Aston Villa have confirmed the appointment of Unai Emery as the club's new head coach, following the sacking of Steven Gerrard.

The former Arsenal boss returns to the Premier League after rebuilding his reputation with success at Villarreal, clinching Europa League glory in 2021 and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.

Villa, who stopped the rot with a 4-0 thrashing of Brentford on Sunday under first team coach Aaron Danks, confirmed the Spaniard will take his position on November 1 and will therefore not be in the dugout for Saturday's trip to face Newcastle United.

It means Emery's first task will be back-to-back tests against Manchester United, hosting Erik ten Hag's side in the Premier League on November 6 before travelling to Old Trafford four days later in the EFL Cup.

Emery will then lead Villa into a Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion, the final game before the season pauses for the World Cup in Qatar.

Villa's win against Brentford, their first in four Premier League matches, took the team to 15th in the table, three points above the relegation zone.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is adamant Steven Gerrard will return to management but hopes he takes some time away from football after being axed by Aston Villa.

Gerrard was sacked following Villa's defeat to Fulham on Thursday, which left the club above the Premier League's relegation zone on only goals scored, having picked up just two wins in the opening 11 matches of the campaign.

Previously touted by many as Klopp's eventual successor at Anfield, Gerrard must now rebuild his reputation after a disappointing stint with Villa that came following success in Scotland with Rangers.

Klopp does not expect that to be an issue for the former Liverpool captain, although he hopes he does not rush back into a role.

"I'm very sure he will come back from that. During my seven years at Liverpool, with the academy we created a close relationship," he said in Friday's press conference ahead of the clash against Nottingham Forest.

"I always followed him, we had a little exchange this morning but nothing too deep, it wasn't a long conversation. I can imagine it is a disappointment for him with the ambitions that he had and the things he wanted to achieve with Aston Villa, it's obviously not good.

"We don't need to worry, he knows the game long enough, it's life, we all get knocks, it's all about how we respond. He always came back and he will come back from that, no doubt.

"A lot of great managers out there had to leave their previous clubs for different reasons. Quite frequently, they'll turn up somewhere else and will have learned from that situation.

"He will be back, 100 per cent, but I hope that he will take a bit of time for himself, since he finished his career he has pretty much been working all the time, so maybe use it now a little bit himself to recharge."

Jamie Carragher believes Aston Villa may have sacked Steven Gerrard because they feared the atmosphere at future games would become "toxic".

Villa acted shortly after Thursday's 3-0 Premier League loss to Fulham, a sixth defeat in 11 games for a Villa side who have won just twice in the top flight this season.

Carragher and Gerrard were long-standing Liverpool team-mates and remain close, to the point they had been discussing Villa's upcoming games just days ago.

However, Carragher was not surprised Villa opted for a change of head coach.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Carragher said: "I don't think it was too much of a shock that the news came out. It was just whether the Aston Villa board would let Stevie take the [next] game because it's so close around the corner on Sunday against Brentford.

"But the reaction of the Villa fans, maybe they felt the crowd would be a little bit toxic on Sunday and better for all parties to part ways."

Carragher is intrigued to see whether Gerrard jumps back into a coaching role in the coming months, or whether he keeps his distance for a while.

Gerrard enjoyed considerable trophy success at Rangers but could not replicate that with Villa, departing after just under 12 months at the helm.

"I'm really not sure whether Stevie would go back in or wait 12 months," said Carragher. "I spoke to him a few days ago about the upcoming games for Aston Villa, and he's not daft, he knows the situation.

"It will be really interesting, that's not something I've spoken to him about, whether he's the type of guy who wants to be manager for the next 20 years or he's maybe picked certain jobs that really appeal to him. I think that's what he's done in the first few jobs that he's picked.

"Whether Stevie would drop down to the Championship, I'm really not sure."

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe said the sacking was a reminder of the "volatile" nature of being a Premier League boss, and he expects Gerrard to find another club before long.

"I'm disappointed for Steve. I think he's a very good manager," Howe said at Newcastle's press conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with Tottenham. 

