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The Millonarios rank among South America's most powerful teams, having boasted some of the best players in Argentine football history in their ranks

River Plate are one of South America's big guns for a reason.

They are not just one of the most successful teams on the continent, but they have also had absolute phenomenons wearing their iconic jersey.

Even the youngest football fans will have heard of Alfredo Di Stefano, Enzo Francescoli was one of the best of his generation, and more recent stars such as Hernan Crespo, Marcelo Gallardo, and Pablo Aimar all made a big impact on the game.

So picking an all-time greatest XI from that impressive list of players is not particularly straightforward.

There's simply not enough room to squeeze in all the stars to have represented River.

Yet we gave it a go after all; this is our ultimate River Plate dream team!

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  Goalkeeper: Ubaldo Fillol

  Fillol is considered, along with fellow Millo idol Amadeos Carrizo, as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Argentine history and just beats out the legend of La Maquina for the number one jersey.

  Fillol helped end River’s 18-year wait for a title in 1975 and would add six more to the trophy cabinet in his Monumental stay as well as lifting Argentina's first World Cup in 1978.

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  Centre-back: Jonathan Maidana

  Maidana, still going strong in the River defence at 36, has marked an entire era at the club.

  The ex-Boca youngster suffered the pain of relegation at the end of his first season at the club in 2011 but stayed put in their darkest hour and led them throughout the subsequent glory days.

  His record at the Monumental includes over 300 games played, two Copa Libertadores titles, a Sudamericana, and the 2021 Liga Profesional. Maidana is a worthy addition to this illustrious team, a modern-day hero on a par with the greats who came before him.

• Centre-back: Daniel Passarella

  ‘El Kaiser’, ‘El Gran Capitan’: no praise was too high for this true River legend. Despite only standing 1.73m tall Passarella was a talisman in defence for River and Argentina. As a coach the star would add three more titles to the six he won as a player in the Monumental – while he also holds the distinction of being the only Argentine to have lifted the World Cup twice, in 1978 as captain, and eight years later in Mexico.

  While his presidency last decade ended in relegation and disaster, tainting somewhat his standing among the RIver faithful, he remains one of the greatest defenders Argentina has ever produced.

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• Centre-back: Roberto Perfumo

  A product of the Nunez club’s youth system, Perfumo went on to become a legend at bitter rivals Racing Club, winning the National championship, Copa Libertadores and Copa Intercontinental in 1967 as Racing became the first Argentine club to be crowned world champions.

  Already in his thirties when he returned to his first club, nevertheless the player whom dubbed “one of the best defenders in Argentine history” still had time to lead the Millo to three titles in as many years, playing over 100 games before finally retiring at the age of 36.

The Gunners have lost their last 10 meetings against Manchester City in the Premier League – here's what they need to do to avoid that fate again

Finally, the wait is almost over. What has become the most hotly-anticipated fixture of the season so far finally arrives on Wednesday night.

Arsenal vs Manchester City – a game that could go a long way to deciding the Premier League title race.

An Arsenal win will take them six points clear with a game in hand, but a City win will see them knock Mikel Arteta’s league leaders off top spot for the first time since back in August.

That’s what’s at stake and Arsenal go into the game on the back of three games without a win in all competitions, one of which was a 1-0 defeat at City in the FA Cup.

They also have a dreadful record against the champions to contend with, having lost their last 10 league games against City, scoring just three goals and conceding 26 in the process.

So what can Arsenal do to end that run and take a major step towards the title on Wednesday night? Below, GOAL, takes a look…

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  The Saliba vs Haaland battle

  William Saliba’s impact on English football this season was immediate. The central defender slotted in seamlessly following his arrival in the summer after last season’s loan spell with Marseille.

  Saliba looked like he’d been playing in England for years and had little trouble dealing with some of the best attackers the Premier League had to offer.

  But the 21-year-old’s performances have dipped of late, with many pointing to his time away with France at the World Cup as a reason why.

  Saliba featured for just 27 minutes in Qatar and there has certainly been an air of rustiness to his game since his return that we hadn’t really seen prior to the tournament.

  Ivan Toney gave him a torrid time on Saturday during the 1-1 draw with Brentford. Toney just looked too strong for Saliba whenever the ball was played up to him, both on the floor and in the air.

  And Arsenal's young centre-back will come up against a similar sort of physical battle on Wednesday night when he goes head to head with Erling Haaland, should the Manchester City frontman be passed fit following his injury scare.

  Whether Saliba’s confidence will have been hit by the treatment he was served up by Toney at the weekend remains to be seen, but Arteta will certainly be hoping that will not be the case.

