Ollie Watkins wants Aston Villa to "create a fortress" at Villa Park, following their 3-1 victory over Brentford.

Watkins was on target from the penalty spot against his old club, as Unai Emery's side got back to winning ways after a run of eight games without success across all competitions.

Morgan Rogers and Matty Cash also struck for Villa, who have now lost just one of their last 12 Premier League matches on home soil.

And Watkins has urged his team-mates to keep producing the goods at Villa Park, as they look to build momentum after their tricky spell of form.

"We started the game brightly and came out on the front foot," the England forward told Amazon Prime. 

"We got the early goal and that settled the crowd's nerves. A few recent results haven't gone our way, but we have full faith that we can turn it around.

"We just need to focus on the next game [against Southampton]. We need to create some momentum and try and create a bit of a fortress here at home. This is something to build on.

"We've been in worse situations at the club than this. We're like warriors, and we're here to fight to the end. It was important we got a win here tonight, and now we move on."

"The team has to try and get a very good feeling again here at home, a fortress," concurred Emery, who avoided overseeing a nine-match winless streak for the first time in his coaching career.

"Scoring like [Morgan Rogers] did was fantastic, because this is the way to get confidence again.

"We did very well over 90 minutes, particularly in the first 34 minutes when we scored three goals. But it was not a moment to relax for us, because we drew 3-3 against them last season.

"The defence did a fantastic job. Tyrone Mings cleared some very good balls in the box. It was his first game in the Premier League in a long time, so it was very important."

Meanwhile, Brentford's struggles on their travels continued. The Bees have only collected one point away from home all season, and have now failed to win any of their 10 league games at Villa Park.

But Thomas Frank conceded his players were beaten by the better team on the day.

"It could have been game on in the second half," he told BBC Match of the Day. "We played a better second half than first half. The way we responded was good and we maybe could have had another goal.

"I think Villa were clearly the better side, and they deserved to win. They hit a high level, and we didn't hit a high level. Sometimes, you need that quality action from your key players – we didn't have that today.

"I know how good the players are and how good we can play at times. When you know there's more in the team and we don't perform, it's always irritating and frustrating. But Villa were unstoppable."

Morgan Rogers' superb goal set Aston Villa on their way to a commanding 3-1 home victory over Brentford, ending their eight-match winless streak in all competitions.

Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash were all on target in a 13-minute flurry of goals in the first half that proved decisive at Villa Park.

An impressive victory saw Unai Emery's side end their alarming recent run of form, which had included collecting just two points from their last five Premier League games.

A long-range strike from Rogers midway through the first half broke the deadlock, and Watkins swiftly doubled the lead with a penalty kick he had won himself.

Cash's thumping volley stretched the advantage further, with Mikkel Damsgaard's early second-half strike only proving to be a consolation for Brentford, who continue to struggle away from home.

The hosts return to the Premier League's top half in seventh place on 22 points – two more than Thomas Frank's side, who slip to ninth.

Data Debrief: Villa end drought as Bees' tricky travels continue

Emery was in danger of overseeing a nine-match winless streak for the first time in his managerial career.

However, Villa ensured that would not be the case with a clinical first-half display. Watkins was on target for the fourth time in his last three appearances against his former club.

The hosts have now lost just one of their last 12 league games at Villa Park, where Brentford have now failed to win in 10 league attempts.

Not only that, but just one of the Bees' 20 points this season have been registered away from home. Though a cause for concern, Frank's side are still well placed in the table.

Morgan Rogers' superb goal set Aston Villa on their way to a commanding 3-1 home victory over Brentford, ending their eight-match winless streak in all competitions.

Rogers, Ollie Watkins and Matty Cash were all on target in a 13-minute flurry of goals in the first half that proved decisive at Villa Park.

An impressive victory saw Unai Emery's side end their alarming recent run of form, which had included collecting just two points from their last five Premier League games.

A long-range strike from Rogers midway through the first half broke the deadlock, and Watkins swiftly doubled the lead with a penalty kick he had won himself.

Cash's thumping volley stretched the advantage further, with Mikkel Damsgaard's early second-half strike only proving to be a consolation for Brentford, who continue to struggle away from home.

The hosts return to the Premier League's top half in seventh place on 22 points – two more than Thomas Frank's side, who slip to ninth.

Data Debrief: Villa end drought as Bees' tricky travels continue

Emery was in danger of overseeing a nine-match winless streak for the first time in his managerial career.

