Premier League
New York Times asks: How good is Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina?
BY PAUL TAYLOR
When Ola Aina was drafted in to help open a new sports pitch at a Nottingham school before Christmas, the defender ensured dozens of pupils went home with memories they will treasure.
While his Nottingham Forest team-mate Anthony Elanga was whisked away to conduct a media interview after the ceremony, Aina happily stayed and spent 20 minutes having a friendly kick-around with the kids at the Chetwynd Spencer Academy in Toton.
When Forest win at the City Ground, Aina and Callum Hudson-Odoi are often the last players to make their way off the pitch and down the tunnel. Normally, they dance their way back to the dressing room.
When Hudson-Odoi picked up a minor injury in the final stages of the recent 1-0 win over Tottenham, Aina carried him off the pitch and down the tunnel on his back, all while still attempting a vague dance.
After scoring a spectacular goal from the edge of the box in the 3-0 win over West Ham in November, Aina admitted afterwards he had only struck the shot because he was tired. “I was knackered, so I thought I might as well hit it,” he told Optus Sport, all while sipping on a carton of fruit juice, through a straw.
All of which inspired the recently unveiled terrace chant that Forest fans have conjured up for the defender: ‘Ola Aina, Ola Aina, he drinks Ribena, scores a screamer, Forest are magic…’
To add to his buoyant personality, Aina is also a very good player, so it is no surprise he has gradually become something of a cult figure.
Much has been made of the money Forest have spent in the transfer market since they were promoted from the Championship in 2022. There have been some clever investments — including Nikola Milenkovic and Elliot Anderson, who have become key figures since joining last summer. But among the best deals in recent years has to be the capture of Aina as a free agent following the end of his contract at Torino in July 2023.
Tomorrow, the visit of Liverpool will see Arne Slot’s side arrive with Trent Alexander-Arnold, a player who has almost reinvented what it means to play at right-back. Alexander-Arnold has been the subject of frequent links to Real Madrid, whose inquiries about a January move were rejected by Liverpool. But there is a reason why the Spanish giants are keen. In 336 appearances for his boyhood club, Alexander-Arnold has established himself as an integral figure.
While they are very different players, Aina has also evolved into a vastly important cog in the machine under Nuno Espirito Santo. More than that, within 40 Premier League starts and two sub appearances for Forest, Aina has become one of the best-performing right-backs in the top flight.
In the build-up to the game, Slot acknowledged that Forest deserves to be talked about as title challengers. In the same vein, Aina has shown he deserves to mix with the elite — there cannot be many full-backs who are performing at a higher level than the Chelsea academy product.
Like his Liverpool counterpart, Aina is out of contract in the summer. Unlike Alexander-Arnold, he is unlikely to have the option of walking away for nothing. There is a clause in his deal that will see it extended to the end of the 2025-26 season, which will be activated if he reaches a certain number of appearances — a mark he is very close to already.
In the meantime, Forest are also keen to agree a longer contract with the Nigeria international and negotiations continue. Whatever happens, he will almost certainly remain a Forest player beyond this season, which will be good news for Nuno (and for sales of Ribena in Nottingham).
“He has been good. Very good. Last season was difficult for him, because he was distracted by a few physical issues. He still finished last season really well and this season he has been doing fantastically well for the team,” said Nuno when asked about Aina in his pre-match press conference. “His performance levels are fantastic.”
Defensively, Aina’s stats are better than Alexander-Arnold’s. Aina’s “true” tackle win rate (which accounts for tackles plus challenges lost and fouls committed) is 67 per cent this season — better than Alexander-Arnold’s 58. Similarly, Alexander-Arnold has been dribbled past on 41 per cent of the occasions he was taken on, while Aina’s figure is 25.
Aina is a more solid, consistent defender, although that is also within a Forest side that adopt a deeper defensive block, which contrasts with Liverpool’s higher defensive line.
Creatively, Alexander-Arnold is — unsurprisingly — streets ahead of Aina. But probably almost every other defender too. The 1.7 open-play chances he creates far exceeds Aina’s 0.27 per 90 minutes, with an expected assists (xG) per 90 of 0.35 compared with Aina’s 0.03 per 90.
But Aina’s most valuable quality to Forest is his ability to turn defence into attack: on a very basic level, to advance Forest up the pitch.
Aina has completed 80 carries after a defensive action this season, the most of any Premier League player. On top of that, 23 per cent of his carries are progressive, the second-highest proportion among full-backs in the division (behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka).
“That (his ability to carry the ball out of defence) is one of the characteristics we like. But defensively he is also very solid,” added Nuno.
Only Moises Caicedo and Ryan Christie have made more ball recoveries than Aina (who averages 6.13 per 90 minutes) this season in the Premier League.
Speed is also important. As revealed in a recent interview with The Athletic, Elanga regards himself as being the fastest player at Forest. But Aina is not far behind. The rivalry between the two players on that front is a friendly one. Aina is an influential, positive figure and a popular team-mate.
