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Johan Manzambi saw first hand how good Aston Villa were last season and is now playing a crucial part in Unai Emery's rebuild in this campaign. Switzerland midfielder Manzambi, who turned 21 on Wednesday, scored his third goal in Villa colours with the winner in a 1-0 victory over Newcastle - the club he turned down before moving to Villa Park in the summer. Manzambi played a crucial role in helping Freiburg reach the Europa League final, before the Germans were comprehensively beaten by a Villa side that scored three times in the opening hour on their way to a 3-0 success. Asked why he had joined Villa, Manzambi said: "The team was very good and I played against them in the final. It's a very good team with a big coach and that was perfect for me." For Newcastle fans it was one that had got away, as Manzambi had looked set for a move to St James' Park before opting to join Villa in a club record deal of just over £50m. Manzambi headed in the winner in the north east on Saturday, unmarked eight yards out when found by Joao Gomes' excellent cross. It comes after he also found the back of the net in the 3-2 win at Tottenham and in the 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahce in the Champions League. "He has made a very good impact with his qualities," said a delighted Emery. "Skills and intelligence, both he has, and his physicality is very important as well to help us defensively and to help us try to keep the duels offensively. "So happy he has scored another goal, fantastic for him." Among players in the Bundesliga in his position last season, Manzambi ranked first for progressive carries of 10 metres or more (116), shot-ending carries (13) and fouls won (78). He then impressed in the World Cup, scoring twice in the 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, getting a goal and an assist in the 2-1 victory over co-hosts Canada and also registering an assist in the 2-0 success over Algeria. Unfortunately for Manzambi and Switzerland, a knee injury ruled him out of the last-16 penalty shootout win over Colombia and their quarter-final loss to Argentina. So impressive were his performances last season, that Manzambi finds himself on a 10-man list for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world's best player aged under 21. Also on the shortlist are Spain World Cup winners Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, along with Yan Diomande - whose performances earned him a move to Real Madrid, with the winner named on 26 October. Since his first start for Aston Villa on 19 September against Spurs, only Manchester City's Erling Haaland - with six - has been involved in more goals among Premier League players in all competitions than Manzambi's five (three goals, two assists). Team-mate Nicolas Jackson, another to join Villa in the transfer window in a deal worth up to £65m from Chelsea, was quick to praise the youngster. "He's an amazing player," said Jackson. "He's still growing. Hopefully he can be better and better every game, score goals and assist me as well. Hopefully we work together and achieve many things together. "He will go a long way and hopefully gets no injuries." While playing a crucial role in Villa's present and future, the team he has joined is a lot different to the one he played against in the Europa League final. From the Villa side that won in Istanbul, six of them - goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, defenders Lucas Digne and Ezri Konsa, midfielders Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers and striker Ollie Watkins - all left in high-profile moves, while substitutes Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Leon Bailey are also no longer at the club. It proved a challenging start to the season for Villa as they only picked up one point from their opening four league games, but this win over Newcastle has extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches. As well as moving up to 12th in the Premier League, Villa have six points from two ties in the Champions League after thrashing Fenerbahce 6-0 on Wednesday and are in the last 16 of the Carabao Cup, where they play at Bournemouth. How Manzambi became one of Europe's best young talents Jackson has scored five times for Villa since his move and said he was lucky to avoid a serious injury when he was caught in the first half by Newcastle's Sven Botman, who was only shown a yellow card despite an over-the-ball challenge. "I know the referee said yellow card but it was so high and hopefully maybe next time a red card, but it was a yellow," said Jackson. "I nearly broke my leg but anyway it's part of football. The most important thing is we win and we won, so I'm OK." Villa entertain Norwegian side Viking in their third Champions League match of the season on Wednesday before hosting a Manchester City side that have won all seven of their Premier League matches this season. "It was very important after our poor start [to the season] that we needed to try to come back feeling confident, feeling comfortable in how we are building our structure," added Emery. "The players themselves tried to be demanding to change the situation where we are. "Through the [Premier] league we are going to achieve our priority this year, so the league is the competition where we must try to be very consistent." With seven points from their past three league matches, Villa are a side on the rise again. Pre-match, post-match and topical Villa content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Villa Latest Aston Villa news, analysis and fan views Ask about Aston Villa - what do you want to know?