However, Villa ensured that would not be the case with a clinical first-half display. Watkins was on target for the fourth time in his last three appearances against his former club.

The hosts have now lost just one of their last 12 league games at Villa Park, where Brentford have now failed to win in 10 league attempts.

Not only that, but just one of the Bees' 20 points this season have been registered away from home. Though a cause for concern, Frank's side are still well placed in the table.

Aston Villa were left furious as Ollie Watkins bemoaned a "soft" decision to disallow Morgan Rogers' late goal against Juventus on Wednesday.

Unai Emery's side appeared to have snatched another impressive Champions League win in stoppage time when Rogers fired home.

Diego Carlos was adjudged to have fouled goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio after a VAR review, however, sparking fury from the home support at Villa Park following the goalless draw.

Watkins questioned the merits of what he claimed to be a debatable aerial challenge, though acknowledged the differences in officiating between European and Premier League football.

"I think it was soft. Maybe in the Premier League, it's a goal. But in Europe, the goalkeepers are protected a lot. It's one of them," the Villa striker told TNT Sports.

"I thought we scored. But to be fair, this game had a 0-0 written all over it."

When pressed further on the decision, Watkins added:  "Obviously, I have to be careful talking about the referee. But it's different in this competition.

"We are used to it now. Sometimes it goes against you and sometimes it goes in your favour."

Emiliano Martinez had earlier produced an eye-catching save to claw Francisco Conceicao's effort off the line, while John McGinn was denied from close range.

Watkins felt a point apiece was fair, though he may be concerned with Villa's recent form.

Indeed, Villa are winless in their last seven games across all competitions (D3 L4), their longest run without a victory under Emery.

"It's a positive result. The fans want to see a lot of goal and we do ourselves," Watkins continued. "But the most important thing was we didn't lose tonight.

"Juventus are a massive team and they played well. But we kept them out and now we move onto the weekend."

Morgan Rogers has signed a new contract to keep him at Aston Villa until the end of the 2029-30 season.

Rogers, newly minted as a full England international after making his debut against Greece last week, joined Villa in February from Middlesbrough.

He swiftly established himself as a regular in Unai Emery's set-up, and has played 22 times in the Premier League, making 19 starts.

The 22-year-old has netted six goals and provided three assists in the top flight.

Rogers has also started each of Villa's four Champions League matches this season.

His tally of nine chances created in the Champions League is the most of any player in Villa's squad, five more than next-best Ollie Watkins.

Samuel Iling-Junior has joined Bologna on a season-long loan from Aston Villa.

The 20-year-old joined the Villans at the start of July as part of a double transfer from Juventus with Enzo Barrenechea for a combined £18.6million.

However, he has not featured in either of Villa's matchday squads since the start of the Premier League season, with Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers preferred in the wide areas.

Iling-Junior made 27 appearances for Juventus in all competitions last season, scoring once and registering two assists, helping the club to win the Coppa Italia in May.

Bologna are yet to win this season in Serie A, drawing with Udinese and losing to Napoli, but are set to compete in the Champions League, having qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1964. 

Conor Gallagher scored the equaliser as Chelsea fought back from two goals down to clinch a deserved 2-2 draw with Champions League-chasing Aston Villa on Saturday.

Villa looked set to go nine points clear of Tottenham in the race to finish in the Premier League's top four, with Marc Cucurella's own goal and Morgan Rogers' low drive giving them a handsome half-time lead.

Mauricio Pochettino's men dominated much of the first half without reward, but they continued to press after the interval and cultured finishes from Noni Madueke and Gallagher dragged them level.

They almost completed a fine comeback in stoppage time, but there was relief for Villa when referee Craig Pawson disallowed a goal for Chelsea defender Axel Disasi following a VAR review due to an infringement from Benoit Badiashile.

It meant Villa boss Unai Emery was unable to celebrate his new long-term contract with three points, with his team now seven points clear of fifth-placed Spurs, who have three games in hand on their rivals.

Chelsea stay ninth and are five points adrift of the top seven, but with a game in hand to come, their European hopes are not yet over.

Villa made a flying start and were ahead within four minutes, albeit in somewhat fortunate circumstances. John McGinn didn't get a clean connection on Lucas Digne's left-wing cutback, but his shot bounced off Cucurella and into the net.

Chelsea thought they were level after 16 minutes as Nicolas Jackson raced clear to finish into the roof of the net, but his strike was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, with replays showing he was leaning beyond Matty Cash.