"It just goes to show the short-term nature of everyone's thinking. I've got no doubt on his quality and I'm sure he'll be back very soon."

Villa on Friday announced the departure of five of Gerrard's staff, including former Scotland captain Gary McAllister. He has left the club, along with Neil Critchley, Tom Culshaw, Jordan Milsom and Scott Mason

They have put first-team coach Aaron Danks in temporary charge, meaning he will lead the side for the Brentford game.

Chief executive Christian Purslow said Villa's target "of continuous improvement" had not been achieved under Gerrard, adding: "The process of appointing a new head coach is under way and we will update supporters as soon as possible."

Aston Villa have sacked Steven Gerrard after just under a year in charge following Thursday's 3-0 Premier League loss to Fulham.

The former Liverpool midfielder arrived last November to succeed Dean Smith, having previously guided Rangers to Scottish Premiership success the season before.

But a dismal start to the 2022-23 campaign that has seen just two top-flight wins in 11 games means he has been shown the door, with Villa perched just above the relegation zone on goals scored.

Gerrard's position was already uncertain heading into the encounter with Marco Silva's Cottagers.

But a horror-show performance – one that saw them concede a penalty, score an own goal and have a player sent off – meant there was little chance for a late reprieve.

"We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future," the club said in a brief statement.

Steven Gerrard remains adamant he is the right man to lead Aston Villa out of their poor run of form, declaring: "I'm capable of getting out of this".

With Villa languishing near the Premier League's relegation zone after winning just two of their first 10 games of the season, Gerrard's position as manager has been called into question.  

Ahead of their trip to Fulham on Thursday, Villa have won just one of their last eight league matches (D3 L4), only scoring five goals during that run.

Earlier this week, reports suggested Villa may make an audacious move for former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino if they opt to dispense with Gerrard's services, but the former Liverpool midfielder is determined to fight on. 

"I'm here to fight and to lead every single minute of every day, and I've got every confidence and belief in myself that I can change this situation," Gerrard said on Wednesday.

"I'm game for these periods because I believe and know I can get through them if I stay true to myself. I'll front this head on, I'm game for it and I'll show everyone that I'm capable of getting out of this.

"I accept how I'm getting judged right now, but there's no one on the planet more determined to change it than myself and that's all I need to focus on, which is the next three points."

Only Wolves (3.5 per cent) have a worse shot conversion rate than Villa in the Premier League this campaign (6 per cent), with Gerrard's team scoring just seven goals from 116 attempts.

Key to their struggles has been the poor form of Philippe Coutinho, who is yet to score this season, but Gerrard believes his former Liverpool team-mate will come good.

"The age he is at and the talent, I very much have full confidence and belief in Phil," Gerrard added. "Obviously the stats at the moment suggest that he's not in the best place or at his best, which we all understand.

"But we as a staff and me as his manager, will give him every bit of support he needs. You don't lose talent, you don't lose class. It's still there.

"Confidence and belief can change very quickly, so my opinion on Phil Coutinho won't ever change, because I see it on a daily basis. He's just got to replicate it in the games."

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter says that injured Reece James "will give everything" in his race to make England's World Cup squad.

The defender has been sidelined for eight weeks after sustaining a knee injury during the Blues' Champions League victory over Milan on Tuesday.

But the 23-year-old is clinging onto his hopes of playing at the World Cup, which begins on November 21 with England opening their campaign against Iran.

While Potter is unsure on James' chances of appearing in Qatar, the Chelsea boss insists the full-back will not give up without a fight.

"In terms of his involvement in the World Cup, I don’t know. It will depend on how he recovers," he said following the Blues' 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. 

"He will give everything. I'm sure he will. But he is in a brace for four weeks and that slows everything down.

"He's naturally disappointed, naturally upset because he's injured for us. He misses games for us when he was in a fantastic moment.

"His performance at Milan was incredible in both games, so he's got himself into a real good moment of form and as you can imagine, he's really disappointed to be injured.

"He'll fight, try his best to get back as quickly as he can and when he is, he will be a top, top player.

