Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has blasted some of his troubled club’s stars as “not good enough” and “probably overpaid”.
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Ratcliffe has endured a dismal start to his reign at Old Trafford since taking charge of footballing operations in February last year.
The British billionaire named Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Antony as the chief causes of his frustration.
Sancho and Antony are currently on loan at Chelsea and Real Betis respectively after underachieving with United.
In reference to United still paying instalments of transfer fees on several out-of-form players, Ratcliffe, who shares ownership of United with the US-based Glazer family, told the BBC: “If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho.
“These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.
“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17 million to buy him in the summer.”
Asked if he was suggesting those players were not good enough for United, Ratcliffe said: “Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.”
After United finished eighth in the Premier League last season and won the FA Cup, Ratcliffe and his United advisers opted to stick with boss Erik ten Hag despite their poor form for much of the campaign.
The Dutchman was subsequently sacked in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim after United endured another wretched run.
Premier League wrap: Arsenal fall behind | 03:13
INEOS chairman Ratcliffe has accepted the decision to keep Ten Hag was a mistake.
He applied the same verdict to his decision to hire Dan Ashworth as sporting director, a role he left in December after just five months.
“I agree the Erik ten Tag and Dan Ashworth decisions were errors,” the 72-year-old said.
“I think there were some mitigating circumstances, but ultimately they were errors. I accept that and I apologise for that.”
Despite United’s struggles since Amorim took charge, leaving them 14th in the Premier League, Ratcliffe insisted he would keep faith with the former Sporting Lisbon boss.
“If I actually look at the squad which is available to Ruben, I think he is doing a really good job to be honest,” he said.
“I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do. He’s an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time.”
Backing Amorim’s decision to allow England forward Marcus Rashford to join Aston Villa on loan, Ratcliffe said: “He wants a dressing room that is full of people who are totally committed to winning football matches.
“He won’t tolerate people who don’t have 100 percent of that attitude. The players have to be in the same box.”
Arteta departs after title race question | 00:34
Ratcliffe made his incendiary comments on United’s moribund team just 24 hours after thousands of fans took part in a protest against the club’s ownership ahead of Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Angry chants were directed at the Glazers and Ratcliffe, whose controversial off-field decisions have included a mid-season ticket price hike, as well as 200 anticipated redundancies among staff after 250 jobs were cut last year.
Ratcliffe claimed the “unpleasant” cost-cutting measures were “necessary” because the club would “run out of money at Christmas if we don’t do those things”.
Stressing his “only interest here is returning Manchester United back to greatness again”, Ratcliffe said Amorim would have money to spend in the close-season to improve his squad.
United haven’t won the Premier League since 2013, the last season of Alex Ferguson’s legendary spell as manager.
While they have a huge task to close the gap on champions-elect Liverpool in future, Ratcliffe insisted his aim of winning the league by 2028, the club’s 150th anniversary, was “not impossible”.
Ange Postecoglou has been the Premier League manager in the firing line in recent months, but some of the heat is now starting to be directed Ruben Amorim’s way.
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Postecoglou’s Tottenham claimed an important 1-0 win against Amorim’s Manchester United on Sunday to add to the torrid time the Portuguese manager is having at Old Trafford.
Amorim is overseeing, statistically, the worst United team of the Premier League era.
They have lost twelve of 25 matches, with a points tally of just 29.
They have scored only 28 goals and sit 15th on the table, 12 points clear of the relegation places.
They are on track for their lowest points tally, and the least amount of goals they have scored, in a Premier League season.
The numbers are grim.
Normally, such dire circumstances would have led to a manager already being shown the door.
But this mess is not of Amorim’s creation.
United sacked Erik ten Hag in October and replaced the Dutchman with Amorim in November.
The 40-year-old was seen as a breath of fresh air.
A young manager, who would impart modern thinking on the club.
Amorim was even hailed as the club’s saviour after winning two league titles and impressing in European competition for Sporting CP in his home city of Lisbon.
Such was his popularity at this former club that Amorim was chaired off the pitch after demolishing Manchester City 4-1 in a home Champions League match, which doubled as his farewell game.
Before that mid-week affair, Amorim stated that United fans would think he is the new Sir Alex Ferguson if he orchestrated a defeat of their fierce rivals.
It is doubtful that any Red Devils supporter would think that now.
“It was everything” – Spurs sweep Man U | 01:49
WORST UTD BOSS OF MODERN ERA
United have lost eight, won four and drawn two of Amorim’s 14 Premier League outings in charge.
His overall record of nine losses, nine wins and three draws is better courtesy of an unbeaten run in the Europa League’s league phase.
But Amorim’s win percentage of 43 is the worst of any permanent United manager since Ferguson’s reign.
Louis van Gaal (48%) was next lowest, but Jose Mourinho (52%), David Moyes (57%), ten Hag (67%) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (71%) all had significantly superior records in all competitions from their first 21 matches at the helm.
Clearly, things are not going according to plan.
Yet, Amorim’s head is not being called for repeatedly like Postecoglou’s.
There is a widespread acceptance that none of this is Amorim’s fault.
Discontent among fans towards the club’s ownership has seemingly grown annually with a lot of anger directed towards the American Glazer family who have been majority owners for more than two decades.
In 2023, six of the Glazer children sold a quarter of their 68% stake in the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and now some of their frustrations have been sent his way.
Selling off tickets among season ticket holders at Old Trafford to away fans, and the roof leaking because of a reluctance to spend on stadium refurbishments have generated outrage.
The most anger is directed towards squad building however, as the majority of the current team have been brought on massive dollars but flopped as their rivals have snapped up stars, and they missed opportunities to sign the likes of England captain Harry Kane when he departed Tottenham.
The resentment towards the club hierarchy has allowed Amorim to strategically push several excuses to keep the heat off him.
In January, he said he is in charge of “the worst team maybe in the history of Manchester United”.
If they get relegated, like the team who dropped out of the English top flight in 1974, the “maybe” could be dropped from that quote.
Following the weekend’s loss to Tottenham, United’s third of the season to Postecolgou’s side, Amorim said “my job is so, so hard here”.
One of the things he was referring to was the growing casualty ward, which is causing the manager serious headaches.