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Harry Kane scored on his 100th Bundesliga appearance while Luis Diaz netted a hat-trick as Bayern Munich thrashed RB Leipzig 6-1 to go top of the table.

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Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Gabriel Jesus, Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo all scored for Barcelona as they swept aside Real Betis in a seven-goal thriller to stay five points clear at the top of La Liga.

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Viktor Gyokeres wants to leave Arsenal , Xabi Alonso eyes Barcelona duo and Liverpool target Dortmund's Felix Nmecha. Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 28, is set to push for a move away from Arsenal in the January transfer window because of a lack of playing time. (TeamTalk, external) Liverpool are keeping an eye on Borussia Dortmund midfielder Felix Nmecha, 26, if they are unable to secure midfielder Alex Scott, 23, from Bournemouth. (CaughtOffside), external AC Milan are preparing to offer French midfielder Adrien Rabiot a new contract until 2030 after the 31-year-old's impressive start to the season. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian), external Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is looking to strengthen the depth of his squad in January with two signings from Barcelona in French defender Jules Kounde, 27, and Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 29. (Football365), external Chelsea are also interested in Borussia Dortmund and USA 17-year-old winger Mathis Albert, who has made just one appearance for the German side. (FootballTransfers, external) AS Roma and Brazil defender Wesley, 23, has been getting interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle. (SportWitness, external) Former Brighton defender Solly March, 32, is set to join Championship side Charlton on a free. The Englishman has been out of contract since he was released by the Seagulls in July. (Football Insider), external IFK Goteborg 's 17-year-old Swedish midfielder Oliver Mansson has attracted interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. (TeamTalk), external Arsenal and Manchester United have ruled out any interest in Sporting and Uruguay left-back Maxi Araujo, 26. (Sport Witness), external Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Moroccan winger Gessime Yassine, 20, from Strasbourg . (Ekrem Konur), external Bellingham agrees new Real deal - Saturday's gossip Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Florian Wirtz was instrumental as Liverpool returned to winning ways in the Premier League at Brentford on Saturday, but does the German playmaker remain boss Andoni Iraola's greatest conundrum? Wirtz has come in for criticism amid his struggles to replicate the form which persuaded the Reds to pay Bayer Leverkusen what was a club record £116m in June 2025. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard even said this week that the 23-year-old could benefit from being taken out of the team altogether, to overcome what the club's former captain perceives as a lack of confidence. The key dilemma facing Iraola was again evident in west London on Saturday. Liverpool bounced back from their first league defeat of the season against Manchester City last weekend by scoring twice in the second half against a Brentford side reduced to 10 men before half-time. The visitors produced plenty of chances, particularly with their man advantage in the second half when they registered 14 of their total 21 attempts. Wirtz was at the heart of things in the final third. The Germany international created more chances from open play (nine) than any other player has