Aston Villa must use their 1-0 home win over Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday as a springboard, manager Unai Emery said after his side picked up their first win of the season.
John McGinn scored Villa’s first home goal of the season to earn the win and provide Emery with a measure of relief after their dismal start to the season left them 17th in the Premier League and out of the League Cup.
Villa have three draws and two defeats from their five league games so far and Emery urged his side to build on the momentum from their win over the Italians when they host Fulham on Sunday.
“We have to try to keep consistent, we had not been consistent until today,” Emery told reporters.
“Today we won and it is important we have to try and keep consistent on Sunday. Different match, different rival, but a lot of things tactically we have to keep on building. Some players have to keep adapting with us and keep progressing.
“Today this win will help us to try and continue working and being positive, but each match coming is a challenge, to fight to try and prepare as best as possible, be demanding with the players.”
Striker Ollie Watkins’s goal drought stretched to 10 games on Thursday as his tame penalty was saved by Bologna’s Lukasz Skorupski but Emery was pleased with the England international’s performance.
“He worked today like he is and this is the first step to recover confidence,” he added.
“Then he had a penalty and he created chances as well, but the most important is to recover confidence and do your tasks like he did today. Today was the first step and he did fantastic.”
Aston Villa must build on Europa League win over Bologna, says Emery
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Aston Villa must build on Europa League win over Bologna, says Emery
Napoli cruise past Milan to book Italian Super Cup final spot in Riyadh
- Napoli make second Super Cup final in new four-team format, which was introduced in the Kingdom in 2023
- Milan rue missed chances as Rafael Leao’s absence due to knock proves costly
RIYADH: On one of the coldest evenings of the year in Riyadh, the atmosphere inside Al-Awwal Park was anything but subdued. Thousands of fans braved the conditions to witness another major chapter in Saudi Arabia’s growing international calendar, as Napoli and AC Milan went head-to-head in the first semi-final of the 2025/26 Italian Super Cup.
It wasn’t to be for I Rossoneri, as goals from David Neres and Rasmus Hojlund proved decisive for Napoli, sending them into the Super Cup final for the second time in the new four-team format after missing out on last year’s edition.
Backed by raucous Forza Milan chants, Milan nearly opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Ruben Loftus-Cheek tested Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who reacted sharply to make a vital save.
Napoli responded with a spell of pressure of their own, but were repeatedly denied by a well-organised Milan defence.
Milan came close again in the 34th minute, as Adrien Rabiot was found inside the six-yard box from a dipping cross, only for his effort to fly over Milinkovic-Savic.
They would keep that momentum going as just a few minutes later, a swift counter-attack led by Alexis Saelemaekers found Christopher Nkunku on the edge of the box, though his strike also flew over goal.
Napoli punished Milan’s missed chances in the 39th minute. A low pass from Rasmus Hojlund across the box was parried by Mike Maignan straight into the path of David Neres, who made no mistake slotting the ball into the open net.
Napoli pushed for a second before the interval, with Hojlund testing Maignan again, who turned the striker’s effort behind for a corner. The Milan goalkeeper was called into action once again in the second half, producing a strong save to deny Amir Rrahmani.
Yet it was another powerful strike that finally broke past the Frenchman, with Rasmus Hojlund capitalising on a deep through ball from Leonardo Spinazzola to extend Napoli’s lead in the 63rd minute and tighten their grip on the game.
Milan fans briefly found a lift in the 75th minute when Luka Modric came out to a standing ovation, though it proved to be their only notable moment of the second half. Despite enjoying spells of possession, Massimiliano Allegri’s side were unable to break through and exited the tournament after just 90 minutes.
Napoli will now turn their attention to the final, where they will look to lift the Italian Super Cup for the third time in their history. For Riyadh, the semi-final marked another night of elite European football, with fans set to witness more action in tomorrow’s semi-final between Bologna and Inter Milan.