‘Bigger club with bigger pressure” | 00:46
‘WELCOME TO MY WORLD’
The demanding schedule of midweek games throughout December and January caused Amorim to lament that he could not spend enough time on the training ground, implementing his play style on the squad.
Last week he finally got some clear air.
There were eight days between their fourth round FA Cup victory at home against Leicester City and their trip to north London to face Tottenham.
Ample time to refresh and dive deeper into the demands of his preferred 3-4-3 formation, but they lost six players in that time.
United’s top goal scorer this season Amad Diallo, England midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer all suffered injuries, and Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen fell ill.
Diallo has been ruled out for the season, joining Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Jonny Evans as being sidelined for the long-term.
It forced Amorim to field a bench with eight teenagers, none of whom had made a first team appearance, and 17-year-old striker Chido Obi coming on for a debut with three minutes remaining was the only change made for the match.
The predicament prompted Postecoglou to say “welcome to my world” after he has struggled with an injury-riddled squad for several months, which led to an eight games winless run in the league.
To make matters worse, United fans watched on as academy product Marcus Rashford made an inspired start to life at Aston Villa.
Fellow attacker Antony, who was signed for £82 million in 2022, also started promisingly in Spain follow his departure from Old Trafford in the recent transfer window.
No replacement was brought in for either forward, instead entrusting Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Alejandro Garnacho as a front three that have produced eight goals between in the league this season.
Meanwhile, Rashford came off the bench twice for Villa and breathed life into the game, including playing a part in Ollie Watkins’ equaliser in their draw with Ipswich.
But rubbing the most salt into the wounds is that Antony has scored three times in four matches for Real Betis.
That is more goals than United have scored this February so far, and matches the Brazilian’s tally from 38 appearances for the Red Devils last season.
Perhaps, there is something in players being rejuvenated once the are freed from United’s shackles.
GREATS BECOMING RESTLESS
In the aftermath of the Tottenham loss, several greats of the Ferguson era piped up to spell doom and gloom for their former club.
Six-time Premier League winner with United Rio Ferdinand spoke on his YouTube channel about how he believes relegation is a real possibility.
“Manchester United are absolutely struggling at the moment. Only Wolves and West Ham separate my club from the relegation places. Do you realise we’re that close?” Ferdinand said.
“Someone said we need 11 points just to stay up and I’m starting to think like that. I’ve got the fixture list here and I’m looking at the game and I’m being serious here. Go through it.
“Everton away, Ipswich at home, Arsenal, Forest away, Man City, Newcastle away, Wolves, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leicester.
“The only place I potentially see us getting anything – and I’m not even saying a win – is Leicester. We’ve slapped up Leicester a couple of times already this season so we’ve got their number.
“Normally you look at the fixture list and you can see where the points are coming from.
“We just looked at the fixture list and I’m not seeing outright wins, I’m not looking at it thinking there’s three points here and there’s three points there. That’s the problem.”
Ballon d’Or winner and Ferdinand’s former United teammate Michael Owen said that he cannot see the current situation “getting any better”.
Meanwhile, another star of United’s golden years, Gary Neville, turned his attention on the manager.
Neville thought Amorim’s tactics were “absolute madness” during the defeat to Tottenham, particularly in midfield.
“The distance between the two centre midfielders for United is all wrong,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “Look where Fernandes is, look where Casemiro is. It breaks all rules of football.
“It’s absolute madness. The structure of the team is awful. The two in midfield are split. It’s embarrassing. You wouldn’t see this in under-nines football. Look at that space in midfield. Shocking.”
It was not the first time Amorim’s midfield set up has been ridiculed.
In a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in December, Amorim embarrassingly subbed off attacker Joshua Zirkzee after just 33 minutes to make up for his misstep of partnering Eriksen and Casemiro in midfield, who are not blessed with pace, against the Magpies’ electric trio of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
Now, critiques of Amorim’s tactics are mounting up.
AMORIM SHOULD BE ABLE TO DELIVER MORE
Three at the back, four in midfield and three up front.
That is what Amorim likes his teams to look like.
But being one player lighter in defence is something foreign to the current United squad.
They have failed to get up to speed with the reconfiguration, and it has now been long enough that it is reflecting poorly on Amorim.
Arsenal great Martin Keown described his tactics as “flawed”, and was confused as to why other Premier League managers have been able to make a more immediate impact with seemingly lesser squads.
“Whereas look at Everton, in the same amount of time for David Moyes, a former United manager, are getting results. You could argue his players maybe aren’t quite as good, but this once-great club is now falling from a great height,” Keown said on TalkSport after the Tottenham loss.
“The panic button is close to being pressed. You can’t keep performing as they did yesterday.
“The tactics are flawed; we’ve been saying it for weeks now. The midfield, Casemiro sitting on his own, Spurs exploiting that with two players in those pockets. James Maddison ran the show. Fernandes was a boy lost on the pitch.”
Concerningly for Amorim, there seems to be no relief coming in anytime soon.
Gary Neville believes “it’s going to be a minimum of two to three transfer windows” before the manager and the recruiting staff can “adapt this squad into a 3-4-3 squad”.
United are also going to be limited in their spending because of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules – which are designed to stop clubs blowing out their balance sheets by limiting what they can spend, dependent upon the money they generate.
The bad news for United is that they have lost £300m in the last three years, and in the background of their poor performances on the pitch, was 250 employees being made redundant last summer as part of cost-cutting measures.
It is also reported that more redundancies are likely.
“There will be no great infusion of cash to rebuild the squad in the summer; United are already under pressure to avoid breaching PSR regulations,” The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson wrote.
So with their hands somewhat tied financially, there is demand for Amorim to extract more out of what they have.
And at present, that does not look like happening.
“You can blame injuries all you like, highlighting the fact that United’s bench was so stacked with 17 and 18-year-olds that it resembled a sixth-form holiday camp. But Amorim, if he is truly as talented as his extravagant send-off in Lisbon suggests he is, should be summoning a tune out of those he has available,” The Telegraph’s chief sports writer Oliver Brown wrote after the Tottenham defeat.