"It wouldn't be my place to predict what's going to happen. He will be in a brace for four weeks, and that has implications in terms of what he needs to do to get fit from there, but our job is just to help him in the short term now and get him back."

Chelsea's resurgence under Potter continued with the 2-0 win at Villa Park, the former Brighton boss masterminding five successive victories for the first time in his managerial career.

Meanwhile, the Blues have recorded four successive triumphs across all competitions without conceding, while doing so consecutively in the Premier League for the first time since March.

"I think it's a collective desire to do the ugly stuff in the game; a collective idea to help each other and to be together," Potter said.

"If we have to suffer, we will suffer. We have humility, and we know sometimes the opponent can get the better of us, that is normal in football.

"But you can see the players running and can see players getting bodies in the way to block shots. That is an important part of the game because we've got the quality in the group."

Mohamed Salah condemned Manchester City to a first Premier League defeat of the season as Liverpool took all three points in a brilliant game at Anfield.

A long ball from Alisson was latched onto by Salah before he fired past Ederson to earn Liverpool just their third league win of the campaign.

Chelsea beat struggling Aston Villa 2-0 and Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road, while Manchester United and Newcastle United played out a hard-fought goalless draw at Old Trafford.

Here, Stats Perform picks out the best facts from the day's Premier League action.

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City: Salah maintains Reds' unbeaten Anfield record

Liverpool's impressive home form continued as they made it 28 Premier League matches unbeaten at Anfield (21 victories, seven draws) with a win over the champions.

Salah's strike makes it 14 goal involvements for him against City in all competitions, more than against any other opponent, while he is the second player to score in four consecutive Premier League home appearances against the Citizens, after Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink between 2000 and 2004.

Alisson has now assisted Salah three times in the Premier League, more than any other goalkeeper-outfield player combination in competition history.

The defeat for City means Pep Guardiola has now lost 11 games against Jurgen Klopp, at least four more than against any other coach.

Aston Villa 0-2 Chelsea: Mount double adds to Gerrard pressure

Steven Gerrard's job security was already coming into question before Graham Potter's Blues took victory at Villa Park on Sunday with two Mason Mount goals and an impressive display from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Since Gerrard took over as Villa head coach in November 2021, only Watford (12) and Norwich (nine) have lost more home Premier League games than the Villans (eight).

Chelsea were fired to victory by Mount, who scored his 25th and 26th Premier League goals for the Blues, becoming the second-youngest player to reach the 25-goal landmark for the club (23y 279d), after Eden Hazard (23y 271d).

Potter's impressive start to life as Chelsea boss continues with his fifth win in six games since taking over (one draw). Those five victories have come in the last five matches, the joint-longest winning run of Potter's managerial career.

7 - Kepa Arrizabalaga made seven saves while keeping a clean sheet against Aston Villa, his most saves without conceding in his top-flight league career. The Spaniard was expected to concede at least two goals based on the placement of the on-target shots he faced. Rejuvenated. pic.twitter.com/RPJNZeqImR

Leeds United 0-1 Arsenal: Saka strikes again as Gunners continue strong start

Bukayo Saka's 35th-minute goal at Elland Road was enough for Arsenal to record a ninth win in their opening 10 Premier League games, the first time in their history they have managed this in a top-flight campaign.

Arsenal were forced to ride their luck in the second half though, as Patrick Bamford put a penalty wide for Leeds with their first missed spot-kick in the Premier League since Alan Smith was denied by Brad Friedel against Blackburn in 2002.

The Gunners failed to register a second-half shot on target, while they failed to score after half-time in the Premier League for the first time this season.

Another defeat for Leeds means they are now winless in six Premier League games, losing four of these while drawing the other two as they remain without a top-flight win since August.

Manchester United 0-0 Newcastle United: Red Devils lacklustre in home draw

Manchester United were held by a Newcastle side who may feel disappointed not to have earned victory, having twice struck the woodwork through Joelinton.

