Series: The Full Time Report · Episode 12 Published: 2026-05-09 Runtime: 19 min 19 sec Coverage window: 2026-05-07T09:00Z → 2026-05-09T08:00Z (~47 hours) Format: Solo monologue · conversational, evening wind-down

A bumper 47-hour catch-up covering one of the most extraordinary two days in recent English football history. Aston Villa thrash Nottingham Forest 4-0 to reach their first European final in 44 years; Freiburg beat Braga to set up a Villa vs Freiburg UEL final in Istanbul on 20 May. That means English clubs — Arsenal, Villa, and Crystal Palace — are now in all three European finals this season. Arsenal's Premier League title charge continues as GW36 looms, but Merino and Timber are out for West Ham. The transfer desk: Xabi Alonso is joint-favourite for Chelsea's permanent manager role (a correction from Episode 11), Højlund is officially a Napoli player, Gordon's Bayern move is stuck on fee, and the John Stones free-agent saga is now a four-country chase.

Forty-four years. That is how long Aston Villa had been waiting for a European final. And on Thursday night, in front of a packed Villa Park, that wait ended.

Welcome back to The Full Time Report. I'm Tom. It is Saturday morning, the ninth of May 2026, and a lot — and I mean a lot — has happened in the last 48 hours.

This is a bumper catch-up edition. We've got two Europa League semi-finals, a full Premier League GW36 preview, the latest on Arsenal's title charge, a transfer desk that keeps getting busier, and the injury news you need before the big weekend games kick off.

Let's get straight into it — and we are starting, where else, at Villa Park.

Aston Villa 4, Nottingham Forest 0. Four-one on aggregate. Villa are going to Istanbul.

I want you to just think about what that means for a moment. The last time Aston Villa were in a European final was 1982. The European Cup final. Villa won it. And for 44 years — generations of fans — they have been waiting to feel that again.

And on Thursday night, Unai Emery delivered it in spectacular fashion.

Forest came in leading one-nil from the first leg. They were confident. Vitor Pereira's side had done the job at the City Ground, and they came to Villa Park looking to hold on.

But Forest were missing five key players — Gibbs-White was on the bench but only just back from head stitches, Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and Dan Ndoye all absent. Murillo played injured. They had academy kids on the bench.

And Emery had a trick up his sleeve. Victor Lindelof — a centre-back, let's be clear — started in central midfield alongside Tielemans. His first ever start in that position. And it was, as McGinn himself said afterwards, outstanding.

Ollie Watkins levelled the tie in the 36th minute, tapping in after Emi Buendia slalomed past two Forest defenders. One-one on aggregate. Game on.

Then VAR stepped in. Penalty to Villa in the 58th minute — Milenkovic's shirt pull on Pau Torres, awarded by the referee after a review. Buendia stepped up and scored. Two-one on aggregate. Villa in front.

And then came the moment that Villa Park will never forget. John McGinn, 77th minute — far corner. And then — 80th minute — near corner. Two goals in one hundred and fifty-six seconds.

The Times wrote, and I love this: when McGinn swept in Villa's third and fourth, all the angst and doubt of 44 years was swept away with it.

McGinn was emotional afterwards. He said — and this is direct — «I'm normally quite calm before games, but today I was nervous. Tonight was up with one of the best performances I've seen from a Villa team for a long time.»

He also said: «The margins are so slim — if we lose tonight, then we are the nearly men.» Not tonight, John. Not tonight.

Ollie Watkins paid tribute to his manager: «There is no better manager to get us prepared for this game and obviously take us into the final as well.» That's high praise, and it's well earned.

Emery himself was measured but clearly moved: «I'm so, so proud of how we played the match. It's something special to play a final in Istanbul.»

And this is Emery's sixth Europa League final. He has won it four times. Three with Sevilla, once with Villarreal. He is hunting a record fifth. The Sun were right — it genuinely is the Unai Emery League.

Oh, and Prince William visited the Villa dressing room afterwards. No pressure for the final then.

Now, over to Germany. Freiburg 3, Braga 1. Four-three on aggregate. Freiburg are going to their first European final. Ever.

This one had drama from the first minute. Braga's Mario Dorgeles — the man who was the hero in the first leg — was sent off in the seventh minute for a professional foul on Jan-Niklas Beste. Braga played 83 minutes with ten men.

