Unai Emery praises Aston Villa's Europa win over Maccabi Tel Aviv amid protests, arrests and away fan ban

Demonstrators from opposing sides gathered outside the stadium before the Europa League fixture between Aston Villa and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Pro-Palestinian protesters assembled on Trinity Lane, while a smaller contingent of pro-Israeli demonstrators positioned themselves near the Doug Ellis Stand in a basketball court.

Tensions flared when Palestinian protesters clashed with Villa supporters, prompting horse-mounted police to intervene.

Six arrests were reported before kick-off, including a YouTuber who breached a dispersal order.

The Israeli club's supporters were notably absent from the match after local police and Birmingham's council-led Safety Advisory Group advised against their attendance.

Despite Sir Keir Starmer's public opposition to the ban, no intervention materialised to reverse the decision.

Maccabi Tel Aviv ultimately chose not to accept any ticket allocation, citing concerns for their supporters' safety.

The ban followed violent incidents involving Maccabi fans in Amsterdam during the previous season, though pro-Israeli demonstrators outside Villa Park claimed those disturbances were initiated by Dutch right-wing groups targeting Jewish supporters.

Placards outside the ground reflected the political divide, with messages ranging from "Give Israel the red card" to "Keep Antisemitism out of football".

The Doug Ellis Stand displayed thousands of vacant seats where visiting supporters would typically sit.

Villa Park, renowned for its electric atmosphere, felt unnaturally subdued without the usual back-and-forth between rival fans.

Home supporters in the Holte End directed chants at the empty away section, singing "You've seen the Villa, now f*** off home" and "we forgot that you were here".

The absence of opposing voices created an unusual dynamic inside the ground.

No political banners or flags appeared within the stadium, with most supporters appearing indifferent to the Middle Eastern conflict that had dominated discussions outside.

The match itself proved unremarkable, with Villa struggling to find their usual rhythm in the subdued atmosphere.

Ian Maatsen broke the deadlock shortly before the interval, firing home from a tight angle after Donyell Malen had twice threatened the visitors' goal.

Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho nearly presented Maccabi with an early opportunity after losing possession dangerously close to his own penalty area.

The winger's miscontrol typified a disjointed performance from the home side.

Villa secured victory when Malen converted from the spot on 59 minutes, following Ezri Konsa's tumble in the box that drew the penalty decision.

After the game, Manager Unai Emery praised his side's performance, adding: "I’m very happy because we have three more points in the table.”

"After we lost in Go Ahead Eagles in the last match we played in Europe, we were a little bit frustrated and we were understanding the difficulties we will face in this competition.

"Here in Villa Park with our supporters it was important to feel strong and try to dominate the match overall, defensively, offensively and try to stop them, try not to concede a lot of chances."

​He added: "We conceded more than we planned because each match in this competition we can see matches with some surprises and see how other teams are performing in the table and how they want to be protagonists.

"We have to understand it’s very difficult. How we are getting nine points after four matches is fantastic, but we will prepare the next games, focusing and respecting the opposition, respecting the competition like we did today with Maccabi."

"Today was very important after a defeat in Europe.

"In the league, we lost the last match to Liverpool but in the balance getting the points against Tottenham and Manchester City."