“The problem is that the players are all hopelessly confused by the tactics he is asking them to follow. Maguire was the most obvious rabbit in headlights this time, bizarrely stopping dead in his tracks as a dangerous cross swung in towards Son Heung-min. Casemiro was all at sea, not even watching Bruno Fernandes at times and crumpling to the turf pleading for a free-kick even when nobody was near him.
“The doubts are starting to be publicly expressed. Gary Neville witheringly argued that Amorim’s midfield, with Casemiro and Fernandes creating yawning chasms through their lack of connection, would not even have been seen at under-nines level. While that might be hyperbolic, it does illustrate how the fundamentals at United have collapsed.
“The defence is shot to pieces, the midfield is makeshift, and supposed target man Hojlund has not scored in his last 15 appearances.”
WILL HE SURVIVE?
As is the case for Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, and as was the case for Amorim’s predecessor ten Hag, the allure of silverware offers salvation.
Ten Hag bought himself more time with a shock FA Cup triumph against rivals City in 2023, while United, along with Spurs, are into the Europa League’s Round of 16.
The hierarchy at Old Trafford would be desperate for a trophy, but it is not a condition to Amorim keeping his job.
There is little doubt that he will be given a summer to shape a squad in his image, and not judged too harshly for the failures that emerge from trying to do so on the fly, mid-season.
But football is a ruthless game, and bookmakers across the UK have slashed their odds on Amorim being the next Premier League manager to be shown the door.
Reports emerged out of Spain that United are already exploring alternative options, including current US men’s team manager, as well as former Tottenham, Chelsea and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino.
The dilemma Amorim is facing, which is the case of many bosses of rebuilding teams across any sport, is that losses stockpiling may do too much damage.
“The danger is that, even if Amorim is the right man, his reputation will be so tarnished by the end of the season that he will never be able to inspire the belief successful management requires,” The Guardian’s Jonathan Wilson wrote.
Antony’s future at Manchester United remains shrouded in mystery – despite his electric start to life at Real Betis.
That’s the view of the 24-year-old‘s agent Junior Pedroso, who believes the Brazilian is back to his best in Spain following his Old Trafford struggles.
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Antony has enjoyed a new lease of life since joining Betis on loan in JanuaryCredit: Getty
The winger linked up with the Red Devils from Ajax in an eye-watering £86million deal in 2022, but has so far failed to live up to his price tag.
After being deemed as surplus to requirements by United boss Ruben Amorim, he joined Betis on loan last month having scored just five Premier League goals in 62 outings.
And while he has flattered to deceive in England, he has starred at Betis with the forward scoring in each of his last two games.
He now boasts double the amount of goals in three games for the Los Mejores than what he managed in 14 United appearances in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.
His return to form has led to question marks as to whether United could look to reintegrate him back into their first team for next season.
“There are no long-term plans to be made. There may still be a few more chapters in his story with Manchester United, or there may not be.
“This will depend on many factors involving decisions by the club and him in the near future.”
Pedroso, who has stated that Antony is ‘back to his real level’, has insisted that the player is ‘really happy’ at the Estadio Benito Villamarin.
Though it remains to be seen whether Antony will remain at Betis beyond his loan stay with their being no option to buy clause in his contract.
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Antony has scored in back-to-back games for Betis to show his classCredit: Getty
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The Brazilian was the source of ridicule from fans and pundits after joining United in 2022Credit: Getty
Pedroso remarked: “Yes, I can confirm there’s no buy option clause in the contract.
” So Antony will be a Manchester United player from July.”
And Pedroso was then quick to dispel rumours that Antony and Amorim enjoy a strained relationship after the player fell out of favour at United.
He stated: “Antony respects Amorim a lot, for sure, but we understood in January that his moment at the club was not good.
“So Manchester United also understood that leaving on loan was the best way for Antony to recover his best form.”
While his future at Betis is a mystery, the Manchester Evening News have claimed it remains unclear whether he could even last the rest of the season in Spain.
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Antony has looked a different player in Spain to how he fared in the first half of the season
They state that it is unknown whether United have included a recall clause in Antony’s Betis contract.
Should they have an agreement though, rules state that the Red Devils must wait the minimum days required of a short term loan before they can bring him back.
That stands at 28 days, meaning United would have to wait until February 22 if they wish to recall him.
With United currently in the midst of an injury crisis, Amorim may be having second thoughts at allowing Antony to leave.
Star winger Amad Diallo is the latest player to be ruled out of action, with an ankle knock ruling him out for the rest of the campaign.
Gabby Agbonlahor Tips Manchester United To Lose ‘So Much Money’ When They Sell Antony!
Liverpool suffered a potential blow during their 1-0 victory over Real Betis as Curtis Jones was forced off through injury.
The midfielder was substituted on 30 minutes and replaced by Trey Nyoni during the pre-season clash in Pittsburgh on Friday night.
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Arne Slot cut an animated figure during his first outing as Liverpool bossCredit: Getty
Dominik Szoboszlai scored the winner in Arne Slot’s first outing but the new Reds boss admitted to concerns over Jones.
He said: “I think it’s too early to tell [how bad it is]. He maybe could have played on, but I think maybe you could see he was not at 100 per cent.
“In a friendly game, with so many days coming up in our tour, it was best to take him off. Hopefully he can recover from [it] really fast, but we have to wait and see.
“We hope he recovers really fast so we can see him in the next few games.”
Slot added: “It’s always a pity if he has to go out after 25 minutes, half an hour. And before that you could see that he was not completely free.
“It was unfortunate because he had two really good weeks during the training sessions so I looked forward to seeing him in the game, but unfortunately he had to go out.
“The good thing about that was that we brought someone [on] that impressed me in the 45 minutes to an hour he played afterwards.
“That was the positive thing of Curtis going out for Trey, but of course for Curtis it’s a pity that he couldn’t play on.”
Jones recently spoke of his delight at Slot’s arrival, having mostly been a fringe player under Jurgen Klopp.
“He’s amazing,” the 23-year-old said when asked about Slot.
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Nyoni’s display came as a positive after Jones’ premature exitCredit: Getty
“It’s probably the happiest I’ve been. As a style of play, it suits me. It is a clear plan. Arne is fully involved in the training, he coaches us a lot, he’s big on the finer details.
