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Aston Villa moved up to seventh in the Premier League table by beating the team that were ahead of them – Brighton & Hove Albion – 3-0 away from home on Wednesday night.

The Villans, in a match that lasted over 100 minutes, secured all three points in emphatic fashion, thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Donyel Malen, who all joined the claret and blue army in the January transfer window.

There were many impressive performers for Unai Emery’s side throughout the match at the AMEX, including the player who scored the opening goal on the night – Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford's performance was vital for Aston Villa

The England international, who is on loan from Macnhester United until the end of the season, was the player to make it 1-0 for Villa with his terrific run in behind the Brighton defence.

He made a great movement off the shoulder of the last defender to race clear through on goal and the finish matched the run as the speedster brilliantly lifted the ball into the back of the net to give Villa the lead.

The 27-year-old attacker’s goal broke the deadlock and allowed the away side to play with more freedom, having taken the lead, which teed up the rest of the performance for Villa to go on and win with ease, which is why his display and goal were so vital for Emery’s team.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

There was a Villans star, however, who was even more important to the result, as Morgan Rogers proved that he is the main man for Villa with another sublime showing.

Why Morgan Rogers is the main man for Aston Villa

Emery has a host of brilliant attacking talents at his disposal, including the likes of Rashford, Asensio, and Ollie Watkins, but it is the former Manchester City man who runs the team with his performances.

As the attacking midfielder tasked with carrying the ball through the thirds, Rogers is crucial to everything that Villa do in possession and is now closing in on 20 goal contributions for the season, with 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

The 22-year-old dynamo, who was handed a player rating of 8/10 by BirminghamLive, added another two assists to his tally in the win over Brighton, playing a phenomenal long-range ball to Rashford for the opener, and racing down the flank to provide a perfect cut-back for Asensio to make it 2-0.

As you can see in the table above, the English whiz outperformed Rashford with his contributions to the side in and out of possession throughout the game, which shows that he offered more to the team overall.

Rogers, who was compared to Jude Bellingham on Sky Sports earlier this season, has proven himself to the main man time and time again for the Villans, as he has started all 29 of his appearances in the Premier League, whilst Watkins has been a substitute on five occasions.

Illustrating his all-round quality, Rogers is the only player in the squad who ranks within the top five for shots, dribbles, key passes, and fouls won per game, which speaks to how much of an influence he has on matches on the ball.

The Villa star can impact games with his energy out of possession, by winning tackles and duels, whilst also providing a threat as a scorer and a creator of goals, which makes him the full package for Emery and the manager’s main man on the pitch in the top-flight.

Monchi sends scouts as Aston Villa race to sign "special" Galatasaray star

He’s a wanted man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Apr 2, 2025

Crystal Palace's hopes of playing Europa League football have taken a blow, as Lyon announced an agreement with UEFA to play in the competition.

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• Lyon relegated from Ligue 1
• Textor has sold shares in Palace
• Final decision expected by end of the month

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Eagles has been given a glimmer of hope after Lyon were relegated from Ligue 1 due to their finances. Officials at Palace viewed the demotion as a 'game-changer' according to the MailOnline, however the French club announced a special agreement had been made with UEFA to strengthen their chances of playing in the Europa League next term.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It's the latest chapter in a saga that has tested the strength of UEFA's rules and regulations. The south London club's participation in Europe was brought into question as Eagle Football Holdings, the company of American businessman John Textor, also owns Lyon. As per, UEFA's rules on multi-club ownership, both teams cannot appear in the same competition. Textor sold his share in Palace to the owner of the New York Jets Woody Johnson in an attempt to circumvent the rules.

• WHAT WAS SAID

  The official statement by Lyon said: "After validating its financial viability procedure, Olympique Lyonnais has signed an agreement with UEFA's club financial control body.

  "The club could thus participate in the Europa League competition next season, subject to a favourable outcome during the appeal of the DNCG's decision.

  "OL thanks the UEFA representatives who supported it in this procedure."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  It's hard to accurately guess the outcome of this whole affair. Textor appears to be persona non grata in Lyon, with fans protesting his ownership and calling for his exit. Palace's top brass have travelled to Switzerland to make their case at UEFA's HQ, but are at the mercy of the governing body's decision. Lyon might be playing football in France's second division next year. This story will continue to rumble for the foreseeable future.

