Conan Doherty

He was the most important player against Nottingham Forest in that second leg.

He scored a goal from the penalty spot.

The only penalty Villa got this season, by the way.

They only scored one penalty in the Premier League.

They didn't get any in the Premier League.

They didn't get one penalty in the Premier League.

Yeah, he missed one in Europe.

I think there's another team this year as well, maybe Chelsea or somebody like that.

What?

He missed one in Europe this year.

He might have scored another one.

I think he might have got three in Europe and I scored against Forest to set up a goal.

What an amazing piece of skill as well.

It's just been some redemption arc for him, really.

There's these players around the Villa changing room and around the team that you sort of thought you'd moved on from.

John McGinn, it's actually mad, like, you'd think I'm insane now for saying this, but he is so special in terms of whatever the ceiling is, whatever levels Villa get to, he keeps meeting it, and now, actually, this year, he's dragged it up a little bit, like, it's him coming back from injuries, the reason everything changed, because Villa were...

sort of teetered into a halt at the start of 2026 until he came back but McGinn often you just go into each season thinking okay we need a we need an upgrade there now we need you know an improvement there but he'll find his place in the team if that's on the left on the right off the striker or in the double pivot

he plays there like so again this is why it does mean so much I think as a neutral if you're watching this you're thinking what a story there like there's so many players that have been there since this team were relegation fodder and now there they are winning their first title for the club in 30 years time

I have the starting 11 written down here.

Oh, Ian Taylor and Andy Townsend.