Bologna on Friday (3am Malaysian time) in a repeat of their 2-0 win over the Italians in the Champions League last October. Bologna have qualified as winners of the Italian Cup, their first major trophy since 1974. Like Emery, Nottingham Forest’s new boss

do like my teams to play exciting football and score goals,” Postecoglou said upon his arrival at the City Ground, the home of the 1979 and 1980 European Cup winners. “No apologies about that. That’s just the way I am and the way I want to see my teams play.” Forest travel to Real Betis tomorrow (3am) for their first European game since the quarterfinals of the 1995/96 Uefa Cup against Bayern Munich. Betis have former United winger Antony in their squad after the Brazilian rejoined the Spanish side on a five-year deal following a successful loan spell. Led by former Manchester City and West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini, Betis finished runners up to Chelsea in the Uefa Conference League last season after reaching their first European final. Celtic and Rangers both dropped into the second-tier competition after falling short in the Champions League playoff round last month. Brendan Rodgers takes his Celtic team to Serbia on Wednesday to face Red Star Belgrade in a battle of former European champions. Embattled Rangers are off to their worst domestic start since 1978 and fans protested against manager Russell Martin during Saturday’s League Cup win over Hibernian, which did little to quell the anger felt around Ibrox.

also knows what it takes to win the Europa League. Ange Postecoglou, appointed by Forest earlier this month, steered Tottenham to a rare trophy last term as they beat Manchester United in the final. He is searching for his first win at Forest following two defeats, including an

early League Cup exit, and Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Burnley. The Australian, sacked by Spurs in June after their worst Premier League season, took over from Nuno Espirito Santo and is trying to implement his more expansive style at Forest in the quest for silverware. “ I

“I can’t control any of it,” Martin said, as fans delayed the game by hurling hundreds of coloured balls onto the pitch and called for his sacking. “At this football club, it becomes about one person really quickly,” added Martin. “It’s become about me, not by my choice.” Two-time winners Porto and

Feyenoord, coached by former Dutch star Robin van Persie, are both competing in the league phase. Porto start against Salzburg while Feyenoord visit Braga. Twice runners-up Roma open their campaign against Nice, while Fenerbahce – who sacked Jose Mourinho after failing to make it to the Champions League – are away to Dinamo Zagreb. – AFP

Aston Villa’s coach, Unai Emery (left) and Forest’s manager Ange Postecoglou. – REUTERSPIC

Silva slams schedule makers

‘I wanted to stay at PSG’ ITALY goalkeeper

MANCHESTER CITY captain Bernardo Silva has slammed football’s schedule makers for lacking respect and fairness after his side were given little time to prepare for their clash with Arsenal. City kicked off their 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday just 66 hours after the final whistle in the Champions League home win over Napoli. While Pep Guardiola’s team had virtually no time to rest and recover from the Napoli game before the crucial Premier League showdown in north London, Arsenal had played their Champions League opener at Athletic Bilbao 48 hours earlier on Wednesday. Silva felt City’s tiredness was decisive as Arsenal dominated after Erling Haaland’s early strike before snatching a stoppage-time equaliser through Gabriel Martinelli. Guardiola had named an unchanged side against Arsenal rather than rotating his players, but Silva is convinced it was the pressure of the

got a lot of players to come back to strengthen the squad even more and we’ve got a lot of young lads who have done great for us just to get on the pitch and show that they’re capable. We’re pleased,” Millwall boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio London . Watford boss Paulo Pezzolano said after the match: “I feel we deserved something. The team made a big effort physically. “The finishing will come. It is part of the process. These players deserved more.” – Agencies Echoing the complaints of many of his peers as the demands on players grow, Silva believes such a quick turnaround is too much of a burden to shoulder. “Look, the schedule is the schedule and I understand you have different competitions, and Uefa, the Premier League, and the broadcasters want to make their money,” he said. “What we ask for is common sense because this is one of the biggest games of the season. The players need to be in the same physical conditions otherwise I don’t think it is fair.” Silva said attempts to complain to the game’s lawmakers would be fruitless. “They don’t listen to us. We would like to change something. “But it never changes,” he said. “It does not really matter, but for the fans, for the respect of the clubs, and for the fairness of the competition, I don’t think what happened was good.” – AFP

fixture list that was to blame for City’s late frustration. “The reality is we cannot come in to one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest. It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right,” he said. “They had five days and we had two and a half days. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen. It is just not enough. “I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be at your best condition. “We saw (Abdukodir) Khusanov getting injured because these games demand a lot. I feel it is just frustrating that we couldn’t be at our best level simply because of the decision of someone that thinks it is fair to come away after two and a half less days than Arsenal.”

Gianluigi Donnarumma said he had wanted to remain at European champions Paris St Germain before his transfer to Manchester City during the close season. The 26-year-old, who joined PSG from AC Milan in 2021, was part of the side that claimed the French club’s first Champions League title last season and was asked at the Ballon d’Or awards ceremony yesterday if he had wanted to stay in Paris. “Yes, when you go through so many positive things, when you spend a lot of time with great friends, it is difficult,” Donnarumma told reporters after being awarded the Yashin trophy for best goalkeeper of the season. Donnarumma added he was now settled at City where he has signed a five-year contract. “But the truth is that I have found an extraordinary club (Manchester City), with extraordinary players, and they welcome me like a big family and that is important for me,” he said. “Change is difficult but at the base I had found (at PSG) really extraordinary supporters, extraordinary players, the staff, the coach, the sporting director, the president. That is why I had wanted to stay.” – Reuters

Millwall win deepens early-season Watford woes CAMIEL NEGHLI’S deft freekick saw off Watford to secure Millwall’s first home Championship win of the season at The Den. equalising from point-blank range in the 90th minute.

Alex Neil’s side move into the top half of the table, up to 10th, while Watford sit 21st after a run of four Championship games without a win. Millwall came into the game having lost both of their opening two league matches at The Den without scoring a goal. “I thought it was a big game for us because if we win it, it’s deemed a good start for us. “We’re two points off second place, we’ve still

The Algeria U-23 international lifted the ball over the wall and beyond Hornets keeper Egil Selvik, who later went off injured at halftime, to put the hosts in control. Millwall had a strong penalty shout for a foul on Macaulay Langstaff turned down before Lions keeper Steven Benda pulled off a sensational save to prevent Watford’s Luca Kjerrumgaard