“He is a fantastic character,” Nuno said. “We have a good group of players — a very good group of people and characters. They enjoy being together and working together. Ola is very much one of those.”
If Forest beat Liverpool at the City Ground, they will equal their club record of seven consecutive league wins, which was set in 1922. They would also move to within three points of the league leaders.
Whatever happens, it has already been a remarkable journey — and one that Aina has been one of the leading characters in. Getting him tied down to a new deal would qualify as another astute piece of business.
–New York Times; Additional reporting: Thom Harris and Mark Carey
(Top photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Manchester United’s under-pressure coach Ruben Amorim will be given the full three years of his contract to prove himself and the club will become the most profitable in the world, co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said on Wednesday.
Amorim was Ratcliffe’s choice to replace Erik ten Hag last November but the Portuguese coach has struggled to turn around the club’s flagging fortunes, winning only 10 of his 34 Premier League matches in charge.
United endured their worst top-flight finish last season since they were relegated in 1973–74, coming 15th, and they missed out on Europe after being beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
But Ratcliffe has issued his strongest statement of support for Amorim yet, comparing the situation to when Alex Ferguson struggled in the early years of his reign before becoming the greatest manager in the club’s history.
“I remember the clamouring for Alex Ferguson to be fired in his first two years,” Ratcliffe, who owns 30% of the club and controls the football side of the business, told The Times’ podcast The Business. “You look at (Mikel) Arteta at Arsenal. He had a miserable time for the first couple of years.
“We’re results-driven at the end of the day, but we have to be patient and we have to see through the results. I think there’s lots of good things at Manchester United. We have to be patient and we have a long-term plan. It isn’t a light switch.
“Ruben needs to demonstrate that he’s a great coach over three years.”
‘WE’VE MADE ERRORS’
While the American Glazer family retain majority control of the 20-time champions of England, Ratcliffe rejected suggestions they could instruct him to sack Amorim.
“It absolutely wouldn’t happen because it’s just a good working relationship. They come to the board meetings. We sit down and we talk about things,” Ratcliffe said.
“We’ve made errors. There’s absolutely no question that we’ve made errors as we’ve gone along and we’ve talked about it. But no one’s perfect.”
Asked to confirm whether Amorim would see out his contract, Ratcliffe said: “Yes. That’s where I would be. Three years, because football’s not overnight.”
Despite United’s stock falling on the pitch, off it they recently posted record revenues of 666.5 million pounds ($892.1 million) in the year to June 2025, albeit with a 33 million pounds loss.
Amorim’s squad was boosted by more than 200 million pounds worth of new signings in the summer.
“The better your squad, the better your football should be. So a lot of what we have done in the first year is spend an awful lot of time putting the club on a sustainable, healthy footing,” Ratcliffe, who completed his acquisition of a minority stake in the club in 2024, said.
“If you look at our results for last year we have the highest revenues ever. Profitability, the second highest. We’re not seeing all the benefits of the restructuring that we’ve done in this set of results, and we were not in the Champions League.
“Those numbers will get better. Manchester United will become the most profitable football club in the world, in my view, and from that will stem, I hope, a long-term, sustainable, high-level of football.”
Ratcliffe also said he wants to revive the club’s Academy that once churned out the likes of multiple title winners David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville.
“The academy has really slipped at Manchester United,” Ratcliffe said. “You don’t solve the academy problem overnight. It takes time. We just recruited a new academy director.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Manchester United cruised to a rare comfortable home Premier League victory as goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko secured a 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday.
With the pressure growing on manager Ruben Amorim after a disappointing start to the season, Mount calmed the nerves around the ground with a fine early finish to break the deadlock.
United continued to dominate, with a spectacular save from Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs preventing Bruno Fernandes from adding a sumptuous second before Sesko netted his first Old Trafford goal after 31 minutes.
Sunderland were awarded a penalty late in the first half, a decision that was overturned following a VAR intervention, but they never really threatened after the break as United eased to a third home league victory of the season.
The result put United in provisional eighth place with 10 points from seven games, two places below Sunderland on 11.
Wins, especially comfortable ones, have been in short supply for Portuguese Amorim since he took charge in November.
United supporters have slowly started to turn on the new manager as a result, with nothing short of victory over promoted Sunderland, despite the visitors’ impressive start to the season, enough to appease the disgruntled masses.
Mount’s superb control and finish was just what the beleaguered boss needed. The fine strike was the earliest United have scored in the Premier League since Marcus Rashford’s goal at Ipswich Town in Amorim’s first game in charge.
It was only a matter of time until the hosts scored again, such was their dominance. From a long throw, Sesko was alert to the flick-on before steering home his second in as many games.
United thought they had shot themselves in the foot as Sesko was penalised for a high boot in his own penalty area, only for VAR to deem it not to be a foul.
The hosts took their foot off the gas in the second half, but still should have added to their tally, with veteran Brazilian Casemiro blazing their best chance over the bar.
