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TRANSFER ALERT: ASTON VILLA PREPARE TO SIGN BRENNAN JOHNSON FROM TOTTENHAM THIS JANUARY

Aston Villa mean business! Discover why Unai Emery is raiding Tottenham for Brennan Johnson after securing Brazilian star Alysson.

Transfer Alert: Aston Villa Prepare To Sign Brennan Johnson From Tottenham This January
Unai Emery Targets Brennan Johnson

Word has it that Aston Villa is thinking about grabbing a Tottenham player this January. Apparently, they've already got a deal lined up for another player, according to a recent report.

This season is kind of wild for the Villa. They're only four points behind Man City at the top, they've won nine games straight in all competitions, and they're actually in the running for the title—something nobody expected.

Unai Emery isn't talking about winning anything big just yet, but the stats speak for themselves.

Villa's been playing their best since way back in 1919. They haven't won the league since 1981 or any major trophy in 30 years, but here they are, sitting third and four points ahead of Chelsea.

The change has been pretty amazing.

They started the season with five games without a win and couldn't score to save their lives, ending up near the bottom. But now it's December, and they've beaten Arsenal and Man City at home. Plus, they are the first team this whole season to get over 2.1 expected goals against Arsenal.

Behind the scenes, Villa is already planning for January.

They've already got Brazilian teenager Alysson from Gremio for around £8.7m, which could go up to £10.5m if he plays well.

This 19-year-old winger is just the kind of player Emery likes—young, eager, and able to adapt. Gremio will get 10% if Villa sells him later. The deal should be done early in the transfer window.

That's according to Graeme Bailey, a journalist. He also said Villa is looking at Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson.

Bailey says Villa is now in the running for Johnson this January.

The Welsh player hasn't been playing much under Thomas Frank in north London. Mohammed Kudus came in the summer, pushing Johnson down the pecking order.

Johnson scored the goal that won them the Europa League in May and scored 18 goals overall last season, being their top scorer in 2024/2025.

James Maddison even called him a 'relentless' player.

But this season, he's only started six league games, playing less than 900 minutes. The 24-year-old isn't a key part of Frank's plans, so he might leave in January.

Now, Villa would be a whole different story. They play European football and are actually trying to win the title. Plus, he'd get to work with one of the smartest coaches from Spain.

So, we probably shouldn't count Villa out just yet.

The team wants to bring in a new striker this winter, and they have a few players in mind.

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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