managed in a Premier League game over the past six seasons. The last player to create as many chances in a single game in the competition was Sadio Mane, for Liverpool against Burnley, in January 2021 (also nine). In an away game, he is the first player to reach that tally in more than 15 years, since Samir Nasri registered 10 for Manchester City against Tottenham in August 2011. Despite answering his critics with those standout statistics, the impact of his playing style on the dynamic of the team continues to come under scrutiny. BBC Sport pundit and former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy believes a midfield which features Wirtz as the number 10 remains a problem as it makes Iraola's side too easy to play against. "They got the job done. First and foremost, that's another win on the road, which is always positive," Murphy said of Liverpool's performance. "But I thought they looked too easy to play against. The spaces are too big. "They're playing with two wingers and Wirtz at 10, so they're relying heavily on the two midfield players to try and cover so much space. "It was too easy for Brentford to play out and to get in behind. That would be the biggest concern today for me." Liverpool stage comeback to win at nine-man Brentford Haaland scores twice as Man City beat Ipswich Injured Martinez taken to hospital as Chelsea beat Everton Following his latest performance, no player has created more chances in the Premier League this season. He is level with Brighton's Pascal Gross on 18. He played in Munoz to begin Liverpool's fightback, meaning Wirtz has assisted in back-to-back games for Liverpool across all competitions for the first time - although this was only his second goal involvement in seven league games this term. He was at the heart of Liverpool's attack, with a match-leading 12 final-third entries and 37 passes in the final third. However, only Milos Kerkez (20) lost possession on more occasions than Wirtz (19) among Liverpool players, and he won just one of his nine duels. "They don't look solid and don't look together in terms of shape," Murphy said. "Instead of a number 10, where Wirtz is struggling to impact games, put three midfielders in. "Always, the priority is foundation, defence, stability, being hard to beat. The other stuff can follow from there. "At the moment, it just looks a little bit open. Against better teams, you're going to get hurt." Victory took Liverpool up to fifth in the table, with three wins from their first seven league games under Iraola, who replaced Arne Slot in the summer. The Spaniard oversaw the Reds' first away league win after conceding first since December 2023, ending a run of 19 winless away games when going 1-0 behind. But, while striker Alexander Isak returned from injury, Iraola was dealt fresh blows as Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong suffered injuries on Saturday. Iraola told BBC Sport: "When you come here, you see the results of Brentford at home and you have to be ready for this kind of battle. "We had a lot of chances. Even at the end, we had some counters where we were three against one and need to finish. When we go 2-1, every throw-in and every free-kick can be a problem. "We are in a delicate situation with some of the players. We were talking about this run of four games in 10 days, it's very, very demanding. "We have to rest again because we have another big, big game against Villarreal [in the Champions League on Tuesday]." Pre-match, post-match and topical Reds content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about Liverpool Liverpool's Wirtz problem - does he need to be dropped? Latest Liverpool news, analysis and fan views Ask about Liverpool - what do you want to know?

