Here are your latest Aston Villa headlines on Sunday, November 5.
Emery notices Martinez change
Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery believes Emi Martinez can play at the highest level for another decade and expects the 31-year-old to continue improving with age.
Martinez made his 125th appearance for Villa last weekend in the 3-1 win over Luton Town, before he jetted out to Paris to collect the Yashin Award at this year's Ballon d'Or ceremony. The Villa and Argentina number one became the fourth winner of the award after Thibaut Courtois, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alisson.
He signed a contact extension with Villa last year and has since reiterated his ambition to win trophies with Villa and break the club's Premier League sheet record, held by Mark Bosnich. Emery shares the same goals as Martinez as Villa eye silverware and a push for Champions League football this term.
Carragher's 'insulting' verdict
Jamie Carragher is convinced it is only a matter of time before someone comes calling for Unai Emery, much to the annoyance of Aston Villa fans.
Writing in his column in the Daily Telegraph, the Liverpool defender said Emery’s "excellence" at Villa Park during the last year spells trouble for underperforming managers, as debate rages about whether the Spaniard would swap Villa for Manchester United if they sacked under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.
“ Aston Villa should cherish Unai Emery while they can. It is a matter of time before an established Champions League club makes him an offer he can’t refuse,” he said.
Midfielder's 'grateful' message
Marvelous Nakamba has thanked Aston Villa fans for the reception he received on his return to Villa Park last weekend.
The 29-year-old was back on familiar turf with new club Luton Town, the club he joined after five years with Villa before his permanent move to Kenilworth Road in the summer.
Nakamba helped Luton win promotion the Premier League during a loan spell last season and now he is looking to keep them there. That is proving to be no easy task with Luton picking up five points from their opening 10 games, including a 3-1 defeat to Villa last time.
Emery's non-negotiable
John McGinn has lived every moment of Aston Villa's ascent from the Championship to European football inside five years. "The journey has been mental," he admits. "This club and the supporters have been through the wringer and I have been part of that journey."
The Scot has been an ever-present at the football club during the Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens era. He is the longest-serving player in Unai Emery's first-team squad having arrived three weeks after Sawiris and Edens bought a controlling stake in Villa from Dr Tony Xia in the summer of 2018.
It was revealed only a fortnight after a single Tom Cairney goal - which condemned Villa to another season in the Championship - that the club had been seeking insolvency advice for more than a week following their defeat in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. The financial consequences were so severe.
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