The Red Devils went close on a couple of occasions late on but could not prevent the match finishing goalless, United's 76th Premier League game ending in a 0-0 scoreline and their 31st since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Newcastle picked up a point at a stadium where they have struggled in the past, with their 3.6 per cent Premier League win rate (one win in 28 games) at Old Trafford their joint-lowest at any ground where they have played 10 or more times in the competition.

The visitors could have had all three points after an impressive first-half display, but their inability to find a decisive goal means they have now drawn six Premier League games this season, two more than any other side.

Two players with reason to be pleased were the goalkeepers, with David de Gea earning a shutout in his 500th Premier League appearance for United while Nick Pope enjoyed his 50th clean sheet in the top flight, with no English stopper keeping more since Pope's debut in the competition in September 2017 (level with Jordan Pickford).

Chelsea coach Graham Potter said Aston Villa made his side "suffer" as both he and goalscorer Mason Mount paid tribute to Kepa Arrizabalaga's masterful performance in their 2-0 victory.

The Blues kept their unbeaten record under the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss with a Premier League win at Villa Park, secured through Mount's brace.

But the visitors spent long stretches on the ropes, particularly in the first half, by a relentless slew of counter-attacks from Steven Gerrard's side, with Kepa called upon to make a flurry of superb saves.

Having stepped into the starting line-up at the end of Thomas Tuchel's tenure to replace the injured Edouard Mendy, the Spaniard has kept his place amid excellent form, and Potter was quick to hail him as key to their victory.

"It was a tough game," Potter told Sky Sports. "Aston Villa made us suffer, especially in the first half even though we took the lead. They put us under pressure, and our goalkeeper made some good saves.

"It was a world-class performance, especially in the first half. I'm really pleased for him. He has had a tough period for us at times, but he contributed to the game."

Mount, whose first finish came from a defensive mistake by Tyrone Mings, with his second a beautiful free-kick, concurred with Potter's assessment.

"Kepa was on fire, and his quick saves kept us in the game," he added. "He has been brilliant over the last couple of weeks.

"We have to keep pushing and keep winning games – that's our goal to finish as high as we can. Today was not the best performance, and we're not happy with it, but [we have] come away with a 2-0 win."

Mount's double came in front of England manager Gareth Southgate, who was watching at Villa Park but did not get to see World Cup injury doubt Reece James.

Three Lions midfielder Mount acknowledged he had done his chances of making the starting XI for the finals in Qatar no harm, adding: "I have to just keep focused on doing well for the club.

"We know there's a massive World Cup around the corner, and you want to play as well as you can going into it and hopefully get picked."

Potter also praised his playmaker, adding: "We believe in Mason Mount a lot. We love him as a player, and he is a great guy. You can see the influence he has on the team, and he works really hard for us."

Mason Mount's double and a Kepa Arrizabalaga masterclass saw Chelsea beat Aston Villa 2-0 to extend their unbeaten run under Graham Potter.

Mount scored in each half of Sunday's Premier League encounter at Villa Park, yet Chelsea were fortunate to hold their advantage in-between thanks to a dynamite performance from their goalkeeper.

Kepa made a string of wonderful save before half-time, with his stop from a close-range Danny Ings header the highlight.

Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, will lament errors from Tyrone Mings and Kepa's opposite number Emiliano Martinez, though the pressure is growing on Villa's boss.

Mings made a mess of a clearance to gift Mount the chance to open the scoring six minutes in, with the playmaker calmly slotting past Martinez, but Chelsea had their backs to the wall for much of the first half.

Leon Bailey hit the crossbar with a header and Kepa came to Chelsea's salvation with a superb double save, keeping out John McGinn's strike before tipping Jacob Ramsey's follow-up onto the post.

Ings hit another rebound against the upright from an offside position in that flurry, and he was thwarted by Kepa 10 minutes later – the Spaniard acrobatically tipping the striker's header over.

Raheem Sterling hit the bar at the other end before the break, but any hope Villa had was extinguished when Mount's dipping long-range free-kick, conceded by Mings, dropped in over Martinez, who should have done far better.