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Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker - and Final Score pundit - Aaron McLean gives his five takeaways following Saturday's action in the Championship, League One and League Two. West Ham won their fixture with Swansea City in the Championship, thanks to Divine Mukasa's goal, and have moved to within a point of the Welsh club at the top of the table. They've scored a remarkable 30 goals in their 11 league games. McLean: "I think it was a huge win for West Ham. Take nothing away from Swansea and I think the start they've had has been incredible, but today was always going to be a real test for them. "After the demolition of Lincoln in midweek, it was important West Ham backed that up with three points to close the gap to just one point behind Swansea and they did that. "I think once West Ham go back top of the league, they probably won't come off it again. "I think the fact that Middlesbrough drew today made it even more of a reason why they needed the three points. "Jarrod Bowen has got eight goals and keeping him was probably the best thing that could have happened for West Ham. "There were a lot of questions asked about him and if he had gone to the World Cup, and he was a regular in the England squad, I think maybe it might have been different. "I think the fact he wasn't selected was a huge reason why he was like, 'No, I'm captain of this football club and and I want to help get them back to the Premier League'." Portsmouth's Marezi converted a penalty to send Norwich City crashing to a sixth straight loss, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone when their fans had expected them to mount a promotion bid. McLean: "I've got egg on my face because they were my wild promotion pick so I'm as surprised as anyone that they're doing so badly. "I thought the job Philippe Clement did when he came in last year was incredible and I really fancied them to kick on this season and not only challenge for the play-offs, but challenge for automatic promotion and be right up there. "They've just been so disappointing and they look void of any confidence at the moment. I don't know where they go from here. "With each game they lose, you can see the confidence streaming out of the squad. As soon as they concede a goal, you think 'here we go again'. It's like groundhog day. "The goalkeeper [Daniel Grimshaw] is under a lot of pressure as well, he's not having the best of seasons. The goals they're conceding, some of those are easily avoidable. "So, yeah, I think over the next couple of weeks, there are going to be huge questions asked, not only of the goalkeeper, but of Clement. "It's not so much that they're losing games, I think it's that they're consistently losing. Good teams show they can recover, but at the moment, Norwich don't look like they've got an ounce of recovery in them." Watford ended a miserable run of four straight losses, which looked like it would cost Alessio Dionisi his job, by winning 2-0 against Charlton and they are now three points above the relegation zone. McLean : "That was a huge win for Watford against Charlton and they needed that, but I wouldn't say they've turned a corner just yet. "The timing of the Charlton game was perfect for Watford and it was the right game at the right time. "Charlton came into that game having not won in seven games. They were understandably low on confidence. "I think it was just two out-of-form teams up against each other, and fortunately for Watford, they came out on the right side of it. "That's especially true for the manager, Alessio Dionisi, and he desperately needed that result. I would have feared for him past this weekend if they had lost again, especially given how poorly they played against Cardiff in midweek, when they conceded five. "I think it is a stepping stone, but I still think that the ownership are going to need a lot of convincing. "They've shown in the past they're not scared to make changes and Dionisi is going to need a run of results if he's going to remain in his position." After drawing six of their opening eight League One games, MK Dons finally beat Luton Town 2-1 to get their first league win under manager Paul Warne. McLean : "It was a brilliant result first and foremost. You know Luton are a team that are expected to be up there challenging. "Jack Wilshere will be feeling the pressure that they're expected to be challenging for promotion. "But I think what MK Dons have got on their side is that Paul Warne is a vastly experienced manager at League One level. "So he knows how to get results. At the moment they're probably not getting the wins he would like, but I think that will change now. "He took them up from League Two last season and I think he will get them going again. It will take them a little bit of time to get going and to really gel, but I think they'll be fine. "I think as the season progresses, they'll get stronger. The team will have a lot more cohesion and I expect them to be comfortable at least in mid-table." Alex Bruce is enduring a tough first job in management and his Rotherham United side have slipped into the bottom two in League Two after losing 2-0 at Fleetwood. McLean: "I think when you look at Rotherham and Crawley, the other team at the bottom of League Two, they've both got managers who are in charge for the first time. "That lack of experience in these types of moments is showing. That's not to say that given time they won't be able to come through, but the problem they've got is the average lifespan of a manager in the EFL isn't very long, it's about nine months. "So I do think they'll both be worried and I don't think either team has the strongest of squads. "I'd say Rotherham out of the two will be the ones who really need to put a run of form together and move up with the players they've got. "They were in League One last season and they're underachieving. "In Alex Bruce's defence, he hasn't been given the money to be able to go and improve the squad, so it's very hard. "He needs to galvanise the squad, and they need to just grind out a few results. They need to try and get themselves above that line. Today was a bad day, but it's nothing a few good results can't change." Aaron McLean was speaking to BBC Sport England's David Anderson.