  Saliba did actually go up against Haaland in the second half of the recent FA Cup tie between the sides and performed very well against the prolific Norway international, who ended the game a frustrated figure.

  If Saliba can replicate that type of showing at the Emirates, then it will go a long way to nullifying the most potent part of City’s attack.

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• Get Saka into the game

  Even when Bukayo Saka is kept largely quiet, he still has the ability to make something happen out of nothing.

  Never was that more evident than on Saturday when Arsenal struggled for large periods to get any joy out of a resolute Brentford defence.

  The visitors had done superbly well to keep Saka under wraps until, in the blink of an eye, he showed superb strength to outmuscle Mathias Jensen and send in a wicked cross for Leandro Trossard to convert.

  It was a goal out of nothing and a perfect example of how Saka can hurt you, even when he is not at his best.

  It’s difficult to say for certain who Arsenal’s right winger will be up against on Wednesday night, but the most likely guess is that it will be Nathan Ake.

  The Dutch international had a fine game against Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round, keeping Saka largely quiet and even scoring an unlikely winner at the other end.

  Arsenal need to do all they can to get Saka into the game and, more importantly, get the ball to him when he has space.

  It was all a bit too slow against Brentford and whenever the ball was worked out wide, either to Saka or Gabriel Martinelli, they were more than often up against two or three defenders.

  It was very rare to see Saka able to isolate his full-back, but if he can get into that situation regularly against Ake, or whoever Guardiola opts for at left-back, Arsenal could be in for a good night.

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  Block the space down the flanks

  Manchester City are very similar to Arsenal in many ways.

  And just as Mikel Arteta’s side like to exploit the space down the flanks when they attack, City like to do exactly the same.

  It seems like Guardiola will go for Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez on Wednesday night and stopping the service to them will be key to Arsenal’s success.

  Mahrez has been in fine form this season and Grealish is becoming a growing influence in the City attack, with some excellent recent performances.

  If Arsenal can stop them in their tracks and funnel the visitors into central areas, they will back themselves to come out on top in that battle, as they have done many times this season in big games.

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  Double up on De Bruyne 

  Thomas Partey has been the rock that a large amount of Arsenal’s success has been built upon this season.

  If Partey plays well, Arsenal play well. It’s that simple.

  And Arteta will know that the Ghana international will have to be at his very best while up against Kevin De Bruyne on Wednesday night.

  De Bruyne is still the man that makes Manchester City tick and Partey will be tasked in shutting down the space that the Belgian playmaker can excel in, especially when he drifts into the central areas where he can be such a threat.

  But it’s not just going to be up to Partey to keep De Bruyne quiet; players like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Granit Xhaka will also be so key in that regard.

  It’s a difficult job, such is De Bruyne’s quality, but if Arsenal can do it and starve much of the service to Haaland, then their chances of coming out on top will be greatly increased.

There have been some absolute legends representing the Rossoneri, but which ones make it into the ultimate Milan XI?

Picking the ultimate AC Milan dream team is not an easy undertaking.

Milan are not just one of the most successful clubs in the world when it comes to silverware, but they have also seen some of the greatest players of all time wear the famous red and black jersey throughout their illustrious history.

In fact, of all the players who wore the Rossoneri shirt, six were awarded the Ballon d'Or, while three were awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year gong.

It's thus almost inevitable that some legends will be left out of this XI as there's simply not enough room to accommodate all these superstars.

But let's take a look at the players who do make the Milan dream team!

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  Sebastiano Rossi | Goalkeeper

  Rossi arrived at Milan in the summer of 1990 at the age of 26 and was initially brought in as Andrea Pazzagli's back-up, but with time, he managed to carve out a space for himself in the first XI.

  Having eventually become a starter in his second season, Rossi became one of the pillars of what was arguably one of the strongest teams in the world at the time.

  Playing behind an iconic defence made up of Mauro Tassotti, Alessandro Costacurta, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, he was among the strongest Italian goalkeepers of his generation.

  Equipped with a great physique and technical ability, Rossi was an integral part of the Rossoneri's defensive system.

  In twelve years with Milan, he won five Scudetti, three Italian Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, two European Super Cups and one Champions League.

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  Cafù | Right-back

  Marcos Evangelista de Moraes, or more simply Cafu, is one of the best right-backs in the history of the game.

  He arrived at Milan at the age of 33 and for this reason was greeted with skepticism by the Rossoneri fans.

  However, this did not prevent him from immediately establishing himself as an immovable force in the Milan defence.

