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WHY JOHN MCGINN’S NEW DEAL IS KEY FOR ASTON VILLA’S FUTURE

Aston Villa captain John McGinn has signed a new contract until 2028. The fan favourite, a key part of Villa's rise from the Championship to the Champions League, has extended his stay at Villa Park.

Why John McGinn’s New Deal Is Key for Aston Villa’s Future
John McGinn has signed a new contract - Photo Credit: Getty Images

John McGinn, the captain and midfielder for Aston Villa, has signed a new deal with the team that will keep him at Villa Park until 2028.

The announcement was revealed by Aston Villa's official statement on Wednesday afternoon. The Scotland international will remain with the Premier League team after being instrumental in the club's ascent.

Then, under Steve Bruce's leadership, Championship Villa paid £2.8 million to buy McGinn from Hibernian of the Scottish Premier League in 2018. Since then, the aggressive midfielder has made more than 300 appearances for Villa.

Captain McGinn has been a constant fixture in the Villa midfield since coming from Scotland, and he is expected to stay there.

Given that McGinn was instrumental in Villa's ascent from the Championship to Champions League status last season, the club's supporters will be thrilled to see the 31-year-old prolong his stay.

Except for the current campaign, the Scotsman has made at least 30 appearances overall in all competitions in each of his campaigns wearing an Aston Villa jersey.

After winning the Supporters' Player of the 2018–19 season award during his first season at Villa, McGinn went on to score the game-winning goal in the Championship play-off final victory over Derby County, which sent his team back to the top flight, and their first Premier League goal a few months later.

Before the 2022–2023 season, former Villa manager Steven Gerrard elevated the Scotsman to captain after McGinn demonstrated his abilities as a leader and football player in the Premier League.

Villa's foray into European football, managed by Unai Emery, has seen McGinn continue to shine with strong performances and spectacular goals, such as his incredible long-range goal in last season's 3-2 Champions League victory over eventual winners PSG, which was unsurprisingly chosen as the team's goal of the season.

Prior to Villa acquiring McGinn, Hibernian turned down several approaches from SPL powerhouse Celtic in 2018. The Scotsman's former Hibs manager was proven correct after the midfielder's triumph in English football.

Following Aston Villa's victory, McGinn's former boss proved correct.


McGinn's former head coach, Alan Stubbs, told BBC Sport that he would be a "great success" at Villa after the Birmingham team bought him during the 2018 summer transfer window.

"I believe he is a great deal because he has all the qualities needed to succeed at Aston Villa.

"He has every quality needed to succeed at Aston Villa, including the ability to use his body, his backside, and his legs, which are extremely strong.

"When travelling to England and facing numerous large, physically strong players, you need that dynamic."

Stubbs' forecast about the Scotsman has come true, as McGinn has gone on to score 33 goals and record 41 assists in 301 games for Villa. The Villains' signing of the Scotsman for just under £3 million has turned out to be a remarkable commercial decision.

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

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Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

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Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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