The Premier League has opened a Pandora's box of problems which cannot be closed. However well-intentioned, however morally upright they mean to be, the way the product is perceived around the planet by fans will be negatively affected.
This looks like a gigantic mess, but could also become a bit of a joke, especially if they attempt to rewrite history, and change the winners' names on the Premier League and cup trophies over these past 15 years. I wouldn't want the engraver's job.
I believe financial rules brought in to prioritise financial sustainability were also aimed at limiting the money being spent by the clubs, especially the staggering, ever-inflating sums spent on sometimes fairly average players. It could lead to a de facto salary cap, which many fans would approve of.
The long-term problem for the league is easy to see here: if the top players are then offered significantly more money to play elsewhere, they will be off before you can say 'man on'.
I always thought the Premier League had taken a huge risk going down this regulatory road. As with Manchester City's future, nobody knows what the real long-term ramifications will be.
I have a suspicion it could end up being the greatest own goal in the sport's entire history.
The big take: If City are cast out of England's top leagues, what might the owners do – hang around the lower reaches, or find something else? Wasn't there the idea of a Super League? Keep that thought in the back of your mind.
Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.
International break can take your mind away from a bad defeatpublished at 08:42 BST
08:42 BST
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
Most of the time it is not that big a deal if you go into the international break having just lost a club game if I am honest, as teams lose games frequently.
That is just the life of a professional footballer. You have to be able to cope with disappointment as an individual and as a team.
Admittedly, players will sometimes say that they want another domestic game quickly, but it is almost always specifically after a 'bad' defeat as opposed to just a run-of-the-mill loss.
However, if the team has genuinely played terribly, or lost a game they were expected to win comfortably, you will commonly hear the phrase "we want to have a chance to get back out there and put it right quickly".
Players who have had a stinker, even if their team won, might also want to get out again as soon as possible to put it right in front of their fans, or 'reset'. The 'reset' argument is just current football jargon to say, "we will try to get it right next time, and we blew it this week, sorry".
The international break can also have the beneficial effect of taking your mind away from a bad defeat. This is not to say that you don't care, it is just that you must compartmentalise your thoughts and feelings. Footballers are among the best at this.
You simply cannot go to play for your national team and spend the time brooding about what happened against Brentford last week. That way lies madness and another poor performance, only this time in front of the entire nation.
Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.
Could Emery be tempted to leave Villa?published at 14:48 BST 29 September
14:48 BST 29 September
In part two of Tuesday's Aston Villa Q&A with football reporter Nick Mashiter, he addresses Unai Emery's future and whether the summer exits have been adequately replaced.
Martyn asked: Do you think Emery's head will ever be turned by an approach from a bigger club where he is not going to be financially strangled by 'the rules'?
Nick: Emery has built things up and would not have the control he does at Villa Park at any other club.
That is the biggest strength the club has in terms of ensuring Emery stays and remains happy but, of course, the manager has ambitions - that is clear within his personality.
He is an elite manager - he may not be at the top of that bracket but I feel he is in there - yet he has not achieved what he would have wanted to at the 'elite' clubs he has previously managed - Paris St-Germain and Arsenal.
He still won five major trophies - including Ligue 1 in 2018 - but not the Champions League and that dominated PSG's thinking until they finally lifted it last year for the first time, before defending their title in May.
Following Arsene Wenger at Arsenal was an almost impossible task.
I feel Manchester United should have gone all out for Emery in the summer (even if that meant changing their model). But the point remains that he has control at Villa - even with restrictions - and any next move would not guarantee him the same level.
Image source, Getty Images
Liam asked: Have Aston Villa adequately replaced the players who left in the summer, or are some - Nicolas Jackson for Ollie Watkins, Johan Manzambi for Youri Tielemans and Zion Suzuki for Emi Martinez - even upgrades?
Nick: There are positive signs, especially after the win at Tottenham, with Jackson, Manzambi and Suzuki all playing key roles.
They all need time to adjust to what Emery demands of them and the influence and impact of those who have left cannot be forgotten.
Villa wanted to lower the average age of the squad in the summer - and they have certainly done that - and they see Suzuki, for example, as someone who can be a crucial player for 10 years.
