Aston Villa must stop crying foul and focus on the Europa League instead | Jonathan Wilson

<p>There is no grand PSR conspiracy against Unai Emery’s side. They should be challenging Newcastle or Tottenham for fifth</p><p>Four wins in a row, seven games unbeaten and suddenly life does not seem so bad for Aston Villa. They are up into mid-table and if a 2-0 victory over Feyenoord in the Europa League will not quite live in the memory in the way last season’s games against <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/oct/02/aston-villa-bayern-munich-champions-league-match-report">Bayern Munich</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/nov/27/aston-villa-juventus-champions-league-match-report">Juventus</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/15/aston-villa-psg-champions-league-quarter-final-match-report">Paris Saint-Germain</a> do, a return to Rotterdam at least evoked the glory days of 1982.</p><p>It will be a while yet before the frustration at missing out on the Champions League fades, but there does now seem to be a gathering recognition that Villa have a decent chance of winning the Europa League, potentially adding Istanbul’s Besiktas Park to De Kuip as a venue where they have won a European trophy.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/11/aston-villa-psr-premier-league-europa-league">Continue reading...</a>