Sports
Villa sign striker Abraham for £18.25m
Aston Villa have completed the signing of England striker Tammy Abraham in an £18.25m move from Besiktas, marking a high-profile and emotionally charged return to a club that played a defining role in his career.
The 28-year-old has agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League title challengers, bringing him back to English football for the first time since his departure to Roma in 2021. Abraham arrives with a strong sense of unfinished business and renewed ambition as Villa continue to build depth and quality for the second half of the season.
Abraham had been on loan at Besiktas from Roma, but the Turkish club activated their £11m buy option earlier this week. Villa will now pay Besiktas a fee of 21m euros (£18.25m) to secure the striker’s services, concluding a deal that has been in the works for several weeks.
Villa head coach Unai Emery has been keen to add attacking reinforcement to support leading scorer Ollie Watkins, and Abraham has long been admired by the Spaniard. The striker previously enjoyed a prolific loan spell at Villa during the 2018-19 season, scoring 26 goals in 40 appearances and playing a central role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League from the Championship.
Speaking after completing the move, Abraham reflected on his connection to the club and the significance of his return.
“Some clubs play a big part in your journey and stay with you,” he said. “I’ve scored goals, faced challenges, and grown as a player and as a man. I’m back at Aston Villa, ready to work and give everything.”
As part of the agreement, teenage Villa midfielder Yasin Özcan, who has been on loan at Anderlecht this season, will move in the opposite direction to join Besiktas. The deal underlines the strong working relationship between the two clubs and Villa’s willingness to invest in both the present and the future.
Villa’s determination to secure Abraham was highlighted by the involvement of Roberto Olabe, the club’s president of football operations, who travelled to Turkey last week to watch the striker in action as Besiktas edged Kayserispor 1-0. His performance further reinforced Villa’s belief that Abraham can make an immediate impact.
The forward could make his second Villa debut against Brentford on Sunday, offering Emery another powerful attacking option. However, he has not been registered in time to feature in Thursday’s Europa League fixture against Red Bull Salzburg.
In further positive news for Villa supporters, former midfielder Douglas Luiz is set to return to the club on loan. The 27-year-old Brazilian, currently at Nottingham Forest on loan from Juventus, is expected to leave the City Ground before Monday’s transfer deadline, potentially adding experience and familiarity to Emery’s squad.
Sports
Cunha’s Late Stunner Lifts United as Arsenal Stumble in Emirates Classic
Matheus Cunha produced a moment of high drama at the Emirates Stadium, scoring a stunning late winner to propel Manchester United to a memorable 3–2 victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal in a pulsating five-goal encounter.
The result marked Arsenal’s first home defeat of the season and tightened the title race significantly, especially after earlier victories for Manchester City and Aston Villa. While the Gunners remain top of the table, their advantage has now been cut to four points, adding fresh intrigue to the championship run-in.
Arsenal began the contest with authority and looked in control during the opening exchanges. Their pressure told in the 29th minute when United defender Lisandro Martínez inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, giving the hosts a deserved lead and igniting the home crowd.
However, Manchester United showed resilience and composure to find a route back into the match. A loose pass from Martin Zubimendi proved costly for Arsenal, allowing Bryan Mbeumo to race through on goal. The United forward kept his nerve, rounding goalkeeper David Raya before calmly slotting into the empty net to restore parity.
The visitors carried that momentum into the second half and stunned Arsenal just five minutes after the restart. Patrick Dorgu produced a moment of quality, unleashing a powerful strike that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the net, giving United a surprise lead and silencing the Emirates.
In response, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made a bold quadruple substitution in search of inspiration, introducing Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino and Ben White. The changes appeared to pay off when Merino forced the ball home from a corner in the 84th minute, raising hopes of a late comeback and at least a share of the spoils.
Yet Manchester United had the final say. Just three minutes later, substitute Matheus Cunha collected a pass from Kobbie Mainoo and produced a moment of individual brilliance, curling an exquisite 25-yard strike into the bottom corner to seal a dramatic victory.
Sports
Adli’s Dramatic Late Strike Caps Fearless Bournemouth Night as Cherries Outlast Liverpool
Amine Adli delivered a moment Bournemouth supporters will treasure for years, scoring a stoppage-time winner to seal a thrilling Premier League victory over Liverpool and end the visitors’ 13-match unbeaten run at a rain-soaked Vitality Stadium.
In a pulsating contest that swung repeatedly, Adli reacted quickest to a goalmouth scramble in the fifth minute of added time, sending the home crowd into raptures just when it seemed Liverpool’s resilience might earn them a point. The goal crowned a performance full of belief and bravery from Andoni Iraola’s side, who refused to settle for a draw even after being pegged back from a two-goal lead.
Liverpool had shown their trademark fighting spirit to recover late on. With 10 minutes remaining, Dominik Szoboszlai struck his second free-kick of the week to make it 2-2, after Virgil van Dijk had earlier headed them back into contention. Yet Bournemouth continued to press, and their ambition was ultimately rewarded in dramatic fashion.
The match turned sharply during a chaotic seven-minute spell in the first half that proved costly for Liverpool. Evanilson opened the scoring in the 26th minute after Van Dijk failed to clear his lines, with Alex Scott’s sharp ball across goal punishing the lapse. In the same phase, Joe Gomez was injured after colliding with goalkeeper Alisson while trying to block the shot, leaving Liverpool temporarily down to 10 men.
With play continuing as Wataru Endo prepared to come on, Bournemouth took full advantage. In the 33rd minute, Alex Jimenez timed his run perfectly to meet James Hill’s through ball and calmly finished through Alisson’s legs to make it 2-0, underlining the Cherries’ ruthlessness.
Liverpool eventually regrouped and responded impressively. On the brink of half-time, Van Dijk rose highest to head home from a Szoboszlai corner, restoring hope. That belief carried into the second half, and Mohamed Salah cleverly rolled a free-kick into Szoboszlai’s path, allowing the Hungarian midfielder to fire low past Djordje Petrovic for the equaliser.
Both sides sensed victory was there to be claimed. Alisson was forced into a fine save to tip Ryan Christie’s effort over the bar, while at the other end Petrovic produced a stunning stop to deny Florian Wirtz, preserving Bournemouth’s momentum and belief.
As the clock ticked into stoppage time, neither team appeared content with a draw. Bournemouth pushed forward once more, and when the ball broke loose in the Liverpool box, Adli kept his composure to finish and spark wild celebrations. Petrovic sprinted to the touchline to embrace the dugout as the Vitality Stadium erupted in collective joy.
The result hands Liverpool their first defeat since November and extends their wait for a Premier League win in 2026. They remain fourth in the table, while Bournemouth climb to 13th, boosted by a result that could prove pivotal for their confidence.
Despite an injury-hit squad and the mid-season loss of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City, Iraola’s players produced a fearless, high-energy display in difficult conditions. While they briefly sat deeper in the second half, their willingness to attack late on defined the evening.
Sports
Sancho’s Breakthrough Strike Sends Aston Villa into Europa League Last 16
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.
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