Jackson should then have equalised when found by Cucurella six yards out, but he could only send his header against the foot of the post and wide.

Villa then doubled their lead against the run of play shortly before half-time, with Djordje Petrovic powerless as Rogers squeezed his shot through Trevoh Chalobah's legs and in.

A hamstring injury saw Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez withdrawn at half-time, and his replacement Robin Olsen was beaten after 62 minutes, Madueke stroking home after Gallagher forced a high turnover. 

Olsen stuck out an arm to deny Madueke a second with 71 minutes gone, but he had no chance as the Blues levelled with nine minutes to play, Gallagher rifling a left-footed finish into the top-left corner.

Chelsea thought they had won it when Disasi headed home five minutes into stoppage time, but referee Pawson disallowed the goal following a VAR review, with Badiashile adjudged to have fouled Diego Carlos in the build-up.

Villa throw it away

Villa could hardly have wished for a stronger position at half-time. Despite Chelsea carving out several good openings, they found themselves 2-0 up and primed to exploit their opponents further through the pace of Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey.

Chelsea had lost 16 of their previous 18 Premier League games when trailing at half-time (one win, one draw), losing their last eight when two or more goals behind at the break.

However, Emery's men simply didn't get going after the restart, and only a late VAR review saved them from a crushing defeat, with Disasi's potential winner chalked off for a foul by fellow defender Badiashile.

Gallagher leads from the front

Gallagher has polarised opinion at times this season, but Chelsea's stand-in skipper produced a talismanic display just when his team needed him most at Villa Park.

The England international is known for his tenacious work out of possession, and he forced a turnover on the corner of the Villa box in the build-up to Madueke's goal.

Gallagher's own strike, which flew into the top corner to stun the home faithful, took him to double figures for Premier League goal involvements for the season (four goals, six assists). He has only achieved that feat in one other campaign in the competition, scoring eight goals and adding three assists on loan at Crystal Palace in 2021-22.

Four of his seven Premier League goals for Chelsea, meanwhile, have now come from outside the area.

Unai Emery says Aston Villa have to work on their mentality after their Champions League qualification hopes took a huge hit in a 3-3 draw with Brentford.

Villa looked to be consolidating fourth position after goals either side of half-time from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers put them in the ascendency.

But they hit the self-destruct button as three goals in nine minutes from Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa saw Brentford turn the game on its head.

The hosts had to rally and a Watkins header rescued a point, but the result handed the impetus to Tottenham in the race for guaranteed Champions League qualification.

Watkins was scathing in his assessment after the game, saying Villa lack the “maturity or game intelligence”, and Emery responded.

“We are disappointed and frustrated because we played very well until the minute 60 and after the minute 75, but in 10 minutes in the Premier League we know we can lose everything we have built before,” Emery said.

“The mentality of the team we always have to work and increasing and be demanding, this is a process.

“Today, everybody is a little bit upset and not understanding clearly what happened.

“I will work with the players and tell them how we can continue in our way, being successful like we are, with 60 points after 32 games is more than our expectation before.

“But we have to be demanding to compete but we can draw a match like today when we lose a little bit of focus in the moment.

“The first 60 minutes I played like I really want, like we have played here before when we won a lot of matches in a row, it was completely difficult to understand how we played afterwards. It is my responsibility and I will work on it.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has no issues with Ivan Toney and Nathan Collins’ heated exchange at the end of the match.

The team-mates were angrily disagreeing with each other after the full-time whistle, with Toney seemingly unhappy about Collins not passing to him.

Asked what it was about, Frank said: “I don’t know, I was over there speaking to them but I don’t know exactly what it was and I don’t really care.

“I know it is two very competitive people that want to win a match. I don’t know exactly what it was the situation, but we have a very good culture and a united team and it is OK to have a little bit of friction.

“They will sort it out no problem.”

Their disagreement could have been born out of Brentford’s winless run extending to nine games as they failed to see it out after taking the lead.

“Fantastic game and brand for the Premier League, this is showing why it is the best league in the world and the most entertaining,” the Dane added.

“Probably Unai and I would say we both should have won the game, both can argue well for why we should, OK in the end it’s a fair result.

“I think it is a fine point but it is two points dropped when we are leading in that situation and we haven’t been able to get over the line. But the performance is another step in the right direction.”

Aston Villa’s Premier League top-four hopes suffered a big blow as they threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 against Brentford, who scored three times in nine minutes.

