Aston Villa coach John Terry has sympathised with manager Maurizio Sarri following Chelsea’s League Cup final defeat at the hands of Manchester City. The Blues produced a resolute defensive performance to keep the holders at bay for most of the game but ultimately, the Citizens reigned supreme through a penalty shootout.

However, the game was not free from any controversy after the altercation between KepaArrizabalaga and Sarri became the focus of attention at the Wembley Stadium. With minutes left before the shootout, Sarri had appeared determined to replace Kepa with Willy Caballero in goal but the substitution never happened with the Spaniard deciding to stay put on the playing field.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic has revealed his delight after bagging his first clean sheets during the Championship clash against Reading on the road. The west Midlands outfit could only muster a 0-0 draw against the Royals on Saturday and that came about with an impressive performance from Kalinic, who made a couple of notable saves.

Speaking after the game, the Croatia international was pleased to secure his maiden shutout for the team after previously going four matches without doing so. He added that he required some time to adapt to the demands of the Championship and is hoping to improve the club’s defensive statistic for the remainder of the season.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith has said that the club will seek to get Scott Hogan back to scoring ways after returning from a long-term injury. The 26-year-old made his first start of the campaign during the disappointing 3-0 defeat to Swansea City in the FA Cup third round but there were nonetheless positives with the striker handed two scoring chances at the beginning.

Speaking after the game, Smith highlighted that things could have been different for the marksman, had he had better luck during the Cup meeting versus the Swans. He added that the club are depending on Hogan to start finding the scoresheet regularly, given they are primed to lose Tammy Abraham, who appears set to join Wolverhampton Wanderers this month.

Championship side Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Lovre Kalinic from Gent on a four-and-a-half year deal.

The Croatian goalkeeper, who has been a long-term target for the Championship club, is scheduled to join them during the upcoming transfer window after the club agreed on a £14m package with their Belgian counterparts.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith claims that the team has to adapt to several challenges that may come their way. Just after the international break, Aston Villa head back into the domestic competitions to take on a local rival in the form of Birmingham City. It is a game of great magnitude for Smith, who has just replaced Steve Bruce as the new Villa boss. After having picked up a crucial 3-0 success over Derby County in one of the best performances of the season, Smith will have reasons to be confident that his team can do well in this first Midlands derby experience for him as a manager at Villa.

Smith does not expect the free-flowing football seen at Pride Park to be repeated in this game because local derbies are always extremely difficult. Furthermore, Birmingham have also been in a good frame of mind over the last few months and this has enabled them to make up several places in the league table. Aston Villa, though, last suffered a loss against Birmingham back in 2005 and they have since been unbeaten in 12 matches against their local rivals. The difference between the two clubs in the Championship this season’s only goal difference. Smith does not have a lot of injury problems but the club’s preparation has been affected by internationals.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has said that he is expecting an improvement from the team when they face Bolton Wanderers in their home patch this weekend. The west Midlands outfit began with a victory under the guidance of new manager Smith but they have since succumbed to successive defeats at the hands of Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers.

Speaking to reporters, Smith confirmed that there had been a team meeting held on how to arrest the concern and he is optimistic the ideas can be put into play when the Trotters make the trip to Villa Park, he said: “We did a debrief on Monday and spoke about some things we can do better but we also spoke about the positives. The players are really receptive, get involved in discussion. I've said before I want them to take responsibility and become responsible and some of the points they brought forward were really good and will help us as a group moving forward. On the training ground it has been very good. They are a good group who want to get better."

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp feels John Terry could be the leading candidate for the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa. The west Midlands outfit decided to part ways with Steve Bruce earlier this month after a run of one win from nine Championship matches and they are now expected to recruit a new head coach during the international break.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Redknapp suggested that Thierry Henry may not be in the running for the managerial post despite being constantly associated with the role. He added that former Aston Villa player and Chelsea legend John Terry could be fancied for the position after hanging his playing boots earlier on Monday.

Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia has said that he is finding joy of playing again after making a complete recovery from a serious ankle problem. The Ivory Coast international missed the vast part of the previous season with the injury and he ended the campaign with just nine league appearances, where he contributed a solitary goal.

However, he has made a fluent start for the new season with three goals already scored from just six matches and speaking to CAF’s official website, he revealed his pleasure of playing regularly once more, he said: “I gradually regained form after a very difficult period last season. A serious injury forced me to rest for several months. Today, I find the joy of playing again. As proof, I've scored three goals since the beginning of the Championship. In any case, I want to make up for lost time, both for my club and national team.”

Aston Villa defender James Chester has backed the idea of teammate Jack Grealish making the move to the Premier League. The 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a top-flight switch with both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea interest and Chester believes the midfielder deserves the chance to play at a higher level.

Speaking to The Independent, Chester hailed the qualities of the Villa graduate and suggested that the midfielder should be playing at the very top of the game. Nevertheless, he would still fancy Grealish staying for the club’s promotion push, though that option appears highly unlikely before the transfer deadline.

Steve Bruce has admitted that it will be extremely difficult to keep Jack Grealish away from the clutches of Tottenham. Spurs have been showing tremendous interest in the 20-year-old, who is regarded as one of the next big things in English football. Spurs are reported to have made a £ 20 million offer for the midfielder and are quietly confident about completing the deal before the transfer window closes this week. Bruce has made it no secret that Aston Villa are going through a terrible phase where they are struggling for finances. Unlike a decade ago, Aston Villahave witnessed very few arrivals.

Even though Steve Bruce has been repeatedly stating that Grealish does not remain for sale, it does not look like the midfielder will be happy to stay at the Championship club when he has an offer from a club that has been able to qualify for the Champions League on multiple occasions in the last few seasons. After having also witnessed several young English players flourished thoroughly at Tottenham, there is little doubt that the club will be a great destination for players likeGrealish, who still have a long way to go before being considered in the league of a Dele Alli or Harry Kane.