Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive brings you the permutations facing all the clubs in the race for the Champions League spots
Comments
Sport
12:32, 24 May 2025
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery(Image: PA)
Aston Villa head into the final day of the season with Champions League qualification on the line in what promises to be a thrilling afternoon.
Unai Emery's side can still secure a top-five spot as they travel to Manchester United and that will dominate much of the focus with the title and relegation places already confirmed.
Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Man City are all doing battle with Villa although some teams are better placed to secure a Champions League finish than others.
Here BirminghamLive brings you all the permutations involving all the clubs challenging for a top five spot on the final day and what needs to happen in order to book a place in Europe's most prestigious competition.
Aston Villa
Opponents: Manchester United (A)
According to Opta, Villa have a 42 per cent chance of qualifying for the Champions League ahead of what is going to be a fascinating final day.
Article continues below
Villa travel to Manchester United who have had a horrific season so you can see why Unai Emery's side would be confident of a result.
But Villa's form at Old Trafford has been beyond poor having won just twice there in the last 25 years.
United are licking their wounds after losing to Spurs on Thursday night in the Europa League and Villa will hope that hangover continues.
Villa are level on points with Newcastle and Chelsea but have a significantly inferior goal difference, sitting just outside the top five.
They will definitely need a result and a win will be enough if either Newcastle or Chelsea drop points, or if Man City lose.
In the event of a draw, Villa would need Newcastle to lose to Everton, as there would be no result possible from the Forest vs Chelsea game that would see Emery’s side finish above both.
Opta Supercomputer Chances of UCL Qualification: 42.6%
The brilliant Aston Villa merchandise that every fan will want to own
Aston Villa fans can celebrate the end of the season and their love of all things claret and blue in style by getting their hands on some limited edition merchandise.
We've taken a look at a few products in the Villa store for those wishing to add a bit of class to their bedroom, homes or maybe a home bar?
These products are available for a limited time and have that wow factor that would be the envy of any supporter.
The first product we spotted is the wonderful Aston Villa 'dream scene' painting.
It depicts the greats of Villa past and present with the likes of Unai Emery sharing a conversation with Ron Saunders, and Peter Withe sharing a joke with Gareth Barry.
The brilliant dressing room scene is available on a 130 x 43cm canvas and comes with a souvenir booklet. There were only 150 of these made to commemorate Villa's 150 year anniversary.
You can buy it here
If you want a cheaper alternative, you could try the 90 x 60cm lithos print of the same scene, again with the booklet and a limited edition piece.
You can buy that here
If you fancy a bit of fun and owning your very own Villa Park, you can with this construction model replica of the stadium.
Complete with club branding, this is fun to assemble and will be the perfect addition to your household or workplace.
You can buy it here
Maybe you'd like to construct a replica of the Villa players and staff bus that they travel to away games in? You can now purchase that from the club shop, by clicking here
Aston Villa adidas 150th Anniversary Shirt 24-25 (£55)
The aforementioned blacked-out anniversary kit has proven to be hugely popular with fans, particularly those who have noticed the subtle nods to Villa's history in the details.
Due to the high demand, the club store currently only has kids sizes 7 - 9 years old in stock at a price of £55. This item has an 'almost gone' tag on the site.
Buy here.
Aston Villa adidas 150th Anniversary Track Top - Claret (£70)
This long sleeve track top has also proven to be a popular pick amongst fans. The club store describes the jacket by saying:
"Before football players take the pitch for warmups, they answer questions from the media wearing an adidas jacket like this one."
Buy here.
Aston Villa 150 Year Anniversary Hoodie - Navy (£45)
Featuring a retro club badge, this hoodie is still available in all Mens' sizes on the club store, which describes the item by saying "Relax in style and comfort. Featuring the iconic club crest, this is an essential item for fans of all ages."
This item is also available in claret for both men and women, though only in sizes XL and S for women limited stock left.
Buy navy here and claret here.
Aston Villa 150 Years in Pictures Book (£25)
The first of two books available to purchase in Villa's 150th season. The describes the picture book as a way to "Celebrate the storied history of Aston Villa and their illustrious history spanning a century and a half with this premium-quality photo book."
Buy here.
Aston Villa 150 Years Book Volume Two (£40)
The long-awaited second volume moves Aston Villa's remarkable story forward – with the ups and downs between 1950 and 2024 given the same care and attention as the first volume.
Buy here.
Aston Villa 150 Year Anniversary Polo Shirt - White (£30)
"Represent your club wherever you go. Suitable for matchday and casual wear, the polo is perfect for fans of all ages."
This item is available in all sizes but XS on the club store and is also available for kids in claret at a higher price of £35.