  Gifted with tremendous speed and stamina, he was one of the most dominant right-backs of his generation, as well as one of Milan's integral players for five seasons.

  He ended his career as a Rossoneri player in 2008 after winning a Scudetto, an Italian Super Cup, two European Super Cups, a Champions League and a Club World Cup.

  These trophies he won with Milan, combined with the other triumphs in a long career, make him one of the most successful players ever.

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  Alessandro Nesta | Centre-back

  On August 12, 2002, Silvio Berlusconi categorically ruled out Alessandro Nesta's possible arrival at Milan with these words.

  "Nesta costs too much, it is not compatible with our budget," he stressed.

  Lazio were expecting €45 million for their captain, a figure that they felt was justified for arguably the best central defender in the world.

  When everyone thought that the deal was dead, "secret" negotiations started and a few weeks later, Nesta was a Milan player.

  Fast, relentless, good anticipation, very strong in the air, elegant and capable of starting attacks, Nesta was an extraordinary defender.

  He remained at Milan for 10 years, during which time he won two Scudetti, two Italian Super Cups, one Italian Cup, two European Super Cups, two Champions League and a Club World Cup.

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  Franco Baresi | Centre-back

  Franco Baresi is simply one of the greatest legends in the history of Milan.

  A one-club man, he represented the Rossoneri with distinction during his 20 seasons as a professional, and 15 of them with the captain's band on his arm.

  An absolute leader on and off the pitch, he had immaculate positional sense that allowed him to command his defence like few others have in history.

  Fast, technical, relentless with his interventions and gifted with an excellent vision of the game, he was one of the greatest defenders of all time.

  In fact, he was second in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 1989 (the winner was Marco Van Basten) and is still considered amongst the strongest players to have failed to win what is the most coveted individual recognition in football.

  However, he did win everything with Milan: six Scudetti, four Italian Super Cups, one Mitropa Cup, three Champions League, three European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.

  A Milan legend through and through.

If you thought the ongoing manager saga at Celtic was providing enough drama, then think again.

The Bhoys hierarchy have been on the hunt for a new manager for nearly three months now but that might not be the only thing Dermot Desmond has on his mind anymore.

What’s the word?

As well as being locked in negotiations to bring Eddie Howe to Paradise, Celtic have been keen to bring in a figure to take on their newly created director of football role.

It’s thought that Fergal Harkin and Richard Hughes are among the contenders but the root of Celtic’s problems stem far deeper than their transfer history.

After all, it is Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell who call the vast majority of the shots.

Lawwell will retire at the end of the season with Dominic McKay arriving to replace him but could a reduced role be on the cards for Desmond as well?

Well, after an audacious claim from the Notorious himself, Mr Conor McGregor, there could be a further change on the cards at Celtic.

Taking to Twitter in the early hours of Monday morning, the MMA superstar revealed that he wanted to invest in the Hoops after being asked whether he could get involved with Manchester United.

The UFC fighter said: “A conversation came up regarding Celtic first to be honest. To acquire shares from Dermot Desmond. I am certainly interested in acquiring a sports team at some stage! Both Celtic and Man United are teams I like for sure. But I am open. I feel I could do big things for a club.”

Time to sell?

McGregor may not have a background in football but if Dermot Desmond’s influence on Celtic is waning, it can only be a good thing for the Bhoys.

The Irishman appears to care about the club, regularly being snapped in Celtic jerseys while he previously professed his love for Kieran Tierney during an interview.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

That said, if Desmond does indeed decide to sell some of his shares, it would be a pleasing sight for supporters regardless of who it was going to.

After all, the businessman has left Celtic in the lurch in recent years with mass protests occurring outside Parkhead against his ownership.

The club’s majority shareholder was questioned about his stake as recently as March but his response was defiant.

“I am as passionate about Celtic as any other supporter. My shares are not for sale,” he commented.

Desmond may have been in charge of the club during their haul of nine Premiership titles in a row but it’s hard to argue that things behind the scenes have been run very well.

It was he, alongside Ian Bankier and Lawwell, who sanctioned the arrival of Neil Lennon back in 2019.

Celtic had just been given £10m in compensation fees for Brendan Rodgers but they decided against being ambitious and investing that back into finding a renowned manager. The result of which has been a disastrous season where they now sit 23 points off top spot.

Whether it be transfer strategies or coaching appointments, the Glaswegian’s have been run poorly for a while now.

To have a new investor on board with fresh and ambitious ideas would be a bright sign of hope for the Hoops.