Lukas Kubler gave Freiburg the lead in the 19th minute, a deflection off Braga's attempted clearance. Johan Manzambi curled a stunning right-footed effort into the far top corner in the 41st minute — that is a goal-of-the-season contender right there.

Kubler then made it three-nil on the night with a powerful header from a Grifo free-kick in the 72nd minute. Braga pulled one back through Pau Victor in the 79th, but it was not enough. Four-three on aggregate. Freiburg through.

Manager Julian Schuster was euphoric: «I just feel so much incredible delight when I see people's faces.» And Kubler himself: «It was so loud the whole game. The crowd carried us.»

Freiburg are the 11th German club ever to reach a UEFA Cup or Europa League final. And that run of 11 consecutive home Europa League wins ties Sevilla's all-time competition record. Not bad for a club of their size.

So there we go. The Europa League Final is set: Aston Villa versus SC Freiburg, in Istanbul, on the 20th of May. Write it in your diary.

And while we're at it — English clubs are in ALL THREE European finals this season. Arsenal in the Champions League final. Villa in the Europa League final. And Crystal Palace in the Conference League final. All three. That is genuinely extraordinary.

Right. Let's talk Premier League. GW36 is upon us, and there are no results just yet — the games kick off this afternoon — but there is plenty to preview, and the title race context makes every match feel enormous.

The table right now: Arsenal, 76 points from 35 games. Manchester City, 71 points from 34 games. Arsenal are five clear, with City having a game in hand. Arsenal have three games left. City have four.

If Arsenal win all three, they're champions — regardless of what City do. The earliest they could clinch it is the 18th of May, at home to Burnley, if City drop points to Brentford today AND Arsenal beat West Ham tomorrow.

So yes, this weekend matters a lot. City versus Brentford this afternoon is absolutely huge from a title race perspective.

What did Guardiola say? Sky Sports asked him if the title race was over. His answer: «No.» Short and sweet. He also confirmed Rodri is doubtful for today after missing Thursday training with a groin issue. «We'll see this afternoon. Still, he doesn't feel completely comfortable.» That is a huge blow for City if he doesn't make it.

The good news for Guardiola: Gvardiol is back in training after a leg problem, and Dias is also back from a hamstring issue. Phil Foden has also reportedly agreed in principle to extend his contract to 2031. So not all doom and gloom at the Etihad.

Brentford's Keith Andrews — and a reminder, this is Keith Andrews, not Thomas Frank, who left the club last year — gave a pretty brilliant answer when asked about the title race implications. He said: «I don't really care about the external title race narrative, to be blunt. I care about us and what we're trying to do.»

Fair enough, Keith. But Igor Thiago has 22 league goals this season — second only to Haaland. Brentford are 7th with 51 points. They have their own ambitions to chase. This is not a walkover for City.

Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield at half past twelve today. Liverpool can secure a top-five finish with a win if Bournemouth drop points. Arne Slot had a pointed press conference this week — there has been some noise about his squad's leadership culture following Mo Salah's public comments.

Slot's response was blunt: «There is nothing wrong with Liverpool's standards.» Moving on.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are on six consecutive Premier League defeats. A loss today at Anfield would equal the club's all-time record of seven consecutive top-flight defeats, set back in 1952. That would be a grim milestone for Callum McFarlane's side.

McFarlane was trying to be positive at his press conference: «We've got a few lads returning. Levi Colwill has trained a full week with us, and so has Reece James.» But we will get to Chelsea's injury crisis in more detail in a moment — because it is quite something.

Then tomorrow, Sunday, it is West Ham versus Arsenal at the London Stadium, three-thirty kick-off. Arsenal's final away game of the season, potentially. Mikel Arteta was asked about the Rooney 'celebration police' criticism this week — apparently some pundit thought Arsenal were too aggressive in their celebrations. Arteta's reaction? He said: «I will put it where it belongs — it doesn't matter.» Which is the correct answer.

His message to the squad this week was beautifully simple: «Stay present, live the moment, prepare and show the same level of energy, hunger and desire that we have showed all season or more.» That is a man completely locked in.

One more GW36 storyline before we move on. The relegation picture. West Ham are on 36 points, Tottenham are on 37. Spurs play at home to Leeds on Monday night. James Maddison returns to the Spurs squad after over a year out with injury. West Ham are genuinely not safe yet.

Right. Injury news. And Arsenal fans, this bit is not great reading.

