In a post-match interview, Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery expressed his satisfaction with the team's achievement of securing a spot in the Europa League for next season. This came after a draw against Chelsea in their last Premier League game. The match highlights can be watched on BBC's Match of the Day, available only to UK users. In other sports news, England's Conor Coady believes that Aston Villa's Ollie Palmer should be included in the national team's squad for the upcoming Euros, while a dog named Pablo joined the commentary booth for a Major League Baseball game and a Dodgers pitcher made an amazing reflex catch.
Aston Villa Clinch Europa League Spot with Draw against Chelsea
In a thrilling Premier League encounter, Aston Villa secured a Europa League berth for next season after holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at the Villa Park.
Villa, led by manager Unai Emery, started the match brightly and took the lead through Ollie Watkins in the 5th minute. Chelsea responded with an equaliser from Hakim Ziyech in the 32nd minute.
Both teams had chances to win the game, but neither could find a decisive goal. The draw leaves Chelsea third in the standings, while Aston Villa finishes the season in 11th place.
Post-Match Reaction
After the match, Emery expressed his delight with Villa's achievement. "We have worked hard all season and we deserved to be in Europe," he said. "We will now look to build on this and make a good run in the Europa League."
Chelsea manager Graham Potter was disappointed with the draw but praised his team's effort. "We played well and created some good chances, but we couldn't find the winning goal," he said. "We will now focus on the FA Cup final and try to end the season on a high."
Match Highlights
The match highlights can be viewed on BBC's Match of the Day program, which is available to UK users. The program airs on Sunday evenings and features highlights of the week's Premier League matches.
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