Sunderland did manufacture a late gilt-edged chance but Senne Lammens, making his debut in the United goal, stood tall to block, completing an assured performance from the keeper and his new teammates.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Premier League champions Liverpool dropped points for the first time this season when they lost 2-1 at Crystal Palace in the eighth minute of added time as Manchester United and Chelsea suffered 3-1 defeats on Saturday.
United slumped at Brentford and 10-man Chelsea were beaten at home by Brighton & Hove Albion, who scored twice in stoppage time.
Manchester City thrashed Burnley 5-1 thanks to two own goals and a late brace from Erling Haaland while Leeds United were held to a 2-2 draw after Bournemouth equalised in added time through 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi.
There was also a late twist at Tottenham Hotspur when Joao Palhinha struck an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
LIVERPOOL SUFFER FIRST LOSS
Liverpool were on the back foot early on when Palace took the lead in the ninth minute through a set-piece when the ball fell to Ismaila Sarr who smashed it home.
Liverpool would have conceded more if not for goalkeeper Alisson while Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly made it 2-0 when he hit the post.
Although Liverpool equalised through Federico Chiesa in the 87th minute, fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah provided late drama when he scored the winner in the 97th minute, with Selhurst Park celebrating the goal twice after VAR confirmed he was not offside.
“The boys are in really good form and think we can win every game and today we showed that,” Nketiah told the BBC.
Palace ended the day in second place, three points behind leaders Liverpool although Arsenal can go second if they beat Newcastle United on Sunday.
OWN GOALS, HAALAND GIVE MAN CITY WIN
Burnley’s Maxime Esteve became only the sixth player to score two own goals in a Premier League game as City climbed up to fourth.
Esteve scored the first when he tried to deny Phil Foden but Jaidon Anthony made it 1-1 with a shot that deflected off Ruben Dias.
Matheus Nunes restored City’s lead with a close-range effort before Esteve’s second own goal came when he looked to stop Oscar Bobb from finding the net.
Haaland struck twice in the dying minutes to hand Burnley their biggest loss of the season.
MANCHESTER UNITED LOSE AT BRENTFORD
Bryan Mbeumo received a warm welcome from the Brentford fans as he returned to his former club for the first time since his move to Manchester United but the reception paled in comparison to the roars when the home side went 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.
Igor Thiago capitalised on United’s high line for the opener when Jordan Henderson sent him through on goal in the eighth minute, before the Brazilian forward grabbed his second when United keeper Altay Bayindir spilled a save right into his path.
United pulled one back when Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal for the club but Bruno Fernandes had a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher before Mathias Jensen put the game out of reach in added time with a rocket from outside the box.
“We didn’t control the game, we played the game of Brentford. We were really confused (on) second balls, first balls, set pieces,” United manager Ruben Amorim said.
“The crucial moments, they were against us. Tough to lose again.”
CHELSEA SEE RED AGAIN
Chelsea had a player sent off for a second time in as many league games when Trevoh Chalobah saw red for denying Brighton a goal-scoring opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez had given Chelsea a 1-0 lead with a close-range header but Chalobah’s red card in the 53rd minute reduced the home side to 10 men and Brighton made it count when Danny Welbeck opened his account for the season with the equaliser.
Brighton capitalised again in the 92nd minute when Maxim De Cuyper powered home a header and the visitors sealed all three points when Welbeck scored in the 10th minute of added time.
Bournemouth took the lead at Leeds when Antoine Semenyo scored from a free kick but the home side made it 2-1 when Joe Rodon and Sean Longstaff netted either side of halftime.
With Leeds close to taking three points, Kroupi volleyed home from inside the box in the 93rd minute to lift Bournemouth into a group of three clubs on 11 points.
Sunderland moved to 11 points and fourth place by beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground to leave Forest’s new manager Ange Postecoglou winless after five games in charge.
Omar Alderete’s first-half goal was the difference between the two sides with Sunderland mounting a staunch rearguard action as Forest laid siege to their goal.
Wolves were seconds away from earning their first win of the season after losing their opening five games in their worst ever start to a league campaign.
They led through Santiago Bueno’s scrappy goal early in the second half but Palhinha guided in a superb finish to send Tottenham to third place on goal difference.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- World Cup1 week ago
FIFA Sanction on South Africa Offers Super Eagles a Lifeline — But a Lesson from History Looms
- U20 FOOTBALL3 days ago
Flying Eagles Bank on ‘Magic of October 8’ to overcome Argentina
- World Cup1 week ago
Super Eagles Walk Tightrope as Nine Key Players Risk Suspension in World Cup Qualifiers
- World Cup1 day ago
CAF Rule Change May Boost Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes
- World Cup1 week ago
Osimhen Returns as Chelle Names 23-Man Squad for Crucial World Cup Qualifiers
- U-20 FOOTBALL4 days ago
Nigeria, Argentina Renew Rivalry as Flying Eagles Target Quarter-Final Spot in Chile
- U-20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Nigeria Face Must-Win Battle Against Colombia in Chile
- U20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
From Tension to Triumph: Flying Eagles Edge Saudi Arabia 3–2 to Boost Round of 16 Hopes