A miserable day for Mings concluded with a calf injury, though he battled through to full time, which was greeted by jeers from the Villa fans that had not already made their exit.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club.

Arsenal were said to have made two bids for the Brazil international during the last transfer window, with reports suggesting the Gunners' second offer of £23million fell some way short of Villa's £40m valuation.

Luiz's previous contract with Steven Gerrard's side was set to expire at the end of this season, and the 24-year-old was also linked with Serie A champions Milan.

However, Luiz has agreed a new deal to remain Villa Park, where he arrived in 2019 following a two-year spell at Manchester City.

He told the club's official website: "I love this club. This club opened the door for me when I came to England to play in the Premier League. I'm so happy because I’m staying here and my choice is here."

Luiz is set to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, with boss Gerrard under pressure following a poor start to the season.

Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has given his backing to Steven Gerrard following a poor start to the season for Aston Villa.

Villa have won just two of their opening nine Premier League matches, sitting just three points above the relegation zone with only Wolves having scoring fewer than their goal tally of seven.

That has resulted in boss Gerrard coming under pressure, with speculation that Villa could move on from the former Liverpool captain if results do not improve.

Potter has made it clear that the situation can change swiftly, adding that there is "always somebody under pressure" in England's top flight.

"The margins are very small in the Premier League - I'm sure Steven will want to improve their results," he said ahead of Chelsea's trip to Villa on Sunday.

"If they had beaten Forest they would have gone above Liverpool so that shows you how quick things change.

"There's always somebody under pressure in the Premier League and at the moment it's Steven."

Gabriel Martinelli produced another outstanding display in a thriller against Liverpool last weekend and the Arsenal forward can torment Leeds United on Sunday.

If you have overlooked Martinelli for your fantasy team so far this season, now is the time to see the error of your ways and pick the Brazil international before he wreaks havoc at Elland Road.

Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Eric Dier can also rack up the points when they face Everton in the Premier League.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is enjoying a new lease of life with Graham Potter at the helm and that could continue this weekend.

It's that time of the week when you need to be finalising your fantasy selections and help is at hand, as Stats Perform pick out the Opta data to point you in the right direction.

Kepa Arrizabalaga (Aston Villa v Chelsea)

Chelsea have made a great start to life under Potter and Kepa Arrizabalaga is certainly enjoying a new era at Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard has taken over from Edouard Mendy as Chelsea's first-choice goalkeeper, and he has not conceded in the Blues' past three matches.

Of keepers who have played at least 180 minutes in the Premier League this season, only Neto (81.82 per cent) has a better save percentage than Kepa's 80. Only Wolves (3) have a lower goal tally than Aston Villa's seven in the top flight in the 2022-23 campaign, so Kepa looks like your man between the sticks this weekend.

Eric Dier (Tottenham v Everton)

Only Ruben Dias (4) has kept more clean sheets among defenders than Spurs centre-back Dier (3) this season.

The England international has also scored twice, with goal always a bonus for defenders in the battle for fantasy football prizes.

Everton have scored just the eight goals in nine Premier League games this season, so you can get a good return from putting Dier in your side.

Gabriel Martinelli (Leeds United v Arsenal)

Martinelli has scored four goals and provided two assists for leaders Arsenal this season.

Both assists have come in his past two matches and he stunned Liverpool with an early opening goal in a 3-2 thriller last Sunday.

Only Kevin De Bruyne (30) and Mohamed Salah (26) have created more chances than Martinelli's 20 this season. He could be too hot for Leeds to handle at Elland Road.

Harry Kane (Tottenham v Everton)

Spurs talisman Kane has scored in four consecutive Premier League games and he was also on target in a midweek Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Only Erling Haaland (15)  can boast a better goal tally than Kane's eight in the top flight this season, while he is also one of only two players to have both 15 shots on target and 15 chances created (16 and 17). 

Kane's scoring streak can continue when he comes up against the Toffees, who could be up against it in the capital.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard is hopeful Jamaica international Leon Bailey will be available for Sunday’s clash against Chelsea.  The 25-year-old forward, who has been plagued by his fair share of injuries since moving to the club, missed the team’s encounter against Nottingham Forest on Monday.

