When Emi Martinez charged up the pitch to celebrate after his quick thinking set up John McGinn's opener there was no doubt their Europa League dream would continue. Martinez celebrated wildly after McGinn's goal, sprinting to the halfway line to celebrate with his team-mates before gesturing to the Lille fans, who made their feelings clear. "It was brilliant from Emi," McGinn added after the game. Emery has won the competition four times and, thanks to McGinn and Leon Bailey's second-half strikes, is closer to adding a fifth. This month marks 30 years since Villa last won silverware, the 1996 League Cup under Brian Little, and after awful Premier League form Villa may have revived their season just in time.

Source: BBC March 20, 2026 14:05 UTC