Arteta confirmed at his press conference yesterday that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are ruled out for the West Ham game tomorrow. Merino has a fractured foot. Timber has an ankle issue. Both have already missed significant chunks of the season.

On Timber, Arteta said — and this tells you everything — «We didn't expect it to take so long, and at the moment, he's not fit to play.» And when asked if either would be back this season, his answer was essentially: unknown. «I don't know, there's still a fair bit to do.»

The good news: no fresh injury concerns from the Atletico semi. Odegaard and Havertz are available. Martin Lewis-Skelly has been exceptional in midfield according to Arteta. Arsenal have the depth. But you'd obviously rather have Timber and Merino fit for both the title run-in and the Champions League final.

Speaking of Chelsea injuries — this is almost unbelievable. Chelsea have six first-team wingers unavailable right now. Six.

Jesse Derry, out for the season after a head injury against Forest. Estevao, grade-four hamstring tear — season over, and his World Cup place may also be in doubt. Gittens, hamstring since January, season over. Neto and Garnacho both carrying muscle knocks and unlikely to be available today. And Robert Sanchez is also out with a head injury.

McFarlane did confirm Derry's prognosis, saying «signs are really positive» for his recovery. So that is a relief. But it does paint a picture of a club in absolute chaos right now.

Elsewhere on the injury front: Man City's Rodri is doubtful as mentioned. Tottenham have eight players out. Newcastle have lost Livramento and Miley for the season. It is genuinely that time of year where every squad is groaning.

Let's do the transfer desk. There is a lot going on.

Starting with Chelsea's managerial situation, because I need to address an error from the last episode. I referred to the leading candidate as 'Alonso' without being specific enough. To be completely clear: the Chelsea manager candidate is Xabi Alonso. Not Enzo Alonso, not Enzo Maresca — Xabi Alonso, the former Real Madrid and Leverkusen manager. My apologies for any confusion.

The Athletic are reporting this week that Xabi Alonso is now joint-favourite for the Chelsea job at two-to-one odds, alongside Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth. Chelsea's plan, per reports, is to pursue Alonso first and use Iraola as a fallback option.

There are question marks about whether Chelsea's current squad suits Alonso's aggressive pressing style. Marco Silva is 6/1, Xavi and Frank Lampard are 7/1. And there is also speculation that Alonso remains a four-to-eleven favourite for the Liverpool job if Slot were to leave. So it's not a done deal by any means.

Rasmus Hojlund to Napoli — this one is done and dusted. Napoli have confirmed the permanent transfer at thirty-eight million pounds, triggered via the release clause. There have been conflicting fee figures floating around — some outlets reporting closer to fifty million euros total when you add the loan fee — but the Mirror's reported thirty-eight million for the permanent deal has been confirmed by the club.

For United, the important thing is they avoid a significant PSR loss on the sale, and it clears space in the squad for their summer midfield rebuild.

Anthony Gordon to Bayern Munich — still alive, still complicated. Bayern have reportedly offered Gordon a five-year contract, per Bayern insider Christian Falk. Falk's take was: «Bayern know they'll have to pay a really big transfer fee for Anthony Gordon, so it's best to spread it over the course of a long-term contract.»

The problem is the fee. Newcastle are holding firm at around eighty million pounds — about ninety million euros. Bayern value him closer to fifty-five to sixty-three million. That is a significant gap. Vincent Kompany has been given the green light to pursue the signing, and Gordon himself is reportedly keen — he has seen how well Michael Olise settled at the Allianz Arena.

But as it stands? Deadlock. We'll keep watching.

John Stones and his free transfer saga keeps getting more global. He's out of contract at Manchester City this summer — 31 years old, 19 trophies. And the queue is forming. Juventus, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Everton — all linked. Stones apparently wants his future resolved as soon as possible. Who wouldn't, with that many suitors?

Sandro Tonali to Manchester United — no new developments in the 47-hour window. I checked the Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein timelines, and there is nothing new there. Newcastle's valuation remains north of a hundred million. United have secured Champions League qualification, which reportedly unlocks around a hundred and fifty million for midfield reinvestment. So the Tonali pursuit is alive — just very quiet right now.

And a quick mention of a new rumour doing the rounds: Enzo Fernandez, Chelsea's midfielder, is apparently attracting interest from Arsenal, Man City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, and PSG. Which is, you know, basically every major club in Europe.