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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery reacts to his 100th Premier League win after victory against Newcastle at St James Park.

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Johan Manzambi heads the winner for Aston Villa against Newcastle, marking manager Unai Emery's 100th Premier League victory.

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Liverpool come from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium as the hosts finish with nine men after red cards for Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt.

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Manchester City go six points clear at the top of the Premier League as Enzo Maresca's side record a seventh straight league victory with a 3-2 win over Ipswich at the Etihad.

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Alex Iwobi fires Fulham to their first Premier League win of the season against Hull.

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Pedro Neto scores twice for Chelsea as they beat Everton 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, in a game overshadowed by a nasty head injury to Emiliano Martinez.

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Manager Phil Parkinson says Wrexham had to "block everything out" as they responded to recent criticism with a convincing 4-1 Championship victory over Preston North End at the Racecourse. Wrexham returned to winning ways after suffering a disappointing 2-1 home defeat by West Bromwich Albion in midweek. Reports suggesting pressure was beginning to mount on Parkinson following a slow start to the campaign. "I have managed over 1,000 games so I'm used to that," Parkinson told BBC Radio Wales Sport. "When you lose at any level, criticism comes the manager's way and the players' way and you've got to accept that. "Obviously the criticism of Wrexham is intensified because of the profile of the club." First goals for the club from Joe Worrall and Ben Whiteman helped Wrexham establish a 2-1 half-time lead. Sam Smith and Kieffer Moore's second half goals completed an emphatic victory over the Championship's bottom side. "We couldn't wait to get back out here today," Parkinson said. "I look at it as a challenge. Me and Steve [Parkin] were itching to get back in with the lads on Thursday and bring the group together. "We thought long and hard about the team selection and the style of play we needed to implement. "Sometimes you've got to block everything out and put in a performance like we did today. "I'm very confident we've got a squad that can be really competitive this season. I really am." Parkinson also pointed to an extensive injury list as a major factor in Wrexham's inconsistent start, with players including Max Cleworth, Nathan Broadhead and Dan Sheaf currently sidelined. "I don't want to keep going on about the injuries, but it's been unprecedented, probably the worst spell we've had in my time here. "We've lost a lot of quality and football ability on the pitch. "But those players will come back and we'll have great competition for places. I really believe in this group. "While we're waiting for those players to return, it's about galvanising the squad and finding ways to be more effective."

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Hearts' last trip to Parkhead ended with their crestfallen players being bundled out of a chaotic Celtic Park and back on to the team bus in their strips and boots after watching their title dream die in the space of 11 crushing minutes. Meanwhile, the 800 Jambos in attendance - and the thousands back in Gorgie - were going through their own football trauma. The mere thought of ever returning to the home of the Scottish Premiership champions would have been a harrowing one. However, refreshed and reshaped, Wouter Vrancken's men are embracing the trip to face a Celtic side still failing to convince a support that are becoming increasingly disgruntled after another chastening European defeat at Benfica. Earlier this week, influential Hearts investor Tony Bloom repeated his faith in his title ambition for the Tynecastle club Sunday's fixture (15:00 BST) will give an indication as to whether or not that is likely to come this season. O'Neill defiant in defeat, but Celtic's 'flat-track bullies' fail another big test Celtic suffer fourth defeat in five against classy Benfica Late Nordsjaelland leveller denies Hearts winning start Despite the back story to this weekend's encounter, Vrancken has demanded his side do not "live in the past". Meanwhile, Oisin McEntee, who was part of last season's squad, has insisted the trip to Glasgow is not a revenge mission. Versatile McEntee scored Hearts' opener against Nordsjaelland as they raised the curtain on their Conference League campaign, but they were served a late punch in the gut in the 1-1 draw. The Gorgie side have only won two of their past 11 away league outings, failing to keep a clean sheet in that period. However, last weekend's 5-0 win over St Mirren forms part of a run of five victories and a draw in seven matches under Vrancken after a challenging introduction to his tenure. Now with the opportunity to make a real statement early in his reign, the Belgian coach is urging his players not to dwell on May's heartbreak. "I'm convinced the players will be [focused] on the game on Sunday and not in the past," he said. "You can't live in the past. You have to move forward and look forward, and you have to take on the next one. "I hope the fire is there every game we play, and not only because something happened in the past. You also don't look in the past too much because it is negative energy, and we need positive energy. "This fire has to burn when you play every game, especially the top games." Post-match in Lisbon on Thursday, Martin O'Neill expressed the emotions of a man who had just watched his team cruise to a 4-1 triumph. But the 74-year-old had just witnessed his side suffer a reverse of that, a fourth defeat in five games. The reason for the veteran manager's upbeat vibe was because of his players' response after crumbling in the first half of their Europa League loss to Benfica. The performance level from the Scottish champions improved and they could have scored more than the one goal they managed in the second period, though they were also fortunate not to have shipped more. Like last term, unrest between the fans and board is in the backdrop, but those same supporters are also growing restless at what they are watching on the pitch. Despite that, Celtic have still won 14 of their past 15 league games, scoring two or more goals in 11 of those. They have also won 26 of their past 29 home league games against Hearts, although have lost two of their last six. Last term, Hearts picked up seven points in four league games against Celtic - the most by any non-Old Firm side in a single campaign since the 1999-00 season. O'Neill believes Hearts are genuine contenders again and is anticipating a match that will be as challenging as May's dramatic title decider. "I think it will be every bit as tough as it was on the last day of last season," the Celtic boss said. "I genuinely do [think they are title challengers]. I know they've lost two [league] games, but overall, I do, I think they can challenge."