Buy the mens' polo here and the kids' claret polo here.
Aston Villa 150 Year Anniversary T-Shirt - Claret and Navy (£25)
"Suitable for wearing on matchdays and beyond, this is a must-have for supporters of all ages. Perfect for walks with the dog, or when relaxing on holiday, the t-shirt allows you to proudly sport your pride and passion."
Buy mens' claret here, womens' claret here and navy here.
Aston Villa 150 Years Anniversary Scarf - Claret (£15)
"Take the love for your team with you. The scarf tops off your winter look, and is an essential item for supporters."
Buy the scarf here.
Aston Villa 150 Years Badge & Keyring Set - Boxed (£15)
Display the love for your team. Perfect for your hat or scarf, this is a must-have for fans of all ages.
Buy the set here.
Aston Villa 150 Years Mug - 11oz (£8)
"Start your day off right with a drink from this. Whether it's tea, coffee or hot chocolate this mug is perfect for fans to enjoy an exquisite beverage."
Buy the mug here.
Man City
Opponents: Fulham (A)
Opta believe that City's place in the Champions League is pretty much secure given they rate their chances of finishing in the top five at 96 per cent.
It has been a season in which City have not won any trophies which is a rarity for any Pep Guardiola side and to blow the chances of Champions League qualification would undoubtedly be a bigger shock.
Out of all the teams chasing CL qualification, City are favourites to achieve it. Beating Bournemouth in midweek took them to third and gave them a two-point cushion and significant goal difference advantage over Villa.
A point would be enough to confirm a top-five finish while a win would secure third in the table.
The only way a draw would not be enough is if Villa beat United by at least 17 goals.
The lowest City can finish is sixth, which means they will definitely be playing at least Europa League football next season.
Opta Supercomputer Chances of UCL Qualification: 96.9%
Newcastle United
Opponents: Everton (H)
At 82 per cent, Opta believe there is a good chance Newcastle are heading for the Champions League again.
It has been a succfessful season for the Toon Army who landed the Carabao Cup back in March by beating Liverpool and they look a good bet to finish in the top four.
Facing Everton at home looks a straight forward afternoon for Eddie Howe's side who already have European football in their back pocket having qualified for the Conference League.
But they will happily rip that up in favour of the Champions League and a win will confirm their top-five spot.
However, a draw will cause some anxiety and they would need Man Utd to avoid defeat against Villa, or Chelsea to draw with Nottingham Forest.
Victory for either in that game would see them leapfrog the Toon.
Should they lose to Everton, Newcastle would need Villa to lose at Old Trafford, as they would definitely drop behind either Chelsea or Forest regardless of the score in that game.
Opta Supercomputer Chances of UCL Qualification: 82.7%
Chelsea
Opponents: Nottingham Forest (A)
Chelsea looked to be involved in the title race at one stage of the season, but despite the heroics of Cole Palmer, have fallen away significantly.
Now it's a battle to get into the Champions League and Opta say they have a 57 per cent chance of doing so.
The odds are slightly in their favour but their final day assignment against a top-five rival in Nottingham Forest looks anything but easy.
Victory will secure Chelsea a top-five finish unless Villa somehow secure the biggest win in the history of the Premier League.
Should Chelsea pull off a victory at the City Ground, a top-five place will be sealed, again barring Villa inexplicably smashing the Premier League’s record for biggest victory ever.
A draw would see Chelsea relying on results elsewhere to get them over the line. They’d either need Villa to not win, or Newcastle to lose.
Defeat would pretty much spell the end for their qualification hopes.
Opta Supercomputer Chances of UCL Qualification: 57.4%
Nottingham Forest
Opponents: Chelsea (H)
For so long it looked as though Forest were heading for Champions League qualification, but they have stuttered at the final hurdle.
Out of all the teams challenging for the top five, Opta rate them as having the lowest chances of 20 per cent.
Still, anything can happen on the final day in what has been a terrific season for Forest nonetheless.
Having home advantage against Chelsea is undoubtedly a boost but they will need to return to winning ways having not won any of their last three at the City Ground.
The task facing the Reds is clear is that they have to win and that might not even be enough.
A draw would only be sufficient in the rather unlikely event that not only do Villa lose, but Newcastle also lose to Everton by at least 10 goals. That said, a draw would at least guarantee Europa League qualification should Villa lose.
If Forest do win, they would also need at least one of Newcastle or Villa to fail to win, or Man City be hammered at Fulham in order to see a 13-goal swing.
Article continues below
Opta Supercomputer Chances of UCL Qualification: 20.4%
Will Villa qualify for the Champions League? Have your say HERE
Aston Villa 2025/26 Away Kit
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
Content Image
from £30