AND in other news, Celtic interview “outstanding” 63 y/o for manager role, Hoops fans should be buzzing…

Goal takes you through the evolution of the FIFA video game series, starting from its first incarnation as a pixellated 16-bit arcade-like game

The latest edition of the popular video game FIFA features high-end graphics and crisp user interplay as well as stunning gameplay features – but playing FIFA wasn't always this aesthetically pleasing.

Goal rewinds the clock and takes a look at how FIFA's gaming interface has evolved over the years, starting off as a game that looked as if it belonged in the arcade next to Super Mario Bros.

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  1FIFA International Soccer

  The very first incarnation of FIFA as we know it was called 'FIFA International Soccer' and released in 1993, riding the wave of traditional 16-bit games, and only featured national teams. Real player names were not used! 

  A notorious bug allowed the player to score by standing in front of the goalkeeper so that the ball rebounded against him and into the net

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  2FIFA 95

  Using the same mechanisms and featuring only minor upgrades, FIFA 95 was the first edition to introduce club teams within eight national leagues: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, and the United States.

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  3FIFA 96

  FIFA 96 was the first game to feature real-time 3D graphics on specific platforms, and was also the first to present players with real player names and positions, alongside ranking, transfer and team customisation tools.

  The Brazilian teams, however, had faulty rosters – having included some long-retired players that were only corrected in FIFA 99 – and the American league still consisted of entirely fake teams and players.

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  4FIFA 97

  A huge introduction in FIFA 97 was the 6-a-side indoor feature with polygonal players, and the game increased their number of playable leagues to include Malaysia.

  This version was also the first to feature in-game commentary by John Motson, alongside Andy Gray and Des Lynam introducing the matches.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has suggested Ryan Bertrand’s Southampton career may soon be over.

The Lowdown: Bertrand’s contract is running out

Bertrand has been at St. Mary’s Stadium since 2014, but his contract is set to run out at the end of this current campaign (Transfermarkt).

As of yet, it remains unclear whether the 31-year-old will put pen to paper on a new deal, even though he did say in December that he would like to stay on the south coast for the foreseeable future (via The Daily Echo).

The Latest: Hasenhuttl shares thoughts

Ahead of Southampton’s clash with Liverpool this weekend, Hasenhuttl was discussing the future of the left-back. He said (via Hampshire Live):

“We are looking at other targets because the offer we have made has not been accepted from his side.

“When this happens, when there is no solution for the future in this position, we will have to look at other options.”

The Verdict: On the way out

These latest comments do not indicate that Bertrand has a long-term future at the club, and it appears to be of his own doing. If the £9m-valued former Chelsea defender (Transfermarkt) will not sign a new contract, there is very little Hasenhuttl can do – as such, he must look for alternatives.

The reasons behind Bertrand’s desire to leave are uncertain. At 31, he is approaching the end of his career, and a move to a top club may have already sailed. Unfortunately, if he does leave this summer, it will mean Southampton will not receive a transfer fee, but after 240 matches for the Saints, they may have already had their money’s worth.

In other news, Southampton are interested in this 21-year-old.

The newly-crowned league champions are the main force in the best XI this season, with Tottenham Hotspur well represented as well

Few people will be surprised to see Manchester City dominate the PFA Premier League Team of the Year by having five players named.

Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Nicolas Otamendi and Kyle Walker are the five newly-crowned English champions included in the XI due to their impressive performances for a side sitting 16 points clear at the top of the table with four games to go.

Despite Pep Guardiola's team's dominance of the league, there are more star-studded names throughout the squad.

Tottenham Hotspur are the next best represented side as star striker Harry Kane takes the centre-forward role, with Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen also included. 

Although still sitting second and third in the league, Manchester United and Liverpool only have one star each in the squad, with David de Gea taking his place between the posts and 30-goal hero and PFA Player of the Year Mohamed Salah adding to a mouth-watering attack.

Amid their poor title defence, Chelsea also saw one player named in the side, with Marcos Alonso earning praise for his impressive work on the left side.

• David de Gea | Manchester United

  The Spanish goalkeeper has been pivotal in keeping the Red Devils in the fight for second place, with some of his individual displays being enough to justify his inclusion in the squad alone.

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  Kyle Walker | Manchester City

  The right-back has looked worth the £50 million investment City parted with to lure the England international from Tottenham Hotspur. He has been a big presence for Pep Guardiola's side and is expected to be even more important for his country at the World Cup.

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  Jan Vertonghen | Tottenham Hotspur

  The Belgian centre-back remains a fan favourite at Spurs and a huge asset for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Christian Eriksen is the only other Tottenham player to have started as many Premier League games this term.

