sports
March 12, 2026
Watkins keeps Aston Villa on Europa League trophy trail with first-leg winner at Lille
Given what had gone before, Unai Emery stressed afterwards, this was a significant victory and a deeply satisfying takeaway for Aston Villa.
TL;DR
- Aston Villa secured a first-leg victory against Lille in the Europa League.
- Ollie Watkins scored the winning goal with a clever header.
- The win was Unai Emery's 100th as Aston Villa manager.
- Emiliano Martínez received a hostile reception from Lille fans.
- John McGinn returned from a knee injury, coming on as a second-half substitute.
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