Villa looked to be consolidating fourth position after goals either side of half-time from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers put them in the ascendency.

But they hit the self-destruct button as quickfire strikes from Mathias Jorgensen, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa saw Brentford turn the game on its head.

The hosts had to rally and a Watkins header rescued a point, but the result handed the impetus to Tottenham in the race for guaranteed Champions League qualification.

Spurs, who are three points behind in fifth, play relegation threatened Nottingham Forest on Sunday and also have a game in hand.

The draw means Brentford’s winless run extends to nine games and they will see this as a chance missed.

After an even opening, Villa almost took the lead midway through the first half when Lucas Digne’s inswinging corner was clawed away by Bees goalkeeper Mark Flekken.

An opener came in the 39th minute as Watkins grabbed his 23rd goal in all competitions and 17th in the league.

John McGinn, back after a three-game ban, floated in an inviting cross which Watkins headed down towards goal.

Flekken scrambled to scoop the ball away and Leon Bailey followed it in, but the goal decision system showed Watkins’ header had crossed the line.

Villa doubled their lead 32 seconds after the restart as Rogers opened his Villa account in style.

The January signing from Middlesbrough picked up a Youri Tielemans pass, weaved into the area and found the bottom corner.

The game appeared done but Brentford stunned their hosts with three goals in nine minutes.

They got themselves back in it just before the hour, but goalscorer Jorgensen did not know too much about it.

The defender completely missed his kick from Mikkel Damsgaard’s ball across goal, but it hit his standing foot and wrong-footed Emi Martinez.

The tension inside the stadium was palpable and 121 seconds later the Bees were level as Mbeumo volleyed home Sergio Reguilon’s cross from the left.

The remarkable turnaround was complete in the 68th minute as Reguilon was again the provider, squaring for Wissa to convert the easiest of tap-ins.

Suddenly Villa were mounting a rescue act in a game they thought they had already won.

And it took them 12 minutes to get back level as Watkins nodded home Bailey’s deflected cross after Flekken had come to claim it but missed it.

They threw everything forward in search of a winner, with Digne’s acrobatic effort going over, but they could not find a winner and dropped two points.

Crystal Palace swooped for midfielder Adam Wharton in a reported £22million switch from Blackburn to make the biggest Premier League move of transfer deadline day.

The Eagles – fighting to stay clear of being dragged into a relegation battle – are said to have paid a fee of £18million, which could potentially see a further £4m in add-ons for the talented 19-year-old.

Wharton, who has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, feels Crystal Palace is the right place for him to further his ambitions.

“The way they have brought players from the Championship and developed them into world-class players in the Premier League is something that stood out to me,” Wharton said on the club’s website. “It is a big reason why I wanted to come here.”

Burnley, who sit second bottom of the table, have completed a loan deal for Montpellier defender Maxime Esteve until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old centre-back watched Burnley’s 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Wednesday night before completing the formalities of his deal ahead of Thursday night’s deadline.

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“I am really happy and ever since I first heard about the move I wanted to move here,” Esteve said.

“I have followed the Premier League since being a young child and had only pictured myself ever being here, so I am really excited,” he said.

Plenty more deals look set to be done ahead of the 11pm cut-off, with Fulham chasing a loan deal for Chelsea striker Armando Broja.

PA understands West Ham’s Pablo Fornals has permission to discuss a £7million move to Real Betis, while Said Benrahma is in France undergoing a medical at Lyon.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank, though, says that Ivan Toney will not be leaving the club.

England striker Toney has been linked with Premier League rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea in the January window.

The 27-year-old has scored 34 goals in 68 top-flight games for the Bees and Frank insists Toney will stay put after a month of speculation.

“This will be breaking news, OK – but Ivan will stay,” Frank said at his press conference previewing Monday’s clash with Manchester City.

Earlier, top-flight clubs Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Newcastle all completed deals to strengthen their squads.

Forest signed 18-year-old striker Rodrigo Ribeiro on loan from Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season, Morgan Rogers swapped Middlesbrough for Villa Park in a reported £8million switch and Newcastle brought in teenage midfielder Alfie Harrison from Manchester City.

Brighton midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud has joined Stuttgart on loan.

Ribeiro’s move to Forest could become permanent, and he told the club’s YouTube channel: “I promise to work every day and to keep going with the work and help the team.”