Watkins' work-rate and threat was key for Villa. Jackson will need to replicate that and Emery said he executed his instructions perfectly in the victory at Spurs before the break. He should only improve with more time.
Manzambi has had to wait following a knee injury but he has already made his mark with a goal and assist on his full debut at Tottenham.
Time will tell how they gel and develop. Villa achieved what they wanted in the summer - they just need to deliver now.
Stu asked: Does Emery expect Victor Lindelof to be first choice centre-back for the season?
Nick: Lindelof has not let Villa down since joining on a free transfer in summer 2025.
Whether at centre-back or holding midfield, the Swede has the trust of Emery, which is the most important thing.
He only started 11 Premier League games last season, with Ezri Konsa still at the club, but made 10 Europa League appearances, including in midfield in the semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest, and started the final. Emery knows what he can deliver.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres are obviously the other centre-back options, with Harwood-Bellis still to adapt at Villa after his £30m move from Southampton.
Once he does acclimatise to Emery's demands, there would be an expectation the 24-year-old will secure a starting place, even if he has been left out of the Champions League squad.
Emery has been relying on Mings' experience and knowledge of his methods to help the squad through their transition, so his influence is also key.
It can be argued Villa are weakest at centre-back and they have only kept four Premier League clean sheets in 2026. However, in Lindelof, Emery has a lieutenant he can count on.
Do Villa need to review their transfer strategy?published at 09:13 BST 29 September
09:13 BST 29 September
We asked you to send in your questions for football reporter Nick Mashiter to answer. In the first of a two-part Q&A on Tuesday, he addresses Aston Villa's recruitment and lack of success with wide attacking players.
Prit asked: Does having a slow start two years in a row mean Villa need to review their transfer strategy and ensure all business is conducted at least one week before the season starts?
Nick: The summer's transfer business, for a lot of clubs, was always going to be towards the end of the window because of the World Cup.
It was natural things were going to concertina up and, as a result, Villa's business - like many - was mostly done in August.
In an ideal world, every club and manager would like to do it earlier and Unai Emery has made it clear he wants the transfer window shut before the start of the season.
He has said Villa are essentially still in pre-season while the new players settle, which has contributed to the slow start to the campaign.
Last summer's business was limited anyway - Harvey Elliott, Jadon Sancho and Victor Lindelof arriving on deadline day. Like every club, Villa will plan - but then still have to react to the market.
Image source, Getty Images
Alex asked: Why do we keep bringing in wide attacking players that turn out to be not for us - for example, Nicolo Zaniolo, Elliott, Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho? Don't we do our due diligence?
Nick: The jury will remain out on Garnacho for a bit longer, but the early signs are not positive, with the winger left on the bench for the past four games.
But we need to look across the board, not just at the wide players.
How many signings can be called a complete success under Emery? Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans are in an exclusive club.
Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen may join them, but even Amadou Onana struggles to make the list given his injury record. Lindelof has done a job, as has Marco Bizot when called on.
Evann Guessand, Andres Garcia, Enzo Barrenechea, Samuel Iling-Junior, Jaden Philogene, Moussa Diaby and Lewis Dobbin all came and went without making much - if any, in some cases - impact.
Jhon Duran and Donyell Malen created their own headlines but were either not consistent enough - not something which can be levelled at Malen with Roma now - or never earned Emery's full faith.
Come back to this page later on Tuesday for part two of the Q&A, which will focus on Emery and whether Villa have adequately replaced the players who left in the summer.
Gossip: Clubs abroad eye move for Nedeljkovicpublished at 09:13 BST 29 September
09:13 BST 29 September
Kosta Nedeljkovic is wanted by foreign clubs, with the on-loan Aston Villa right-back still not a regular starter for Rangers since his season-long move to Ibrox in August. (Mondo), external
'This may be the biggest story in the Premier League's history'published at 07:01 BST 29 September
07:01 BST 29 September
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
Image source, Getty Images
Unbelievably, sensible and well-informed people are seriously discussing Manchester City getting a huge points deduction or being demoted or kicked out of the English leagues completely.
There is also reasonable talk about them being sued by just about every other major club in the domestic game, and a few beyond that. That is before you get to the concept of titles being stripped and trophies retrospectively re-awarded to others.