“He knows it’s going to take a bit of time because it’s a big change. I came around the team as a young lad. I always had a way of playing, but I had to adapt and change. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t do.
“But this now is more me. I can get on the ball more. I can ‘do me’ more.”
Dutch Football Journalist Marcel Van Der Kraan believes Liverpool boss Arne Slot will ‘outshine’ Manchester United’s Erik Ten Hag and claims he’s been doing ‘mind-blowing’ things that have not been seen for 35 years
Nyoni’s impressive display provided a silver lining for Slot during an eye-opening friendly in the States.
The 17-year-old caught the manager’s eye and impressed Liverpool fans watching on from home.
Nyoni made his senior debut in the 3-0 victory over Southampton in the FA Cup earlier this year, becoming Liverpool’s youngest ever player to feature in the competition.
The former Leicester academy star was promoted to first-team training under Klopp last season after impressing in the Reds’ youth setup.
Liverpool are heading to the USA for their pre-season tour, and they kick things off with a game against Real Betis.
Arne Slot has selected a 28-man squad for the Reds’ trip across the pond as preparations for the new campaign ramp-up.
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Mohamed Salah is heading to the US with the rest of his Liverpool teammatesCredit: Getty
The Dutchman has been given a whole pre-season to prepare his team for their first Premier League campaign under his guidance after Jurgen Klopp‘s departure.
But Betis will be no mugs and have Manuel Pellegrini as their manager.
Last season, they finished seventh and will play Europa Conference League football this year, so they’ll be a good test for Liverpool.
Liverpool vs Real Betis: Date and how to follow
This pre-season game is set to take place on Friday, July 26.
Read more on Premier League
It will be held at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, and kick-off is set for 7:30pm local time, which is 12:30am on Saturday morning in the UK.
The game will be streamed on LFCTVGO.
You can sign up now for a free first month or pay £50 for an annual subscription. More details here.
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Slot will be looking forward to working with the players in the USACredit: Getty
Liverpool Sporting Director Richard Hughes gives transfer window prediction during Arne Slot’s first press conference
Liverpool vs Real Betis: Team news
There are a few notable absences from Liverpool’s initial squad for their US trip.
Players who made the latter stages of Euro 2024 and the Copa America aren’t involved.
Liverpool’s full travelling party can be found here.
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Robertson is one of the bigger names making the journey to the USACredit: Getty
Liverpool vs Real Betis: What has been said?
Liverpool boss Slot has been speaking to the club’s website about the upcoming tour.
He said: “I assume this, but the resistance of the teams we play is strong.
“We are trying to implement the ideas and keep doing what we have done so well. Keeping the boys fit, that’s the first aim.
“Those things are the first aim and then with all the players coming back I think the quality will definitely go up a lot as well.
“It’s only two weeks in so if it was that easy to bring and to implement all your ideas in two weeks, that would have been an ideal situation but it doesn’t work like this.
“Like I said, the ones who came in from the start, they are still fit now, they have had two weeks of training sessions and stayed fit during the game so are getting fitter and fitter.
“But yeah, there are definitely more than a few areas where we have to improve but that will come with more sessions and it will definitely come when all the boys are in.”
When Unai Emery was unveiled as Aston Villa’s manager, he declared two dreams: one was to win a trophy and the other was to bring European back to Villa Park.
After all, he inherited a team sitting 16th devoid of confidence and direction.
A toxic atmosphere had engulfed the club as supporters turned on then-manager Steven Gerrard, who sank deeper and deeper into his seat in the dugout with each passing defeat.
Co-owner Nassef Sawiris soon had enough of Gerrard’s ineptitude and brutally wielded the axe on the Liverpool legend before the team had even left Craven Cottage after a 3-0 defeat to Fulham on October 20.
It was also Sawiris who led the charm offensive for Emery and eventually convinced the Spaniard to make the jump to Birmingham.
Emery’s impact was immediate.
A 3-1 win over Manchester United at home in his first game in charge set the tone for what was to come, as Emery went on to guide Villa all the way from 16th to 7th and subsequently secure a spot in the Europa Conference League last season.
This season, Emery has Villa in 4th and just two points off top spot yet it somehow feels as if the club is flying under the radar.
But Emery’s transformation can no longer go ignored and is slowly but surely receiving the recognition it deserves.
This is how the meticulous 52-year-old dragged a giant on its knees all the way to dreaming about Champions League nights, something Villa have not experienced since winning the European Cup in 1982.
Aston Villa are flying under Unai Emery. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
HOW BRUTAL AXING LIT FIRE TO PROVE PL DOUBTERS WRONG
In the wake of Gerrard’s sacking, Villa were immediately linked with ambitious managerial targets.
A report from The Telegraph named Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s top target, with Thomas Tuchel and Emery also on the reported shortlist.
Pochettino, who had been let go by Paris Saint-Germain before the 22/23 season began, turned down the approach while Tuchel was never more than a tenuous link.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim soon emerged in the media as the favourite, but it all proved to be a smokescreen as Emery was confirmed as Villa’s new boss on October 24.
Villa had to pay a reported $AUD9.9 million in compensation to free Emery from his contract at La Liga side Villarreal, a club where he earned hero status having guided the club to the Europa League title in 2021.
Further, Emery and Villarreal were one game away from the Champions League final in 2022, only to lose to Liverpool in the semi finals.
At the time, Emery and Villa did not appear a perfect match for one another.
Emery is a four-time Europa League winner and boasts a coaching CV that includes stops at Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia, Sevilla and Arsenal.
Villa, meanwhile, were in its fourth season back in the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship and hadn’t finished higher than 11th since returning.
Gerrard’s tenure at Villa was an unmitigated disaster. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Put simply, it seemed a total mismatch given Villa’s struggles ever since Martin O’Neill’s acrimonious departure on the eve of the 2010/11 season.
However, the Birmingham-based club have two highly ambitious billionaire owners in Sawiris and Wes Edens — who also owns the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA — that are hellbent on restoring it to its former glories.
