Jadon Sancho marked a memorable milestone by scoring his first goal for Aston Villa as the Premier League side secured a hard-fought victory over Fenerbahce in Istanbul, sealing qualification for the Europa League last 16 with a game to spare.

The decisive moment came in the 25th minute when Sancho reacted sharply to a deflected cross from Matty Cash, rising at close range to nod the ball past Fenerbahce goalkeeper Ederson. It was a composed finish that underlined Villa’s growing confidence on the European stage and gave them a crucial early advantage in a challenging away fixture.

That goal proved enough to maintain Villa’s impressive momentum in the competition. With six wins from their opening seven matches, Unai Emery’s side now sit third in the league phase table and are mathematically guaranteed a top-eight finish, ensuring direct passage into the knockout rounds. The achievement highlights Villa’s consistency and depth as they continue to balance domestic and European ambitions.

Despite the positive outcome, Villa’s victory was not without tension, particularly in the closing stages. With 15 minutes remaining, Fenerbahce thought they had drawn level when Kerem Akturkoglu finished clinically, only for a video assistant referee review to rule the goal out for an offside in the build-up involving former Villa striker Jhon Duran. The intervention proved decisive in preserving Villa’s narrow lead.

Villa, who made six changes from their weekend Premier League draw at home to Everton, controlled much of the contest and created the clearer chances for long spells. Sancho came close to adding a second goal shortly before half-time when he rounded Ederson after being played through by Morgan Rogers, but his effort was dramatically cleared off the line by Fenerbahce captain Milan Skriniar.

Rogers briefly thought he had scored from the rebound, only for play to be stopped after the ball struck the referee in the build-up, bringing the move to an unfortunate end. The forward was again denied later in the match when another effort was ruled out, this time after Sancho had strayed offside before squaring the ball for what would have been a simple finish.

Villa continued to threaten, with Cash going close to a spectacular goal when his dipping 25-yard strike crashed against the far post. At the other end, goalkeeper Marco Bizot played a vital role in preserving the clean sheet, producing an excellent diving save to his right to deny substitute Talisca after the attacker had broken through on goal midway through the second half.

Fenerbahce pushed hard in the final moments, but Villa remained disciplined and resilient, seeing out the game with maturity and composure. The win not only confirms their place in the last 16 but also reinforces the sense that Emery’s side are growing into serious contenders in the competition.

Senegal were crowned Africa Cup of Nations champions for a second time after a tense and dramatic final against hosts Morocco, a match that will be remembered as much for its controversy as for the resilience and composure shown by the eventual winners.

The decisive encounter was overshadowed late on when Senegal’s players briefly refused to continue play after Morocco were awarded a highly contentious stoppage-time penalty with the score still level at 0-0. The incident unfolded in the 98th minute, prompting a heated reaction from the Senegalese bench and players on the pitch.

Head coach Pape Thiaw attempted to usher his team off the field in protest after referee Jean Jacques Ndala pointed to the spot, ruling that defender El Hadji Malick Diouf had brought down Brahim Diaz inside the penalty area. The decision was confirmed following a VAR review, intensifying Senegal’s frustration at a critical moment of the final.

When play eventually resumed, Real Madrid forward Diaz stepped up to take the penalty, attempting an audacious panenka. However, the effort was brilliantly saved, lifting Senegal and restoring belief among the players and supporters after a chaotic few minutes.

Thiaw, 44, was visibly irritated not only by the penalty decision but also by the earlier disallowing of a Senegal goal moments before the spot-kick was awarded. Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr had appeared to give Senegal the lead from close range, only for the goal to be ruled out after a foul by Abdoulaye Seck on Achraf Hakimi in the build-up.

As tensions rose, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy briefly made his way toward the dressing room, before returning to the pitch following encouragement from captain Sadio Mane, who played a key leadership role in urging his team-mates to remain focused and see out the match.

Referee Ndala brought the 90 minutes to an end immediately after the penalty drama, sending the final into extra time. Senegal carried their momentum forward and were rewarded early, with Pape Gueye breaking the deadlock just four minutes into extra time to give his side a crucial lead.

Manchester City have agreed a £20m deal to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, with the England centre-back expected to complete a move to the Premier League champions later this month.

City opened talks with the 25-year-old defender earlier this month after suffering injuries to key centre-backs Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias. Negotiations have accelerated over the past 24 hours, and an agreement was reached on Thursday night between City and Palace.

Guehi, who is out of contract this summer, has been linked with several leading European clubs and was close to joining Liverpool during last summer’s transfer window.

City have already been active in the current transfer window, completing the £62.5m signing of forward Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth as Pep Guardiola’s side strengthen their squad for the remainder of the season.

The development of Guehi’s move came as Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that he will leave the club when his contract expires in June. The Austrian coach said Guehi’s potential transfer had “zero impact” on his decision, explaining that he had already made up his mind months earlier.

Glasner added that he had informed Palace chairman Steve Parish in October that he would not be signing a new contract. However, the agreement to sell Guehi is believed to have prompted the timing of Glasner’s public confirmation of his planned departure.