There is still an appeal to be heard, but they have been found guilty already. Serious consequences must be considered. Following the draconian punishments handed to Everton and Nottingham Forest, among others, City might find they don't just have the book thrown at them, it is the entire British Library lobbed in their general direction.
Those other clubs cooperated in the process. City have faced more charges and they involve larger sums and over a longer time period. In short, things are not looking good for the club that dominated English football for almost a decade.
This may be the biggest story in the Premier League's history and it is going to run and run.
Other serious considerations will follow hard on the heels of the Blues' dilemmas – specifically what long-term effects will this have on the Premier League? They will not all be good ones.
Some reasonably argue that the financial rules City have been found to have broken shouldn't have been put there in the first place. They were brought in to safeguard the financial security of the clubs and the league, but try telling that to many City, Everton and Nottingham Forest fans just now.
Newcastle and Aston Villa have plenty of financial backing, but these rules have hurt their ability to grow and stay competitive with the legacy clubs. This all feels unfair if you are a supporter of those two.
The money that will now be frittered away by the English game on lawyers and legal fees is eye-watering, and it will grow exponentially as the litigation increases.
Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.
'Premier League - be afraid... be very afraid!'published at 12:02 BST 24 September
12:02 BST 24 September
Image source, Getty Images
We asked you to rate Aston Villa's start to the Premier League season and tell us what Unai Emery should be focusing on during the extended international break.
Here are some of your comments:
Chay: With last season, I was worried that we were not having a good start and that these results would bite us at the end. But, with this season and Villa's 'bad start', I am not concerned considering that if Villa were to repeat last season, we would go on to have 13 wins in a row and win a cup at the end, preferably the Carabao Cup.
Darren: A shaky start to the season was totally understandable after selling off half the cup-winning team, but some sensible recruitment has built a squad with an eye on the future. We have amassed some really talented youngsters who will be the backbone of Villa for years to come. Emery is a genius and will concentrate on gelling the new boys and hopefully surpassing last season's success.
Keith: I have full confidence in our manager and believe he will get the team winning. We are not as strong as last season but, given time, we will get somewhere near. I think we may have to settle for mid-table.
Blaine: I feel like the first two games were really wake-up calls to our new players to try to get things fixed. I won't say it's been a steady improvement, but the bright spots are certainly there. We'll see if it holds. I'm judging this season by how we do from October to December rather than August to September.
Bill: Six Europa Cup winners leave, Uni Emery has a few weeks after the extended break from the World Cup to rebuild a squad that understand the system, structure and methods. Onana has a long-term injury, Torres a mid-term one and Maatsen unknown, yet despite all of this, more points than this time last year. Arsenal would have had several Premier League titles if they had not sacked him. I'm happy with the start and we can push on. Villa are in safe hands with Emery the best coach we have every had - although Ron Saunders comes a very close second.
Dan: Was always going to be difficult but we've ended on a high with some very promising performances from key new players. Three weeks to work on the new players who have stayed and for other key players to return from injury. Unai's had his 'now the season's started in earnest' trim. Premier League - be afraid... be very afraid!
How do you feel about Aston Villa's start to the season?published at 15:57 BST 23 September
15:57 BST 23 September
As we enter the first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League season.
Aston Villa's win at Tottenham on Saturday was huge for Unai Emery's side, marking their first victory of the league campaign and ensuring the do not go into the extended international break in the bottom three.
Despite a summer of change and a difficult start, there have been encouraging signs - including summer signing Johan Manzambi starting and scoring after his return from injury.
How do you rate the Villans' start to the season and why? And what will Emery be focusing on during the extended break?
'Shadow of Elliott saga hangs over Garnacho future'published at 10:57 BST 23 September
10:57 BST 23 September
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Alejandro Garnacho had no future with Xabi Alonso's new-look Chelsea - he did not train with the squad before leaving for Aston Villa in July.
So the move to Villa Park suits all parties. Chelsea have the chance to make their money back on their outlay to sign him from Manchester United, Villa get an international winger and the player has a chance to revitalise a flailing career.
However that does not necessarily mean it will be a success.
There is an obligation to buy tied into the loan that is believed to relate to appearances, and it is expected to be achievable - but that does not guarantee anything.
For instance, Harvey Elliott would have triggered a move worth £35m if he made just 10 Premier League appearances last season. However the Liverpool loanee - now at Valencia - was used just four times by Villa in the top flight.