And for Emery, he knew he had unfinished business in England and was desperate to prove to the doubters he could cut it in the Premier League after his tumultuous 18-month spell at Arsenal.
The Spaniard was given the impossible task of succeeding Arsene Wenger, a man who had become synonymous with Arsenal.
Although he guided the Gunners to a Europa League final as well as a spot in the Champions League in his first season, his battles with the English language made him a figure for ridicule and instability at the boardroom level did not help Emery’s case.
Since joining Villa, Emery has been given the support network he needed to thrive.
Emery has the support of two close allies at Villa. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Damian Vidagany, a close confidant of Emery’s, joined the Spaniard as his personal aide and has been a constant presence of his in press conferences to help with translations and clarifying questions from the press.
Vidagany has since been promoted to the role of Director of Football Operations while Monchi, another close friend of Emery’s, joined prior to the 2023/24 season from Sevilla and took up the role of President of Football Operations.
Per The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the trio have formed a triangle of power and eat breakfast together, with their offices at Bodymoor Heath also in “close proximity.”
In terms of their specific roles, Monchi and Vidagany focus on dealing with a player’s contract, transfer negotiations as well as telling players they’ve been let go, allowing Emery to purely focus on sporting matters.
Although it took time for Emery to create his desired support network, it proved to the Spaniard the owners would give him everything he wanted in order to succeed as Villa manager for as long as he is at the club.
Liverpool thrash Lask to secure top spot | 00:42
THE $33M EVIDENCE EXPOSING PL’S BIG BOYS
When Emery arrived, he took over a squad that looked a shell of itself.
Granted, it was not exactly one that screamed Champions League or even Europa League quality, but it was not one that reeked of relegation fodder.
It was also an expensive one: Villa owners Sawiris and Edens had invested around $AUD953 million on it since promotion.
Despite the significant investment, Gerrard struggled to get a tune out of his players during his time at the club as the likes of John McGinn, Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins regressed.
Gerrard’s 4-3-2-1 formation, which congested central areas and relied too heavily on wing-backs to provide width, almost always left Villa one-dimensional in attack.
But under Emery, the shackles have come off.
A simplified and fluid 4-4-2, which often morphs into 4-2-2-2, has proved to be the blueprint for success.
So too has Emery’s remarkable ability to extract the maximum from the tools already at his disposal.
Mings, who was stripped of the captaincy and individually singled out by Gerrard as one player who needed to improve, became a colossus at the back once more.
Watkins jostled for starting striker duties with Danny Ings but once the latter was sold to West Ham in January, he felt the full trust of Emery and repaid it in dividends.
The England international enjoyed a staggering run of form from January to April, scoring 11 goals in 12 Premier League games.
Not only that, but Watkins has been involved in 30 goals — whether that’s scoring them himself or providing an assist — in the 37 league games Emery has been in charge of.
The only players with more goal involvements in that time are Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah, emphasising Emery’s transformation of Watkins.
But the most remarkable part of Emery’s improvement of the squad was how he rejigged a midfield cobbled together for just $33 million into one of the Premier League’s best.
Ollie Watkins has become one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)Source: AFP
McGinn, the captain, arrived from Hibernian in the summer of 2018 for a measly $4.8 million while Douglas Luiz joined in a $28.7 million deal from Manchester City in the following summer.
Boubacar Kamara, Villa’s marquee signing of the 2022 summer window, arrived on a free deal from Marseille while Jacob Ramsey is an academy product.
Despite all four being central midfielders, Emery found a way to incorporate all of them into the middle bank of four with Luiz and Kamara used in the central areas while Ramsey and McGinn are deployed out wide.
Luiz, who is often on set piece duties, has become what The Telegraph’s John Percy described as “indispensable” and the “heartbeat of Villa’s midfield” with his all-action displays.
To put Luiz’s improvement into perspective, he had six goals from 118 Premier League appearances for Villa prior to Emery’s first game in charge.
With Emery at the helm, it took the 25-year-old just 27 games to match that goal figure.
Luiz also enjoyed a remarkable streak of goals at Villa Park, scoring in six consecutive home games across the tail-end of the 22/23 season and the start of the 23/24 season to break Dwight Yorke’s record from the 1995/96 season.
Belgian international Youri Tielemans joined the club prior to the 23/24 campaign on a free deal after his contract with Leicester City expired, adding further quality to an already-stacked midfield department.
Although Tielemans struggled early, he has shown promise in recent performances as he continues to get acclimated with Emery’s tactical demands.
Douglas Luiz is Villa’s key midfielder. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Compare Villa’s outlay on its entire midfield to the likes of Chelsea, who spent an eye-watering $420 million on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo yet continue to flounder in mid-table mediocrity, with Fernandez yet to even score a Premier League goal.
Emery hasn’t even needed to perform significant surgery in the transfer market, either.
Alex Moreno arrived from Real Betis in January and immediately slotted in at left back, while Colombian striker Jhon Duran was snapped up from Chicago Fire but did not feature prominently.
However, Emery was granted more room to bring in new signings ahead of the 23/24 season and wasted little time in improving the squad.
Spanish international Pau Torres arrived from Villarreal for $60 million while electric winger Moussa Diaby joined from Bayer Leverkusen for $99 million.
Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet also moved on loan deals from Galatasaray and Barcelona respectively, adding some much-needed European experience to the squad.
Torres’ remarkable passing ability for a centre back has been crucial to Emery’s game plans while Diaby has developed a telepathic partnership alongside Watkins up top.
The fact Emery was able to do so much last season with essentially the exact same squad Gerrard had at his disposal, aside from Moreno and Duran, emphasises once again the difference in levels at managerial level.
Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby have formed a formidable pairing up top for Villa. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
16-HOUR DAYS, A HOME FORTRESS AND THE UNMATHCED TACTICAL TWEAK
A major tactical tweak from Emery that helped spark Villa’s surge is the high defensive line that plays the offside trap better than any team in Europe.
Prior to Villa’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham, they had caught opposition players offside a staggering 163 times.
The next closest team is Liverpool with 93.
What makes Villa’s feat even more impressive is that they hold the highest average number of offsides per game across Europe’s top five leagues at 4.8, per The Athletic.