In the Sky Bet Championship, promotion-chasing Ipswich signed Wales forward Kieffer Moore on loan from Bournemouth.

West Brom brought Celtic winger Mikey Johnston to The Hawthorns, versatile Manchester City player Josh Wilson-Esbrand signed for Cardiff until the end of the season and Liverpool defender Billy Koumetio linked up with Blackburn on loan.

Earlier, midfielder Alex Pritchard completed a move from Sunderland to Birmingham.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to reunite with former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

Sunderland reacted quickly to fill the gap in their squad, signing winger Romaine Mundle from Standard Liege.

Hull have signed Turkey midfielder Abdulkadir Omur from Trabzonspor, while Swansea brought in young forward Charles Sagoe Jr on a six-month loan from Arsenal.

It has been an unusually quiet transfer deadline day as some Premier League club’s look to get new signings in ahead of the 11pm deadline.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best deals done so far.

Rogers makes Villa switch

Aston Villa have completed a move for Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough, with the forward having impressed in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season with seven goals and eight assists to his name.

The 21-year-old arrived at Villa Park after Middlesbrough finally succumbed to an offer in the region of £16million.

Rogers will now line up in the Premier League to help Unai Emery’s side pursue a spot in Europe come the end of the season.

Rodrigo Ribeiro becomes Nuno’s first

Nottingham Forest captured 18-year-old forward Ruben Ribeiro from Sporting Lisbon as Nuno Espirito Santo made his first signing as Forest boss.

The 18-year-old striker has joined the club on loan for the remainder of the season, in a deal which could be made permanent.

Ribeiro has turned out seven times for Sporting so far this campaign and has even played in the Champions League, making his debut against Manchester City in March 2022.

Gio Reyna added to Forest ranks

Nottingham Forest have once again been one of the busier clubs on deadline day and completed a second loan signing of USA midfielder Reyna from Borussia Dortmund.

Reyna has made 121 appearances for Dortmund since 2019 and has already earned 24 caps in international colours.

Reyna will bring a wealth of experience from the Bundesliga and Champions League as Forest aim to bolster their bid to survive in the Premier League.

Dahoud goes back to Germany

Midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud joined Brighton from Borussia Dortmund in the summer but will now head back to Germany on loan at Stuttgart until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old German has made 14 appearances in all competitions but has fallen out of favour since receiving a red card against Sheffield United in November and has not featured for the Seagulls since a 1-1 draw with Burnley at the start of December.

Technical director David Weir said: “This is a good move for Mahmoud. It will give him an opportunity to play regularly for a side doing very well towards the top of the Bundesliga. We wish him well for the rest of the campaign.”

Mowbray secures Pritchard

In a sign of how quiet things have been, a Championship deal cracks the top five.

Midfielder Alex Pritchard becomes Birmingham’s third signing of the January transfer window.

The 30-year-old will link up with former boss Tony Mowbray on a two-and-a-half year contract

1105 – DONE DEAL – It’s official, Morgan Rogers has joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough.

The 21-year-old moves to the Premier League side for an undisclosed fee.

1100 – DONE DEAL – Shortly after announcing Pritchard’s departure, Sunderland have brought a player through the door.

Winger Romaine Mundle arrives from Belgian side Standard Liege on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

1015 –  In Scotland, there could be big news at Rangers amid reports from Italy that Hellas Verona are set to launch a bid to sign striker Cyriel Dessers.

1000 – DONE DEAL – Birmingham have swooped for Alex Pritchard, signing the Sunderland midfielder for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to reunite with former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

“I am happy,” Pritchard told BluesTV.

0945 – Motherwell have not ruled out a last-minute return for Kevin van Veen during this transfer window, according to assistant manager Stephen Frail.

Groningen are open to offers for the out-of-favour striker and a loan could be their only option as the transfer deadline approaches.

0925 – DONE DEAL – Wrexham have made another signing.

This time they have boosted their attacking options by bringing in Jack Marriott from Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee.

The Hollywood-owned club, who sit second in the League Two table, are having a busy deadline day.

0915 – DONE DEAL – In League Two, high-flying Wrexham have signed Luke Bolton from Salford, with the defender joining for an undisclosed fee.

0900 – DONE DEAL – There has been a flurry of early activity.

Nottingham Forest have bolstered their squad, bringing in striker Rodrigo Ribeiro on loan from Sporting Lisbon, while Brighton’s Mahmoud Dahoud has joined Stuttgart on loan for the rest of the season.

