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Unai Emery says Aston Villa are determined to grasp the possible “last opportunity” of European football next season. Villa have slipped to eighth in the Premier League after back-to-back away defeats to Manchester United and Wolves, eight points behind fifth-placed Liverpool with three games remaining. But overtaking sixth-placed Tottenham remains very much a target, and that would happen as early as Saturday if Villa could beat them at home by three goals. Boss Emery said: “We’re three points behind Tottenham, everybody wants to enjoy this moment and play this match with the supporters. “The last two matches against Manchester and Wolves we lost, but it’s not changed our good moments we are taking at home with our supporters. “We deserve this opportunity because the last five matches we won at home and those 15 points have helped us be here. “We have to be positive, to be happy and very focused because it could be the last opportunity. “Or maybe it could be a very good opportunity to keep playing key matches, where me as a coach and the players can improve and build and take challenges in the new direction. “We are playing for one place in Europe and playing against teams like Tottenham, Liverpool and Brighton. “They are different teams but they’re amongst the biggest teams in the Premier League this year.” Emery took charge at the start of November with Villa in free fall. They had won only two of their first 11 league games under Steven Gerrard before his sacking. Emery brought in defender Alex Moreno and striker Jhon Duran during the January transfer window, but the Spaniard has largely been working with players who served under Gerrard and he is likely to strengthen the squad this summer. “The club is working to try to build and create a great way for the progression and the next years,” said Emery. “Of course, we are trying to use my experiences as well to build with the players we have now and the work we’re doing here. “The club will work thinking about the next year, but we have to be focused 100 per cent on the next match because the football is now.” Villa have rattled off five home wins – against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Fulham – since losing to Arsenal on February 18. Emery said: “We were very successful away and were competitive. We started to have some doubts at home before the last five matches we won. “And now it’s exactly different. At home we’re feeling very strong and competitive and we’re winning difficult matches and playing very well. “Away in the last three matches we haven’t been playing like we have been doing. That is one issue I’m working on and analysing with the players. “Overall we are making very good progress individually and collectively as a team.”

When Raphinha could return to action after he picked up a hamstring injury in Barcelona's 1-0 win over Sevilla,

Chelsea have announced the sale of Kalidou Koulibaly to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, having spent just one year at the club. The Senegalese centre-back was much sought-after during his time at Napoli in Serie A but it was the Stamford Bridge club who eventually landed him last summer for an estimated £34 million. However, a chaotic campaign saw the 32-year-old play under four different managers as the Todd Boehly and Clearlake era got off to a tumultuous start and, ultimately, a desperately poor 2022/23 season. A large turnover of transfers was expected this summer at Chelsea after well over half a billion pounds was spent across the course of the past year, and Koulibaly thus becomes the latest exit - and the latest star playing in Europe who has decided to join the Saudi Pro League and the vast sums suddenly on offer there. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr midway through last term, Karim Benzema followed his former teammate with a switch from Real Madrid to Al-Ittihad earlier this month. And Koulibaly isn’t even the first Chelsea player to tread this path either, with N’Golo Kante moving from west London to the same team as Benzema last week. Meanwhile, Mateo Kovacic is soon to complete a move to Manchester City as the overhaul continues under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Even so, the departure of Koulibaly is a notable one. Koulibaly was initially a starter under Thomas Tuchel last autumn and was seen as a big coup for the club, but he fell out of favour under Graham Potter. The one match under Bruno Sartor saw Koulibaly play in the middle of a three-man defence, before Frank Lampard’s terrible run as interim boss saw a return to a four-man system, with Koulibaly in and out during that period. In total he played 23 times in the Premier League and made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring twice. During the middle of his sole season with the Blues he also captained Senegal at the World Cup, scoring once before defeat to England in the knockouts. A short statement on the Chelsea website read: “We would like to thank Kalidou for his contributions on and off the pitch during his time at Stamford Bridge and wish him well for the next stage of his career.” As for Koulibaly’s new team, Al-Hilal finished third in the table this past season and their key players for the campaign included former Porto forward Moussa Marega and Saudi national team skipper Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored twice at the Qatar World Cup including the winner against Argentina. Former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo was also at the club last season but has now departed. Read More Football rumours: Man United end pursuit of Harry Kane over ‘unrealistic’ fee Football rumours: Wilfried Zaha eyes move to Paris St Germain Arteta hypes up Arsenal progress despite pain of losing title race Arteta hypes up Arsenal progress despite pain of losing title race On this day in 2012: Joey Barton stripped of captaincy by QPR Brendan Rodgers regrets ‘hurt’ he caused Celtic fans when he left for Leicester

Former Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone on Thursday received a non-custodial sentence after pleading guilty in a UK court to charges of failing to declare a multi-million-pound trust in...