And no, they aren’t finding themselves offside too often at the other end of the field.
In fact, they have been caught offside only 12 times this season which is the second-lowest figure in the Premier League behind only Manchester City, who have been flagged just seven times.
Another key element of Emery’s Villa revival is the team’s absurd run of form at home.
Villa have won 13 consecutive Premier League games at home, a feat not achieved since 1983, with the first of the streak coming in a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace back in March.
Emery’s troops have been even more relentless at home this season, scoring 23 goals in six games for an average of 3.8 goals a match.
The fortress that is Villa Park will welcome the team’s toughest test in some time, with Manchester City the next opponents to make the trip to the famous ground.
But with Villa growing stronger with each passing game, a win over City might not be out of the question.
Villa have won 13 consecutive games at home. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)Source: AFP
The collective improvement of Villa’s players should also not come as a surprise given how meticulous Emery is in his preparation.
The Guardian’s Ben Fisher claimed Emery, a “workaholic” and an “obsessive coach”, will regularly clock 16-hour days at Bodymoor Heath.
Fisher also reported “Emery often cuts his own clips of games to review with players individually and sometimes watches back Villa’s matches up to five times to prepare feedback for his staff and squad.”
The Athletic’s Tanswell also reported Emery holds team meetings for over an hour as he goes over tactics and game plans in “excruciating detail” for Villa’s next opponent.
Emery also wastes little time in analysing games straight away.
On two separate occasions the Villa boss has uploaded photos to his Instagram of him fixated on his laptop while on the team bus after a match, with the message in one caption: “But no time to relax, really focused on Tuesday’s match. We don’t want to stop. We want more.”
Coincidentally both pictures took place after victories away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but Emery is no doubt never far from his laptop after a game no matter who the opponent.
Emery wastes no time when it comes to analysis matches. Picture: @unaiemery_ on InstagramSource: Instagram
It is this meticulous approach to preparation and analysis that separates Emery from so many of his peers and has Villa level on points with Arsenal in 2023.
What makes Emery’s feats this season even more impressive is the fact he has been without four of his key players for the majority of the campaign.
Mings tore his ACL in the first half of the season opener against Newcastle and will miss the season, while midfielder Emi Buendia suffered a significant knee injury and could also be sidelined for the entire season.
Moreno came off with a hamstring injury in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool late last season and has not played a Premier League minute since, leaving Lucas Digne the only recognised left back in the squad.
Thankfully Moreno made his return to action when he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League
Academy star Ramsey suffered a foot injury while on international duty for England’s U21 side in the off-season and was ruled out for 10 weeks.
Although he scored on his return in Villa’s 6-1 rout of Brighton, Ramsey suffered a reoccurrence of the foot injury and only made his return in the dying minutes of the 2-1 win over Tottenham.
Ramsey has struggled with injuries this season but is finally back in the team. (Photo by James Gill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I cannot believe what Unai Emery is doing at Aston Villa,” Richards, a former Villa player himself, said.
“It’s sensational. They have some good players but to sustain this for as long as he has with the football they have played.
“They have a really good system and have players who have been around the club for a long time.
“They just manage to keep going and going.”
Jamie Carragher used Villa to showcase the stark difference between a well-coached team and an English giant that often appears quite the opposite.
“If you look back over the last 12 months since Unai Emery came in, if you are talking about Manchester United, Aston Villa are a better coached team than United,” Carragher said.
“There is absolutely no doubt about that.”
Emery has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best coaches. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The victory over Tottenham allowed Villa to leapfrog the club into fourth place, a position in the table it had not enjoyed since December 2009.
Of course, fourth place this season guarantees a direct passage to the group stages of the Champions League next season.
Yet Emery continues to play down Villa’s hopes of a top four finish, stating the club is “not a contender” just yet and that “there are seven teams more contenders than us” to finish ahead.
But with a spot in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League locked in and a league position that was unfathomable this time last year, it’s only a matter of time before Emery must concede his team are no longer pretenders and truly are contenders.
Liverpool eased Toulouse aside 5-1 to register a third straight Europa League win Friday, while Brighton beat ailing Dutch giants Ajax for the club’s first ever victory in continental competition.
Diogo Jota fired Liverpool in front at Anfield but Thijs Dallinga hauled the French Cup holders level.
Wataru Endo headed in his first goal for the Reds to restore their lead on the half-hour and Darwin Nunez slammed in a third minutes later.
Ryan Gravenberch added a fourth midway through the second half, pouncing on a rebound after Nunez rounded the goalkeeper only to strike the post. Mohamed Salah bagged a fifth in stoppage time.
“Most of the time we were in complete control. We made good goals, nobody got hurt, perfect night,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp told TNT Sports.
Liverpool top Group E with nine points and could seal a place in the last 16 with another win in France in two weeks.
They are five points clear of Toulouse and Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise, who grabbed two late goals to overcome LASK of Austria 2-1.
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Brighton claimed a first European win as they beat Ajax 2-0, heaping further misery on the crisis-hit club who parted company with coach Maurice Steijn on Monday just four months into his tenure.
Four-time European champions Ajax are languishing one spot off the foot of the Eredivisie, and fell behind at the Amex Stadium just before half-time to Joao Pedro’s tap-in.
Ansu Fati rolled in a second for the hosts early in the second half to leave Roberto De Zerbi’s men a point adrift of Group B leaders Marseille.
“The first victory in Europe for Brighton. It’s a great day for our fans, our club, our owners. We are very proud to give them this day,” De Zerbi told TNT Sports.
Marseille saw off 10-man AEK Athens 3-1 at the Velodrome.
Orbelin Pineda cancelled out Vitinha’s opener for Marseille, but a moment of madness from AEK goalkeeper Cican Stankovic cost his team dearly.
Stankovic hit a pass right to Vitinha and then wrestled the Portuguese forward to the ground, conceding a penalty and earning himself a red card.
Amine Harit converted the spot-kick before Jordan Veretout tucked away another penalty for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.
‘Grumpy’ Ange not concerned with history | 01:54
West Ham’s 17-match unbeaten European run came to an end with a 2-1 loss away to Olympiakos.