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  Nicolas Otamendi | Manchester City

  The Argentine's development under Pep Guardiola has earned him a great deal of praise recently and his progress has been recognised with a place alongside Vertonghen.

The Argentina international scored a perfect hat-trick as Manchester City beat Newcastle, while Chelsea's Belgian forward downed Brighton

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  Jack Butland | Stoke City

  No goalkeeper has made more saves in the Premier League in 2018 than Jack Butland (14).

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  Antonio Valencia | Manchester United

  Manchester United have won 75% of their Premier League games that Antonio Valencia has featured in this season, compared to just 25% without the Ecuadorian.

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  Laurent Koscielny | Arsenal

  Laurent Koscielny's goal against Crystal Palace ended a run of 45 Premier League games without scoring for Arsenal, his longest league goalless drought since joining the Gunners.

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  Ben Mee | Burnley

  Ben Mee, who made three blocks in Burnley's 1-0 defeat against Manchester United, a joint-high in the game, has blocked 36 shots in the Premier League this season; only Lewis Dunk (43) has made more.

Ross County boss John Hughes has recently revealed that Celtic youngster Leo Hjelde attracted interest from Leeds United.

Hjelde, who was loaned out to Ross County by Celtic in the summer, had arrived at Parkhead back in 2019 from Rosenborg. He plied his trade with the Celtic youth side and is of course expected back at Parkhead this summer.

Hjelde hailed by Ross County boss Hughes

In a recent interview, Hughes has hailed young Hjelde and he said that the 17-year-old will play in the Premier League.

Hughes made it clear that while Hjelde has a lot of learning to do, Leeds were looking to sign him before he joined Ross County on the loan deal.

Hughes described himself to be a bit of a Celtic man, saying that he’d want the youngster to play for Celtic and become a regular for the Bhoys in the future.

He said: “I 100% believe he will reach the Premier League. Leo is going to be the next Virgil Van Dijk, trust me on that, trust me. He has got a lot to learn but for being a young kid, to come on loan during Covid in this climate, what he’s produced has been absolutely fantastic.

“He has still got a lot of learning but before he came here Leeds United were after him. I think he signed an extension to his Celtic contract for this loan to go through. He is going to be a centre-back but he can play left-back.

“I am a wee bit of a Celtic man and I would love to see him make his debut for Glasgow Celtic and become a regular. I would love nothing more than to go along to Parkhead and see Leo run out there.”

High praise for Hjelde comes at the right time

The 17-year-old Hjelde has made nine appearances in all competitions for Ross County this season. He’s played eight times in the Premiership.

He has also scored once in the league, finding the back of the net against Kilmarnock. In the Premiership, he has picked up a rating of 6.53 (as per Whoscored).

That is a promising sign for Celtic. To earn rave reviews at a young age can certainly help him build up his confidence and with Kristoffer Ajer being linked with a Parkhead exit, Hjelde could perhaps prove to be his compatriot’s natural successor in the future.

In other news, ‘It’s as simple as that’ – Pundit suggests why Howe may have had second thoughts on Celtic job

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been giving their thoughts over a potential permanent deal for Ross Barkley on social media.

That’s after Marlon Harewood shared his views on the attacking midfielder, with the former Villa striker believing Barkley will want to make his move permanent in the Midlands.

Barkley initially impressed at Villa Park but he’s managed just one goal involvement in his last 11 Premier League appearances and has had to make do with a place on the bench in recent weeks.

Chelsea’s huge asking price

Reports last month suggested that Villa would need to smash their transfer record, which stands at the £28m plus add-ons deal to bring Ollie Watkins to the club, to land Barkley on a long-term basis.

Chelsea will ask for a fee in the region of £40m this summer, with Thomas Tuchel’s stance on Barkley not yet known.

However, Harewood, talking to Football FanCast, gave Villa the green light in regards to a permanent deal for Barkley.

Harwood’s comments were shared on social media in a story by @AVFC_News on Thursday evening, who asked supporters if a deal will happen.

Villa supporters not keen

“Hopefully not. Will cost us 20-30 million as well. Really needs to step up his game. He hasn’t proven himself yet imo”

Credit: @SSaultyyy

“Ramsey over Barkley anytime and spend the cash elsewhere…”

Credit: @Mrb47016877

“#nothanks”

Credit: @villa_vernon

“He needs to step up then if he wants the move. Imo he’s not done enough for us since joining”

Credit: @villaman101

“Very much doubt it if he can’t even retain his place in the starting line-up.”

Credit: @joeinpoole

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

Credit: @AstonZillaFC

In other news: Many Villa fans have hit out at Dean Smith for his training ground comments, find out more here.