Ribeiro, 18, has joined the Premier League strugglers on loan until the end of the season in a deal which could become permanent.

0845 – There could be some departures at West Ham today, with Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals linked with moves.

Lyon are said to be keen on Algeria forward Benrahma, while Real Betis have been linked with Fornals.

0830 – Some deals were done the evening before transfer deadline day, with Nottingham Forest bringing in United States midfielder Giovanni Reyna on loan from Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season.

Elsewhere, Facundo Pellistri made a loan switch away from Manchester United on Wednesday night, joining Granada for the rest of the season.

0815 – Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic seem likely to add to their squad on deadline day.

They are closing in on the loan signing of Norwich striker Adam Idah, with the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international reportedly arriving in Glasgow on Wednesday to seal his move to the Hoops until the end of the season.

0750 – Crystal Palace also look set to sign a player from the Championship today, with Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton said to be close to swapping Lancashire for South London.

Palace have reportedly agreed a fee of £18million plus £4m for Wharton, who could sign a five-and-a-half-year deal at Selhurst Park.

0730 – Aston Villa are expected to strengthen their squad before the window slams shut.

Middlesbrough winger Morgan Rogers is the man they want, and the deal could be worth £16million.

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0715 – Welcome to the PA news agency’s live transfer deadline day blog.

The winter transfer window closes this evening at 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs while it is 11.30pm for teams in Scotland.

There are plenty of deals in the pipeline, with Fulham linked with a deadline-day loan move for Chelsea striker Armando Broja and Rangers expected to complete the signing of Colombian winger Oscar Cortes on loan from Lens.

Chelsea’s potential outgoings could dominate transfer deadline day with speculation over Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja’s futures at the club yet to subside.

West London rivals Fulham have been linked to Broja over the last few days of the January window, while England midfielder Gallagher has been linked with a move to Tottenham throughout the month.

Spurs have been one of the busier clubs in a seemingly quieter January transfer window so far, with Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner arriving in north London, but head coach Ange Postecoglou suggested on Tuesday it would be “unlikely” to see any more signings

Financial services firm Deloitte suggested that clubs’ desire to avoid tough sanctions for financial rule breaches could be a factor in a general drop in Premier League transfer spending this month, but did not rule out a “late flurry” of activity before the 11pm deadline on Thursday.

Aston Villa have been active in the final stages of the window, with winger Morgan Rogers expected to join from Middlesbrough in a deal worth £16million.

Forward Jhon Duran has been linked with Chelsea, while Unai Emery is also keen to keep hold of Jacob Ramsey, who has been linked with Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

Speaking about the midfielder at a press conference on Monday, Emery said: “Jacob Ramsey is a very important player. He grew up in the academy and his progression is getting better.

“His level is increasing a lot and I want to keep him here with us. Of course, there are movements (speculation) around him.

“Maybe there are teams involved in the possibility to sign him because he has a big, big potential at Villa and in England. I want to keep him here, 100 per cent.”

Newcastle were another club linked with Ramsey, but Eddie Howe insisted on Monday that the Magpies had made no approach for the 22-year-old.

Howe added he is determined to keep his squad “intact” amid speculation over the futures of Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron throughout the window.

After securing Kalvin Phillips on loan, Portuguese winger Jota is reportedly a target for West Ham to replace Algeria winger Said Benrahma, who is likely to leave before deadline day.

Pablo Fornals could be another player to leave the Hammers and he is reportedly close to sealing a move to Real Betis.

Brighton have been linked with a move for Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi remains tight-lipped about the speculation.

“I don’t know anything about him (personally); I know him as a player,” he said.

“He has great quality but it’s not my business speaking about other players, especially because (Foxes boss) Enzo Maresca is my friend and I want to be correct with him.”

There could be activity towards the bottom end of the Premier League table as Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted the club will be working “frantically” to improve their squad before Thursday, while Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo is also hoping to bring in reinforcements.

Chelsea put defeat in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough behind them to book a first Wembley appearance since 2022 with a ruthless 6-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Four first-half goals for Mauricio Pochettino’s side effectively ended the tie as a contest as a Jonny Howson own goal and strikes from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer showed a clinical side to Chelsea rarely seen this season.

Noni Madueke and a second from Palmer wrapped up an emphatic comeback late on before Morgan Rogers gave travelling Boro fans a reason to cheer two minutes from time.