Emery did not feel the 23-year-old was good enough and decided he did not want to be obliged to sign Elliott permanently just a couple of months into the season.
It raised the question for some within the game about whether a loan at Villa should be viewed with caution, and whether other players' careers could be derailed in the way Elliott experienced.
It was accepted that Elliott's options this summer were not as extensive following his season of inactivity at Villa Park.
Time will tell whether Garnacho faces the same struggle, on the back of his career stalling over the past two years.
He made his Manchester United debut aged 17 and was part of Argentina's Copa America‑winning squad in 2024, but has not added to his eight international caps since November of that year.
The Madrid-born forward also won the Premier League's goal of the season award in 2023-24 for his overhead kick against Everton while playing for United, but his output for Chelsea was disappointing.
Emery is waiting to see if Garnacho fulfils his potential at Villa, but the winger will have to wait until he gains the coach's trust, and then take his chance.
Emery the perfect man to handle Villa change - Balaguepublished at 09:53 BST 23 September
09:53 BST 23 September
Image source, Getty Images
Spanish journalist Guillem Balague believes Unai Emery is the ideal manager to deal with Aston Villa's summer of change.
Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers - goalscorers in May's Europa League triumph - as well as Lucas Digne, Emi Martinez, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa all left Villa Park during the transfer window.
Villa have replaced those established stars with generally younger players - but Balague believes the Spanish coach will relish the challenge.
He told BBC Radio West Midlands Sport: "I don't think anyone planned for Tielemans going or Digne going.
"Once it became clear that it was going to be a bigger change than expected, it's about adaptability. That's how he's always done it.
"Everybody started to realise at the end of last season, the Europa League was a target very early on.
"Everybody realised it was the end of an era. That there wouldn't be any more after that.
"The changes have been bigger than expected, yes. But Unai will always look around at the time of the market closing and go 'alright, let's go for it'."
Gossip: Spanish clubs monitor Garnacho situationpublished at 07:15 BST 23 September
07:15 BST 23 September
Aston Villa attacking midfielder Alejandro Garnacho is being monitored by clubs in La Liga after struggling to make an impression at Villa Park following his summer loan switch from Chelsea. (Mail plus - subscription required), external
Anthony: Great players and no glue. You have to look at the spending and the homework done on the new squad. It's missing so much and yet it's not as far off as people are saying. The problem is time and it will run out by Christmas for the manager if the weak mentality is not addressed. We need lions, we've got lambs.
Jezza: It is a measure of how poor we have become that the only positive after five games is the fact that we have at last scored a goal! A shocking start to the season and an absolute indictment of our totally incompetent transfer strategy (if indeed there is a strategy) over several seasons. We have let talented young players leave, massively overpaid for new players, who are either average or permanently injured, and decided we don't need to invest in a striker who can actually score goals but instead will persist with those who have manifestly failed in that role. What an utter shambles!
Simon: Not a team and maybe never will be. So disappointing to see individuals on the pitch for Spurs, but no team. They look like they've never met before, despite the team meals and bonding.
Neil: Why did we spend £85m on Fernandes? A player we didn't need. Surely signing a dominant central striker was paramount. Solanke has been a poor signing and Marmoush isn't the answer. It's quite incredible that the lavish spending didn't address to the glaring 'goalscorer' chasm (even a forward that actually troubles opposition defenders)
Villa fans
Johnson: That was a great away performance from us, if we hadn't lost concentration and concede two cheap goals in the last 10 minutes. Suzuki deserved a clean sheet. Manzambi had a great game, so did Jackson. One to build on, especially with the international break coming handy to us. With Madjo, Goretzka and Torres back after that we should be in an even better position than recently.
Mike: Despite the nervy ending, we scored three goals, took three points and are going into the international break with our heads held high. I'll stick my neck out and say that in almost every position our new recruits were an improvement on their counterparts last season. This team is still some way from reaching its peak but the signs are that we can be a threat in all competitions. Ollie who?
Ian: Positive. There's the beginnings of a team here. Long term, Lindelof and Mings cannot be expected to play 90 minutes, and when Kamara and McGinn were substituted, we looked weak down the right flank. Suzuki was full throttle in the first half and would have been disappointed with conceding two, neither of which were particularly his fault. Jackson and Manzambi looked to be developing a good understanding of each other. Onwards and upwards!