Kostas Fortounis struck from distance to give the Greek side the lead and Rodinei added a second before half-time with a deflected effort.
Lucas Paqueta volleyed in late consolation for the Hammers, who remain top of Group A on six points from three matches.
“We have to improve our performance. And we must rise to the occasion. I am disappointed by our first half. It was a tough match, but we carry on,” said West Ham manager David Moyes.
Freiburg are level with the Hammers after a 3-1 victory over Serbia’s Backa Topola.
Rangers relied on a fine display from goalkeeper Jack Butland in a 0-0 draw at Sparta Prague.
The Scottish side are third in Group C, led by Real Betis who won 1-0 away to Aris Limassol thanks to an Ayoze Perez goal.
Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen thrashed Qarabag 5-1 to stay perfect in Group H and continue their brilliant start to the season under Xabi Alonso.
Roma made it three wins from three in Group G, Edoardo Bove and Romelu Lukaku on target in a 2-0 victory over Slavia Prague.
In the Europa Conference League, in-form Aston Villa eased to a 4-1 win at Dutch high-flyers AZ Alkmaar.
Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemans gave Villa a two-goal lead in the first half against a side who have dropped just two points in the Eredivisie this season.
Ollie Watkins and John McGinn put the game out of reach before Ibrahim Sadiq pulled one back.
Liverpool closed in on the Europa League knockout rounds with a 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise on Friday [AEDT], while Brighton fought back to secure their first European point in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Marseille.
West Ham’s 2-1 at Freiburg saw them set a new record unbeaten streak for an English team in Europe, while Romelu Lukaku was among the scorers in Roma’s 4-0 win over Servette.
Jurgen Klopp named a strong side at Anfield with the Reds keen to make sure of top spot in Group E and progress directly to the last 16.
Saint-Gilloise goalkeeper Anthony Moris had been in inspired form to deny Mohamed Salah early on, but his fumble from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s effort left Ryan Gravernberch with a tap-in for his first Liverpool goal on the stroke of half-time.
Klopp sent on Alexis Mac Allister at half-time as he came up against his brother Kevin, who started for the Belgians.
“Today my dad was here but I am sure everybody in our family was watching the TV, so it was special,” said Alexis Mac Allister.
“I guess he (his dad) cried a little bit.”
Liverpool were made to wait until stoppage time to secure the points as Diogo Jota burst clear on goal and produced a cool finish.
There was an unfortunate moment earlier in the game though, with Moris having to deal with having a green laser shone in his face in the lead-up to a corner.
The Reds travel to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday and the Seagulls may well be fatigued after their efforts to snatch a point in southern France.
Marseille have struggled so far this season but went 2-0 up thanks to two goals in two minutes midway through the first half.
Chancel Mbemba swept the French side into the lead before a slip from Brighton captain Lewis Dunk allowed Jordan Veretout to make it 2-0.
Brighton seemed destined for a third consecutive defeat in all competitions, but the momentum swung when Pascal Gross was picked out by Kaoru Mitoma to halve the arrears.
Joao Pedro then levelled from the penalty spot after Tariq Lamptey had been upended inside the box two minutes from time to leave Brighton just one point adrift of Marseille and Ajax in Group B.
“I think we are not playing well, it’s a very tough period for us in this moment,” said Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.
“To close the first half at 2-0, this reaction is incredible. For it I am very happy.”
AEK are the surprise leaders of the section on four points after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Ajax.
Audio released from controversial VAR | 01:43
West Ham are well on course for the last 16 after stretching their unbeaten run in Europe to 17 games.
“It’s a brilliant achievement, I’ve said to the boys we need to keep it going,” said Hammers boss David Moyes.
“Winning the game tonight was most important.”
Lucas Paqueta put the Europa Conference League winners in front after just eight minutes with a towering header.
Roland Sallai levelled for Freiburg early in the second-half. But the Hammers were not to be denied as Nayef Aguerd headed home James Ward-Prowse’s corner.
European competitions have also been Roma’s strong point under Jose Mourinho and the Italians put their poor Serie A form to one side against Servette.
Lukaku opened the scoring before an Andrea Belotti brace either side of Lorenzo Pellegrini’s strike made it two wins from two for Roma in Group G.
Southgate takes aim at VAR | 01:10
Rangers did not get any reaction from the sacking of Michael Beale as the Glasgow giants slumped to an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to Aris Limassol.
Former Gers midfielder Steven Davis took temporary charge but could only oversee Aris registering their first ever European group stage victory.
Alex Moucketou-Moussounda and Shavy Babicka scored on a famous night for the Cypriots as Abdallah Sima’s header proved nothing more than a consolation for Rangers.
All four sides in Group C are now on three points after Real Betis bounced back from their 1-0 defeat by Rangers with a 2-1 win over Sparta Prague.
In the Europa Conference League, Aston Villa left it very late to see off Bosnian champions Zrinjski Mostar 1-0 as John McGinn headed in a 94th-minute winner.
Villa badly needed the win after a 3-2 defeat at Legia Warsaw two weeks ago.
“It’s huge because of how we started the group,” said McGinn.
Liverpool fell behind for the fourth time in five matches this season but fought back to beat LASK 3-1 in Linz in the Europa League on Friday (AEST).
Elsewhere in the early matches in the first round of the group stage of the second-tier European competition, Romelu Lukaku earned last year’s beaten finalists Roma a 2-1 victory at Sheriff.
Bayer Leverkusen crushed Swedes Hacken 4-0, Rennes cruised past Maccabi Haifa 3-0 in France, Spaniards Villarreal lost 2-0 to Panathinakos in Greece.
Liverpool, playing in the Europa League for the first time since finishing runners up in 2016, changed their entire starting 11 away to LASK and quickly fell behind.
In the 14th minute, Sascha Horvath lobbed a corner to Florian Flecker just outside the Liverpool box. The Austrian midfielder controlled the dropping ball before smashing a rocket shot past Caoimhin Kelleher in the Liverpool goal.
Darwin Nunez levelled with a 55th-minute penalty kick after Luis Diaz was brought down.
After 61 minutes, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp started to replace teenagers with regular starters.
Within two minutes they were ahead when Ryan Gravenberch burst down the right and crossed low for Diaz to score from close range.