His agent Javier Pastore was dismissive, telling Goal: «A lot of the rumours are false — nothing has actually happened. Enzo is focused on finishing the season well with Chelsea.» Chelsea value him at over a hundred million. So do not expect anything to move on this quickly.

Bruno Fernandes wins FWA Footballer of the Year 2026 — confirmed this week. First Manchester United player to win the award since Wayne Rooney in 2010. With 20 Premier League assists already this season, that is a record in itself. Hard to argue with.

Before we get to the Arsenal buildup, a couple of things you should know from around the league. Bournemouth midfielder Alex Jimenez has been suspended pending an investigation into messages allegedly sent to a 15-year-old. That story is developing and it is serious. And separately, Southampton have been charged by the EFL for allegedly spying on a Middlesbrough training session. Quite a week for football administration.

And now — Arsenal and the Champions League final. Because even with the title run-in going on, you can feel the Budapest buzz building.

Arsenal versus PSG. Budapest. The 30th of May. That is 21 days away. The build-up is well and truly underway.

This week saw four major tactical preview pieces published on that match, and the consensus? PSG are favourites. But Arsenal's defensive record makes this a genuinely open game.

The numbers are striking. BBC Sport's Adwaidh Rajan laid them out: Arsenal have nine clean sheets in 14 Champions League games this season. They have conceded just two goals across their six knockout matches. Their expected goals against across the whole UCL campaign is 0.84. PSG's is 1.38. Arsenal are statistically the tighter defensive unit by a significant margin.

The Guardian's Nick Ames identified six key factors: Kvaratskhelia and Dembele as the PSG attacking threats, whether Declan Rice can shut down the central play, Safonov's potential vulnerability as PSG's goalkeeper, disrupting PSG's centre-backs in build-up, and the Barcelona connection between Arteta and Luis Enrique.

On that last point — Luis Enrique was asked about Arteta this week. His response? «I appreciate Mikelito Arteta!» There is genuine mutual respect between the two managers. This is going to be a fascinating tactical battle.

ESPN's predictions have PSG winning two-one. Among the pundits, Warnock and Hargreaves are backing PSG. But Steven Gerrard made a point worth remembering: «I know more than anyone else that an underdog can win this final. Arsenal will play against a high-quality team, against an elite manager.» He's backing Arsenal's defensive capability as the equaliser.

Worth noting also: PSG's Achraf Hakimi missed the second leg against Bayern with a hamstring injury. His availability for the final is not confirmed. That could be significant — Hakimi is one of the most dangerous right-backs in the world.

Arteta's press conference after the Atletico win last week was brilliant. He said: «It's an incredible night. We made history again together.» On the atmosphere at the Emirates: «I never felt that in the stadium.» This is a club that genuinely believes it can win the biggest prize in European club football.

PSG have until the 17th of May when Ligue Un ends. That gives them 13 days of rest before the final. Arsenal's PL season ends the 24th of May — just six days before Budapest. The fitness and freshness question is real. It might well come down to who gets luckier in those final weeks.

Alright. Let's wrap up with the big picture for the days ahead. This is what you need to keep an eye on.

Today, Saturday. Liverpool against Chelsea at Anfield, half twelve. City versus Brentford at the Etihad, half five. Title race implications all over that second one.

Tomorrow, Sunday. West Ham against Arsenal, London Stadium, half four. This could be the afternoon that makes Arsenal's title push feel truly inevitable — or it could be one of those horrible away days. The title is not won yet.

Monday night, Tottenham versus Leeds. Spurs need the points to stay clear of the drop zone. West Ham will be watching very closely from their sofas.

And on the 20th of May — Villa versus Freiburg, Istanbul. On the 27th — Crystal Palace versus Rayo Vallecano, the Conference League final. And on the 30th of May — Arsenal versus PSG, Budapest. English football's summer of finals is here.

That's your lot for Episode 12 of The Full Time Report. Thank you so much for listening. It's been a big 48 hours, and there's plenty more to come.

The main takeaway from this episode? Three English clubs in three European finals. Aston Villa in Istanbul. Arsenal in Budapest. Crystal Palace in the Conference League. However the rest of the season plays out — this is a golden moment for English football. Enjoy it.

I'll be back with GW36 results and all the fallout. Until then — have a great weekend. Come on you Gunners, come on you Lions. Cheers.

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