Luyimbaazi: At last we have our first win of the Premier League campaign! The forward line did very well but Unai Emery has to address the shaky defence that almost allowed Spurs a comeback. I am going to stay largely positive. Three wonderful points in the bag. Hopefully we'll keep going after the international break.
Suzuki aiming to be 'one of the best'published at 11:44 BST 20 September
11:44 BST 20 September
Steve Sutcliffe BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
While Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson both scored, another Aston Villa new boy, Zion Suzuki, deserved as much credit as anyone for their first Premier League win of the season at struggling Tottenham.
The Japan goalkeeper made the move to Villa from Italian side Parma for a fee in the region of £30m in August.
And his performance against Spurs suggests he is more than capable of filling the very big boots vacated by the departure of Argentina number one - and fan favourite - Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea.
In particular, his two saves from Savio within seconds of each other and a moment of good fortune when Archie Gray's effort clipped wide off his foot, gave Villa the platform to ride out a period in the game when the hosts held sway.
Born in the United States to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother, Suzuki has already played in Japan, Belgium and Italy and won 28 caps for his country.
And speaking to BBC Sport in August, Dennis Rudel - his former coach at Sint-Truiden - stressed that Suzuki has the attributes to become one of the world's best in his position.
"It is possible if he stays healthy," said the former Union Berlin coach. "With his physical strength, there is no-one better in the world in terms of dynamic, jumping power, throws and kicking the ball.
"When I watched him at the World Cup [for Japan], his biggest strength was his mental clearness. His focus on the game or in training sessions is so good. He is always prepared and really disciplined.
"He is aiming to show he can be one of the best. He was immediately one of the top four or five goalkeepers in Serie A.
"As a person and as a player, he is a role model for how you should behave. I don't see any weakness in him."
"He has such big hands and he is powerful. When he can reach the ball, it is a 90-95% chance of a save. It is something really special."
How Villa's Jackson left Spurs 'battered' - Shearerpublished at 11:19 BST 20 September
11:19 BST 20 September
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Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer praises the performance of Aston Villa's Nicolas Jackson, saying Tottenham's centre-halves "couldn't keep up" with the 25-year-old striker.
Tottenham 2-3 Aston Villa: How the Villa players ratedpublished at 20:21 BST 19 September
20:21 BST 19 September
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Aston Villa starting XI:
Zion Suzuki: Kept Villa level with saves from Savio and Archie Gray in the first half. A fine performance but his usually excellent distribution let him down. 8
Aaron Wan-Bissaka: The right-back has struggled to adapt quickly under Unai Emery. One slip almost cost Villa a goal and was little surprise he was withdrawn at half-time. 5
Tyrone Mings: Lost the ball several times as Villa played out from the back but rediscovered his composure after the break. 6
Victor Lindelof: Relatively untroubled in the second half after needing to be alert to Spurs' early threat. Once that died down, it was a comfortable afternoon. 7
Matteo Ruggeri: A full Premier League debut for the left-back but he did not look convincing as he tries to understand what is needed by Emery. 6
Joao Gomes: In his first Premier League appearance after his opening-weekend dismissal, the midfielder was solid and able to protect Villa's lead. 7
Boubacar Kamara: It was the midfielder's shot which fell into the path of Manzambi to score, and he was able to keep Villa moving. 7
John McGinn: His tenacity was rewarded as he seized on Robertson's error to help set up Manzambi's goal. A typically dynamic display. 7
Emi Buendia: The forward loves a goal at Tottenham and scored the pick of the bunch when he found the top corner from 25 yards to seal it. 7
Johan Manzambi: A goal and an assist on his full debut for Villa as he grew into the game after a slow start when Tottenham dominated. More will be expected once he settles in. 8
Nicolas Jackson: Isolated for long spells in the first half but got his goal in the second and was a nuisance. Had earlier forced Kinsky into a smart save. 7
Aston Villa substitutes:
Matty Cash (on 46, Wan-Bissaka): The right-back returned from injury to help strengthen Villa's defence. 7
George Hemmings (on 72, Manzambi): Helped Villa to a comfortable win.
Image source, Getty Images