Al-Hilal have once again rekindled their interest in signing Victor Osimhen from Napoli this summer. Osimhen, who spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, has returned to his parent club, but is unlikely to stay in Italy for much longer. Galatasaray are pushing for a permanent transfer but will face stiff competition from the Saudi Pro League giants.

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• Al-Hilal rekindle interest in Napoli
• Saudi giants determined to sign star forward
• Have identified alternatives

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Al-Hilal are set to renew transfer talks with Napoli to sign their star forward in the summer transfer window, having already failed with multiple attempts. After a disappointing 2024-25 campaign, where the Saudi side failed to defend their league title and were knocked out of the Club World Cup by Fluminense, Al-Hilal are now focusing on rebuilding their squad ahead of the new season.

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  Simone Inzaghi's side are set to welcome France international Theo Hernandez as their first signing of the summer and have shifted their focus to Osimhen. It has been made clear that the Nigerian forward does not have a future at Napoli and will exit the Italian champions this summer.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  After a stellar campaign in the Turkish Super Lig last season, where he won the Golden Boot, Galatasaray are keen on signing the forward permanently. However, the Istanbul club might find it difficult to compete against the Saudi giants, who have deep pockets.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AL-HILAL?

  Al-Hilal have prepared a shortlist of forwards and have three more options as backup in case they miss out on Osimhen. Inzaghi's side have identified Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic as a plan B. The other two targets are Al-Qadsiah's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Youssef En-Nesyri from Fenerbahce.

Spain started their Euro 2025 campaign with a dominant display over Portugal, running out 5-0 winners in this Group B clash.

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• Spain 2-0 up within 10 minutes
• World Champs finish with 71% possession
• La Roja keep first clean sheet of 2025

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  TELL ME MORE

  Spain showed zero mercy, as they ran roughshod over their Iberian neighbours. Any chances of Portugal frustrating their rivals were out of the window by the second minute, with Spain taking the lead after Ester Gonzalez bundled an Olga Carmona pass past poor Ines Pereira. The lead was quickly doubled; Vicky Lopez latching on to a delightful cross from the classy right boot of Mariona Caldentey.

  Portugal were industrious and game for the middle section of the half, perhaps jolted into action out of embarrassment or fear of humiliation. However, La Roja continued to hammer home their superiority, stringing together neat passing moves at the edge of the box that beguiled their opposition and captured the imagination of a sell-out crowd in Bern. Lopez, Alexia Putellas, Claudia Pina and Caldentey were linking up at will, an ominous sign that soon the floodgates would truly open.

  In the 41st minute, Caldentey picked the ball up on the halfway line and was given all the time in the world to pick up her head and find the darting run of Putellas. The Barcelona legend chested the ball down, cut past the desperate slide of Diana Gomes and buried past Pereira. A beautiful goal. Two minutes later, Spain proved they can score scrappy ones too, as Gonzales bundled in her second after a cross from Pina rebounded off the inside of the Portuguese post.

  The second half started in a similar fashion, Spain camped in the Portugal half looking for a breakthrough. Always looking for an extra pass, perhaps La Roja would have been better served taking more shots rather than searching for the perfect goal. Portugal's brief skirmishes into the Spanish half were driven by solo lung busting runs by the rapid Ana Borges.

  Ultimately, Spain were able to keep those brief excursions at bay, and appeared to content leave the game with their first clean sheet this calendar year. However, they had to have one last laugh, as substitute Cristina Martín-Prieto powered home a headed effort in injury time.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Spain dominated their rivals in every facet of the game. They finished with 71% possession, 20 shots on goal to their opponents' seven, and had 50 touches in the opposing box to Portugal's five.

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  THE MVP

  This gong could have gone to any number of the Spanish players, but Arsenal maestro Caldentey demonstrated her immense technical abilities in setting up two of Spain's first half goals. She looked so dangerous when drifting off the right flank and picking out devastating pass after devastating pass to Pina and Putellas in the opposite channel. What a player.

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• THE BIG LOSER

  Diana Gomes' attempt at stopping Putellas' brilliant goal was a microcosm for an entire performance. The Portuguese defenders did not know whether to get tight or sit off Spain's brilliant attackers. Ultimately, they did neither and compounded their misery trying to play on their own 18-yard line. A frazzled effort in the face of excellence.