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It started with Manchester City supporters booing the Premier League anthem and ended with Phil Foden taking an inflatable banana into his Match of the Day interview after helping see off Ipswich to pull six points clear at the top of the table. On a day of defiance in east Manchester, City's fans made their feelings crystal clear in their first top-flight home game since being found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. Tens of thousands inside Etihad Stadium booed and jeered when the Premier League anthem was played over the speakers shortly before kick-off, then they started chanting 'City, City, City'. There was a chant about playing Stockport away and the gallows humour continued when City fans sang 'You're going down with the City' to Ipswich's travelling support. City boss Enzo Maresca, who is the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven games in charge, said afterwards he felt the air of defiance from the stands even before kick-off. "The environment was very good," said the Italian after a game watched by 60,817, a new record crowd at Etihad Stadium. "The fans, the club and the players are all together on this journey." City's best start since 1897 - but injuries a concern City fans arrived at the ground to find hundreds of inflatable bananas had been placed on seats in the home sections for fans to wave throughout the game. They were visible in the away end at Liverpool last week but this was on a different scale and the Etihad was turned into a sea of yellow. The inflatables are a flashback to the late '80s when what began as a light-hearted joke soon turned into one of the most memorable fan crazes in English football. They are enjoying a revival at a time when City have appealed after being found guilty of charges relating to breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, and creating 'sham contracts' to inflate sponsorship deals by £830m. There were surreal scenes at one point on Saturday as fans jeered during the Premier League anthem while waving the inflatables in the air. "You can tell they are behind us and they're pushing us," Phil Foden said when asked about the fans after scoring on his return to the side following suspension after being sent off against Manchester United on 13 September. Foden's 19th-minute opener was his first goal of 2026. "It's nice to play at home and you can hear how loud they are," he added. "They're giving us that extra boost that we need." Taking over from Pep Guardiola - 20 trophies during 10 seasons in charge - was always going to be a big challenge for Maresca. Seven matches in, City's Premier League record remains flawless. No points dropped, seven wins out of seven despite falling behind against Bournemouth and playing for more than an hour with 10 men at Manchester United. "For sure I didn't expect to win seven out of seven," said Maresca. "We are working well and working good. "I'm very happy especially with the situation in general. "Today we controlled the game for 95 minutes. We created chances, we scored. "We finished with a little bit of suffering together but overall, it is good." On Foden's impressive return to action, Maresca added: "I said since day one that I love Phil. I know him from years ago and I know how good he is. "It's a matter of helping him to again be one of the best players in the Premier League." Despite the off-field turmoil, this is City's best start to a league season in 129 years. Only Chelsea in 2005-06 (first nine) and Liverpool in 2019-20 (first eight) have ever won the first seven matches of a Premier League campaign. "First of all, I am very happy because it's a matter of winning games in this business," said Maresca after the game. "We were able to win seven in a row and what made me very happy was day by day with the players, the way they are working and how I can see them improving. "Today I thought we controlled the game, created chances and [were] good off the ball. We are doing well and I think that's the most important thing." On his players dealing with the events surrounding the club off the field, Maresca said: "They are not worried about people who judge from outside because they know people are trying to judge them. "Inside, I promise the players are happy. They're getting credit and I give credit to them." Pre-match, post-match and topical City content Subscribe and listen for everything you love about City Haaland scores twice as Man City beat Ipswich Do Manchester City have any grounds to win their appeal?