By then, the hosts had long since ensured their place in the final, a 6-2 aggregate win ensuring they will face either Liverpool or west London rivals Fulham on February 25.

Chelsea dominated possession early but took until 11 minutes to fashion their first chance, Ben Chilwell appearing unmarked inside the box and heading fractionally wide from Thiago Silva’s drilled ball over the top.

And it was the returning Chilwell whose vision and delivery fashioned his side’s opener. The ball through the middle for Raheem Sterling cut Boro’s defence in two and Sterling, foregoing the chance to shoot, looked up and fed Armando Broja – but before he could knock it past Tom Glover, Boro captain Howson inadvertently diverted it beyond his own goalkeeper.

Rogers fired towards Djordje Petrovic’s bottom corner from a clever corner routine as the visitors sought an instant response, the keeper saving at the foot of the post.

But the game was looking increasingly like Chelsea’s to lose, and just before the half-hour mark they led for the first time in the tie.

Sterling manoeuvred out of a cul-de-sac via a delightful back-heel to feed Disasi, who sprinted up on the overlap. Charging into the box, he cut the ball back for Broja whose scuffed shot diverted into the path of Fernandez for the simplest finish guided into the corner.

Sterling and Disasi combined again minutes later to make it 3-0, the England forward sliding in his team-mate to sweep home first time as the visiting supporters behind the goal saw dreams of reaching Wembley evaporate.

Boro bravely sought to play their way out from the back despite the torrent of Chelsea goals that threatened to wash them away but their hero from the first leg, Hayden Hackney, had a hand in gifting Chelsea their fourth, leaving Dan Barlaser exposed with a catastrophic pass that let in Palmer to finish inside the post with typical cool.

The hosts were looking to reach a first major final since Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium completed its buyout of the club in May 2022 and with the job all but done by the break, a sense of ease rarely observed this season passed around Stamford Bridge.

Carrick’s side still looked to get on the ball and play in the second half, an approach that did them credit if at times it seemed like inviting a fifth Chelsea goal.

It arrived with 15 minutes to play. Substitute Conor Gallagher ran the ball to the byline and cut back for Palmer to open up his body and score beyond the exposed Glover.

Madueke, sent on at half-time, danced through and made it six via a deflection off Ray van den Berg minutes later.

Rogers’ goal at the death brought a roar of approval from the visiting fans. In truth, their side had never looked like earning the win they craved on their long journey south.

Boss Michael Carrick has urged Middlesbrough to seize their chance after reaching the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Jonny Howson, Morgan Rogers and Matt Crooks eased them into the last four with a 3-0 win at Port Vale.

The Championship side reached a major domestic semi-final for the first time in 17 years, since losing to West Ham in the last four of the FA Cup in 2006.

An injury-hit Boro made light work of their League One hosts to avoid an upset and are the only EFL team left in the last four.

Carrick said: “Sometimes in your career there are times and you have to make the most of the opportunity when it comes your way.

“When the door opens you have to run through it and the boys certainly sprinted through it.

“We’re not stupid. We know whoever’s left in the draw probably wants to play us and see it as a chance to get to Wembley.

“It’s a hell of an opportunity. It’s about us and what we can achieve. You’re in a semi-final and it’s motivation and inspiration itself.

“It was a fantastic attitude and mentality. We’re decimated in terms of numbers in the squad but it’s part of the journey and we’re enjoying it.

“We’re in the semi-final and who would have thought it, it’s a great thing to look forward to. Who knows what will happen next, we’ll see who we get.”

Howson opened the scoring after 11 minutes when his 25-yard strike clipped Jason Lowe and looped in over Connor Ripley.

Vale, who demonstrated plenty of endeavour, tried to recover but fell further behind after 23 minutes when Sam Silvera crossed for Rogers to find the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Gavin Massey lifted Vale’s best chance over from close range and Crooks wrapped up the victory eight minutes into the second half, bullying his way through and finding the bottom corner.

The hosts lost Oliver Arblaster to a serious leg injury and boss Andy Crosby admitted they were second best.

He said: “We are trying to play in a way in our own league, with control and counter pressing but as soon as there was space on the transition you could see the difference between the players.

“They executed the finishes well, maybe got a bit of luck with the first which took a deflection over Connor but they deserved to win the game and hopefully they can progress in the semi-final.

“Ollie has a really bad gash around his knee, it’s gone right through to the bone and he’s gone to hospital. He has been so good for us and he’s our number one concern.”