Manchester United are interested in signing Norway Under-21 international Eivind Helland and sent a scout to watch the youngster over the weekend.

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• Man Utd interested in Helland
• 20-year-old playing for Brann
• Scout dispatched to run rule over him

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per VG, United sent scouts to watch Helland play against Viking on Sunday, as Brann won 3-1. The 20-year-old, who has won six caps for Norway's Under-21s, already has 37 senior appearances for the club; he can play at both centre-back and right-back.

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  Helland's agent is also reported to have been present at the game, so it is possible that he spoke with United's representative. Helland insists he does not know anything about the Red Devils' interest in him, however, but claims it is normal for players to be linked away.

• WHAT HELLAND SAID

  Helland told VG: “I haven’t thought much about it [Manchester United] That’s just the way it is. That’s how the football world is."

  Asked if he had any thoughts about leaving, he replied: “I’m very calm about it. I feel very comfortable here, and my plan is to stay here. No, I’m going to play really well with Brann.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  United are clearly casting their net far and wide as they seek new signings for Ruben Amorim. The manager has thus far seen Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon arrive this summer.

ESPN analysts Gomez and Shaka Hislop offered contrasting perspectives on the American striker’s potential move to the Bundesliga

• Hislop believes Sargent needs to become more clinical
• Baffled by striker's limited USMNT appearances
• Gomez says relegation likely humbled Sargent

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  Shaka Hislop addressed Josh Sargent's potential transfer to Wolfsburg, questioning whether the American possesses the clinical finishing required at Bundesliga level. The former Premier League goalkeeper said that a possible return to Germany represents a step up that will demand greater efficiency.

  “It's a different ask for Sargent at Wolfsburg,” Hislop said on the Futbol Americas podcast. “First of all Wolfsburg, mid-table in the Bundesliga, looking for that out-and-out striker. I still wonder if he's a clinical enough finisher because, while we're talking about numbers for Norwich City, they are good numbers without being great numbers, largely, in the Championship.

  “Now he's a step up into the Bundesliga, a league that he knows well – and yeah, granted he left four years ago. He was 21 years old. That's a big ask for somebody that young to make any kind of a significant impact and now he's more experienced. He knows his game better… Josh Sargent though, to be a success at Wolfsburg, I think has got to be a more clinical finisher than we've seen at Norwich. He does that. I think he has an impact."

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• WHAT HERCULEZ GOMEZ SAID

  Herculez Gomez suggested it would be a "a great move going back to the Bundesliga" for the American forward.

  “Josh Sargent’s player development was club soccer in the United States And after a U17 World Cup, jumped to the Bundesliga and had that type of awakening," Gomez said. "And from there, he was purchased to the Premier League. And he did not do well in the Premier League, but in not doing well in the Premier League, he found time to be humbled in the correct way.

  “Not that he was arrogant or anything, but it'll humble you when you get relegated. Did the right things going forward to be the man in Norwich. In the last few seasons, he's been one of their best players if not their best, clearly, their best goalscorer… while he could be more clinical at times, he's added so much to that arsenal."

  However, the former national team player questioned why Sargent has struggled for the USMNT.

  “For whatever reason, when the national team comes calling, he doesn’t make trip, he's injured, you get sick, whatever the case may be," he said. "He needs something if he wants a repeat of being the starting forward like he was in Qatar, if he wants another chance at a World Cup, to be a prominent player. I see the tools there and I see an open field. If you think of the nine position, there is nobody right now that has their hand raised that says ‘I'm healthy. I'm scoring goals, this position's mine and it's going to stay mine’.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Josh Sargent currently plays for Norwich City but is reportedly set to sign for Wolfsburg for a fee of €21 million – although the two parties are still, reportedly, in negotiations.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  Sargent was not included on the USMNT's Gold Cup roster, something coach Mauricio Pochettino called a "football decision." He will be hoping to be in contention for a spot on the 2026 World Cup roster.

Lionel Messi screamed in the face of a rival after helping Inter Miami to a dramatic win over Atlas, but later apologised by passing over his shirt.

