Credit: Imago

Oliver Walton

Mon 4 May 2026 16:06, UK

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Aston Villa‘s starting eleven against Tottenham will be investigated by the Premier League after fans raged at the weakened team selection in the midst of a Europa League tie with Nottingham Forest.

Unai Emery made seven changes to the team which lost 1-0 to Forest in the first leg of their semi-final clash as Villa hosted Spurs on Sunday afternoon.

His side slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park and were second-best by some margin as Roberto De Zerbi’s men moved out of the relegation zone into 17th.

Fans of several top flight clubs, particularly those that support fellow relegation-battlers West Ham, insisted online that Emery’s team selection had brought the integrity of the competition into doubt.

It is clear that Villa’s next match against Forest is his complete priority, with Champions League qualification almost clinched as they currently sit fifth in the Premier League.

Keith Hackett says Aston Villa’s starting XI will be reviewed by the Premier League

The Premier League changed their official rules around fielding weakened teams when 25-man squads were introduced in 2010, with clubs now allowed to start whoever they want from their official list of players.

They are still monitored, though, and clubs are not allowed to field a number of youngsters from outside of their main squad to ensure the integrity of the competition.

Sources have told Football Insider that Villa will lose revenue next season upon the closure of the North Stand in Villa Park, so it is no wonder that they are making the Europa League a priority so that UCL qualification and the money that comes with it is guaranteed.

Hackett has insisted that Villa’s team against Spurs will be looked into, but he does not expect them to be punished.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, he said: “There are regulations within the Premier League and they do monitor who is playing, what members of the team are playing. They will review the team that Emery’s put out.

“This happens a lot in Europe. What happens is you get the competitions helping the club by cancelling games or changing the timing leading up to a big game.

“So, this (Europa League semi-final) is a massive game for Unai Emery in relation to the finances of the club. I can understand why he’s determined which team he’s going to play. 

“The Premier League administrators look very carefully at the teams and they determine if it is deemed to be a weak team that they’ve put out that may impact on their competition. 

“So, wait and see, but I don’t blame Emery. I think he’s got to look after that game on Thursday.”

What did Emery say about his team selection?

Villa failed to register a shot on target until Emi Buendia scored a 96th-minute consolation against Spurs as the visitors picked up their second PL away win of 2026.

Emery defended his decision to rotate his side after the game, saying: “Playing with (the) eleven players we have in the squad (or) choosing another eleven, we could have lost the match we lost with different players.

“We didn’t deserve more. Tottenham played a very good match and scored two quick goals, then dominated the first half more than we planned.”