Liverpool came back from a goal down to beat LASK. (Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Two minutes from the end Mohamed Salah, a second-half replacement, poked home a third.
In Moldova, Leandro Paredes scored four minutes into first-half injury time to give Roma the lead away to Sheriff.
Colombian Cristian Tovar levelled but Romelu Lukaku gave Jose Mourinho’s team a narrow victory.
Brighton were also given a brutal reality check of just how difficult European football is as they lost 3-2 to AEK Athens.
The Seagulls had to come from behind twice courtesy of two Joao Pedro penalties before AEK’s Ezequiel Ponce popped up in the 84th minute to secure three points at the Amex Stadium.
Midfielders: Quinn (OL Reign), Simi Awujo (University of Southern California), Jessie Fleming (Chelsea), Julia Grosso (Juventus), Sophie Schmidt (Houston Dash)
Forwards: Jordyn Huitema (OL Reign), Cloe Lacasse (Benfica), Adriana Leon (Portland Thorns), Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns), Nichelle Prince (Houston Dash), Deanne Rose (Reading), Evelyne Viens (Kristianstad), Olivia Smith (Penn State Nittany Lions)
Forwards: Mariona Caldentey (Barcelona), Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid), Esther Gonzalez (Real Madrid), Eva Navarro (Atletico Madrid), Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona), Alba Redondo (Levante)
Costa Rica
Goalkeepers: Priscila Tapia (Saprissa FF), Daniela Solera (Sporting FC), Genesis Perez (University of Central Florida)
Defenders: Mariana Benavides (Saprissa FF), Maria Paula Elizondo (Saprissa FF), Valeria del Campo (Monterrey), Fabiola Villalobos (Alajuelense), Maria Paula Coto (Alajuelense), Gabriela Guillen (Alajuelense), Carol Sanchez (Sporting)
Forwards: Wang Shuang (Racing Louisville), Wang Shanshan (Wuhan Jiangham University), Tang Jiali (Shanghai Shengli), Xiao Yuyi (Shanghai Shengli)
Kerr reveals the ‘key’ for WC success | 01:10
Group E
United States
Goalkeepers: Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders: Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (NJ/NY Gotham FC), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)
Forwards: Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (NJ/NY Gotham)
Vietnam
Goalkeepers: Tran Thị Kim Thanh (Ho Chi Minh), Khong Thị Hang (Than KSVN), Dao Thị Kieu Oanh (Hanoi).
Defenders: Chuong Thị Kieu (Ho Chi Minh), Tran Thị Thu Thao (Ho Chi Minh), Tran Thị Thu (Ho Chi Minh), Hoang Thị Loan (Hanoi), Tran Thị Hai Linh (Hanoi), Le Thi Diem My (Than KSVN), Luong Thị Thu Thuong (Than KSVN), Nguyen Thị My Anh (Thai Nguyen), Tran Thị Thuy Nga (Thai Nguyen).
Midfielders: Nguyen Thị Tuyet Dung (Ha Nam), Nguyen Thị Bcch Thuy (Ho Chi Minh), Tran Thị Thuy Trang (Ho Chi Minh), Ngan Thị Vạn Su (Hanoi), Nguyen Thị Thanh Nha (Hanoi), Thai Thị Thao (Hanoi), Duong Thị Van (Than KSVN)
Forwards: Phạm Hai Yen (Hanoi), Vu Thi Hoa (Ho Chi Minh), Nguyen Thị Thuy Hang (Than KSVN), Huynh Nhu (Lank Vilaverdense)
Netherlands
Goalkeepers: Daphne van Domselaar (Twente), Lize Kop (Ajax), Jacintha Weimar (Feyenoord)
Defenders: Stefanie van der Gragt (Inter Milan), Merel van Dongen (Atletico Madrid), Aniek Nouwen (Chelsea), Lynn Wilms (VfL Wolfsburg), Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City), Caitlin Dijkstra (Twente), Dominque Janssen (VfL Wolfsburg)
Midfielders: Sherida Spitse (Ajax), Danielle van de Donk (Lyon), Jackie Groenen (PSG), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg), Victoria Pelova (Arsenal), Damaris Egurrola (Lyon), Jill Baijings (Bayer Leverkusen), Wieke Kaptein (Twente)
Midfielders: Peyton McNamara (Ohio State), Drew Spence (Tottenham), Trudi Carter (Levante), Solai Washington (Concorde Fire), Giselle Washington (University of Tennessee), Rachel Jones (Southern Soccer Academy), Atlanta Primus (London City Lionesses).
Forwards: Khadija Shaw (Manchester City), Jody Brown (Florida State), Tiffany Cameron (ETO FC Gyor), Kameron Simmonds (University of Tennessee), Kiki van Zanten (Notre Dame), Mikayla Dayes (Maryland), Paige Bailey-Gayle (Crystal Palace)
Brazil
Goalkeepers: Leticia Izidoro (Corinthians), Camila (Santos), Barbara (Flamengo)
Defenders: Hanane Ait El Haj (ASFAR), Nouhaila Benzina (ASFAR), Nesryne El Chad (Lille), Rkia Mazrouai (Charleroi), Yasmin Mrabet (Levante), Zineb Redouani (ASFAR), Sabah Seghir (Sampdoria)
Defenders: Shim Seo-yeon (Suwon), Lee Young-ju (Madrid CFF), Lim Seon-joo (Incheon Hyundai), Kim Hye-ri (Incheon Hyundai), Jang Sel-ji (Incheon Hyundai), Choo Hyo-joo (Suwon), Hong Hye-ji (Incheon Hyundai)
Midfielders: Kim Yun-ji (Suwon), Jeon Eun-ha (Suwon), Bae Ye-bin (Uiduk University), Cho So-hyun (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Geum-min (Brighton), Ji So-yun (Suwon), Chun Ga-ram (Hwacheon)
Forwards: Kang Chae-rim (Incheon Hyundai), Son Hwa-yeon (Incheon Hyundai), Moon Mi-ra (Suwon), Park Eun-sun (Seoul), Choe Yu-ri (Incheon Hyundai), Casey Phair (unattached)
