Liverpool and West Ham exits likely to mean no fifth spotItaly and Germany well set to take two extra places The Premier League’s hopes of securing an extra spot in next season’s expanded Champions League are hanging by a thread after the exits of Manchester City and Arsenal from this season’s competition on Wednesday were followed by those of West Ham and Liverpool from the Europa League on Thursday. Germany are the strong favourites to pip England to the prize. The situation has ramped up the pressure in the battle between Aston Villa and Tottenham for a fourth-placed Premier League finish. Villa are fourth, three points ahead of Spurs, who have a game in hand. Continue reading...

Plus: Another famous night in Europe for Unai Emery as Aston Villa beat Lille on penalties; West Hams Europa League disappointment is a sign of their progress; Jeremie Frimpong settles Bayer Leverkusen nerves at the London Stadium

Lee Hendrie was left bemused as Emi Martinez was shown a second yellow card during Aston Villa’s penalty shootout with Lille but was not sent off. The Argentine then secured Villa’s progression by saving the hosts’ final penalty.

Emi Martinez saved Lilles first penalty before receiving his second yellow card of the night; there was confusion when he stayed on the pitch rather than being sent off; Aston Villa goalkeeper then saved the decisive spot-kick to send his side into the semi-finals

From the moment Emiliano Martínez was booked for time-wasting 39 minutes into this tempestuous Europa Conference League knockout tie, there was an air of inevitably that the Aston Villa goalkeeper would prove to be the hero. So it proved, with Martínez saving penalties from Nabil Bentaleb and Benjamin André in a shootout after Matty Cash’s late strike prevented Lille advancing and took the game to extra time. That, however, is only half of the story. Martínez seemed intent on being the pantomime villain, his every touch jeered from the off, was cautioned again by the referee, Ivan Kruzliak, during the spot-kicks after being warned for gamesmanship – another dollop of shithousery, you could say – but avoided being sent off, leaving Villa without a goalkeeper, because cautions are not carried forward into penalties. Continue reading...

Club’s owners ready to back Mikel Arteta in transfer marketSporting’s Viktor Gyökeres has also been heavily linked Arsenal are targeting a striker and winger in the summer to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad after their hopes of reaching a first Champions League semi-final since 2009 were ended by Bayern Munich. Successive defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern have left Arsenal’s chances of silverware this season relying on Manchester City slipping up in the Premier League title race with six games to play after Arteta’s side finished as runners-up last year. There have been signs of ­progress since more than £200m was spent last summer on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurriën Timber but the owner, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE), recognises that Arteta’s squad needs significant strengthening to help them take the next step. Continue reading...