• Herons snatched stoppage-time winner
• Argentine GOAT registered two assists
• Gifted jersey to Uruguayan opponent

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine superstar put in another match-altering performance for the Herons as he recorded two assists in a battling 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Mexican opposition. The decisive goal in that contest arrived in the 96th minute.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi, who teed up Marcelo Weigandt for the game winner, celebrated wildly in front of Matias Coccaro as Inter Miami snatched the spoils. He was responding to the Uruguayan celebrating Atlas’ equaliser in front of the home support in South Florida.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  While Messi allowed emotion to get the better of him in the heat of the moment, any differences were quickly put to one side. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner shared a warm embrace with Coccaro before handing over one of his prized No.10 jerseys behind the scenes.

Loic Bade has declined Bournemouth's offer despite the English club's agreement with Sevilla, while Bayer Leverkusen could pounce on the defender.

• Bade turns down Bournemouth
• Agreement with Sevilla for €30m
• Sunderland and Leverkusen interested

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bournemouth had an agreement with Sevilla for €30 million (£26m/$35m) but the player rejected their offer, according to Sunderland are also interested in Bade, with sporting director Florent Ghisolfi keen on a reunion after working with him at Lens, but he may prefer move to Leverkusen due to the German side competing in the Champions League next term.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bade moved from Rennes to Sevilla permanently in January 2023 after impressing during a loan spell in Spain. His standout performances earned him a contract extension until 2029 and a call-up to the French national team, with Didier Deschamps selecting him for France’s match against Germany, which Les Bleus won 2-0.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bournemouth are in need of another defender after losing Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, and Ilya Zabarnyi expected to join Paris Saint-Germain. They will have to turn to other options after their rejection from Bade, though. 

  Leverkusen, meanwhile, are looking to add another centre-back to help cover for the loss of Jonathan Tah, having already landed Jarell Quansah from Liverpool. 

  Sunderland, looking to continue their busy summer with an ambitious move for Bade, have already made eight signings this summer. They are also looking to add more defensive reinforcements in the form of Jhon Lucumi from Bologna and attacker Marc Guiu is expected to join on loan from Chelsea.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BADE AND SEVILLA ?

  Bade will look to resolve his future quickly with the new season less than two weeks away. Sevilla, meanwhile, hope more clubs match Bournemouth’s offer as they look to cash in on the French defender.

Dele Alli has sent a “legend” message to Son Heung-min after seeing his former Tottenham team-mate leave north London for MLS.

• South Korean star spent 10 years in England
• Embracing a new challenge in the United States
• Leaves north London as a modern day icon

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The South Korea international made an emotional announcement during Spurs’ pre-season in the summer of 2025 that he would be severing ties with the Premier League giants after 10 memorable years.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A new challenge has been lined up since then, with Son joining the likes of Lionel Messi and Thomas Muller in North America. He has completed a switch to LAFC and will now be enjoying life in the Californian sunshine.

  He has been waved away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with best wishes, having served Spurs with distinction across a decade of loyal service. He plundered 173 goals for the club through 454 appearances.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Son once struck up a devastating partnership with Harry Kane, posting Premier League records along the way, while he also worked alongside Dele before the ex-England international left for Everton in 2022.

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• WHAT DELE SAID

  Dele, who is looking for a new club of his own after being frozen out at Serie A side Como on the back of just one competitive appearance, has posted on social media that Son is his “brother for life” and has “left a legend” at Spurs.

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Leeds have reached an agreement to sign a seasoned Premier League striker ahead of their return to the top flight.

• Leeds add new attacker
• 57-goalscorer in top flight
• Available as free agent

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leeds are set to make their return to the Premier League after dominating the Championship last season and Daniel Farke is adding veteran striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin to his ranks. The 28-year-old left Everton as a free agent this summer and will make the switch to Elland Road having turned down a new deal with the Toffees.

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  Calvert-Lewin had a disrupted end to his Everton career. Plagued by injuries, he only featured 26 times in the Premier League last season and across his time with the Toffees, he scored 71 goals in 274 appearances.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Having impressed early in his career at Sheffield United, Calvert-Lewin spent nine years at Goodison Park. In that time, he also earned 11 caps for England, but hasn't made a Three Lions appearance since 2021.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CALVERT-LEWIN?

  Calvert-Lewin is set to undergo his medical at Leeds on Wednesday, before signing on the dotted line to join Daniel Farke's side. Leeds open their campaign against the Toffees on Saturday.