The result put more pressure on Gerrard as the team struggled to break down a resolute Forrest backline.  Bailey, who has started in 6 of the team’s 8 games, has only scored once but has more successful dribbles in the 18-yard box than any other Villa player and has also delivered the most crosses (19).

The Jamaican has, however, since returned to training and Gerrard is hopeful the player will be able to return to the line-up to give the team a needed boost for what is expected to be a difficult fixture.

“Hopefully. He was out on training pitch running at 70, 80 per cent yesterday so hopefully, with no reaction, we can push him and get him available,” Gerrard said.

The coach also hinted that there could also be several changes in the team’s line-up ahead of the encounter.

“There could be a few changes in the team. It could be pretty quick.”

Manchester City have been fined £260,000 by the Football Association (FA) and warned about their future conduct after their supporters invaded the pitch following the title-clinching victory over Aston Villa on the final day of last season.

Pep Guardiola's side secured a fourth title in five seasons with a dramatic 3-2 comeback win against Villa at the Etihad Stadium on May 22.

Thousands of supporters made their way onto the field at the full-time whistle, with smoke flares let off, a goalpost broken and Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen allegedly attacked.

Greater Manchester Police charged two men over the disorder, while the FA formally charged City in August, with the English champions admitting to failing to control their supporters.

An FA statement on Friday read: "Manchester City FC have been fined £260,000 and warned about its future conduct for breaching FA Rule E20 after a Premier League game against Aston Villa.

"The club admitted that it failed to ensure its spectators – and all those purporting to be its supporters or followers – conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and refrained from using threatening and violent behaviour while encroaching onto the pitch after the final whistle.

"An Independent Regulatory Commission imposed these sanctions during a subsequent hearing and its written reasons for them will be published in due course."

Sandwiched between two rounds of European fixtures, this weekend's Fantasy Football selections will be giving managers one serious headache.

The Premier League big boys look set to continue rotating their squads during a gruelling period, leaving plenty of guesswork for those of us on the outside.

That is not to mention a growing list of injuries and suspensions, which could force many to opt for their wildcard at this still-early stage of the campaign.

But fear not as, with the help of Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out four names we not only expect to start this weekend but also accrue some valuable points.

Emiliano Martinez (Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa)

Aston Villa's form has improved of late with two draws, including against Manchester City, and a victory in their past three league outings.

A large part of that has been down to becoming more stable at the back, with goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez helping his side to back-to-back clean sheets.

After keeping out Southampton and Leeds United, albeit with just two shots on target faced, he is seeking a third successive Premier League shutout for the first time since March.

Conor Coady (Everton v Manchester United)

Everton have looked to improve at the back this season and boast the best defensive record at this stage, having conceded seven goals across their opening eight matches.

Their new-found defensive resilience has coincided with the arrival of Conor Coady on loan from Wolves.

Coady was also on target in the win over Southampton last week, making him the fifth Premier League defender this term to score, assist and register a clean sheet.

James Maddison (Bournemouth v Leicester City)

Leicester City midfielder James Maddison caught the eye again with his double in the 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest, strengthening calls for him to be part of England's World Cup squad.

Maddison has been involved in 40 goals (25 goals, 15 assists) since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, a tally only Kevin De Bruyne (50) and Bruno Fernandes (48) can better.

He has five goals and two assists this season, accounting for 50 per cent of Leicester's goals – only Wolves winger Daniel Podence (67) and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (59) have been involved in more of their side's goals.

Roberto Firmino (Arsenal v Liverpool)

In what has been a difficult campaign to date for Liverpool, the form of Roberto Firmino – who many predicted to depart Anfield – has been particularly surprising.

Not only has Firmino been Liverpool's best attacker with five goals and three assists, only Haaland (17) and De Bruyne (nine) have been involved in more in the division.

The Brazil international will look to continue that form on Sunday as he has scored more league goals (nine) and been involved in more (12) against Arsenal than any other side.