birminghammail--2020-11-06--Predicted Aston Villa team for Arsenal as Barkley decision looms

Dean Smith has admitted to getting it wrong tactically against Leeds United while , in the latest defeat to Southampton , lamented his players for allowing set-piece king James Ward-Prowse to do what he does best .
Smith and his coaching staff were left `` scratching their heads '' at being 3-0 down at half-time last Sunday and told how he reverted to a 4-2-3-1 system after starting in a 4-3-3 against the Saints .
This Sunday against Arsenal provides the perfect opportunity to right some wrongs and to inject some momentum back into Villa 's Premier League campaign , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` They won the ball back very quickly against Manchester United last week , '' Smith said of Arsenal .
`` They pressed high up the pitch .
They 've scored seven goals from open play this season , more than any other team in terms of building up from the goalkeeper .
`` We have to fine a good balance when to press them and when to attack them .
They 've had a couple of misses this season as well and we know there 's a period of the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've got to make sure we pick them moments well . ''
With picking moments a potential catalyst for success on Sunday , what about picking a starting XI that can cause Arsenal some problems ?
The Gunners lost their last home match 1-0 to Leicester after a breakaway Jamie Vardy strike in what was their third defeat from seven games this term .
Villa will need to get back to their best at the back after going from three clean sheets from four games to conceding seven in their last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a shot to save last week against Southampton other than picking the ball out of the net and he 'll be in determined mood to prove his worth against the club that gave him the green light to leave .
In front of the Argentinian Smith will be reluctant to make drastic changes and will most-likely stick with what is clearly his strongest back four of Matty Cash and Matt Targett at right-back and left-back and Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings his preferred centre-backs .
Bjorn Engels and Ahmed Elmohamady are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an enforced change on Sunday while the likes of Neil Taylor , Kortney Hause and Frederic Guilbert will be left at home once again .
Midfield appears to be somewhat of a conundrum for Smith and Villa after the boss previously admitted to `` flipping the system '' on more than one occasion .
The boss has played two sitters - John McGinn and Douglas Luiz - with Ross Barkley as a No.10 while , last week , Barkley was in with McGinn and Douglas in a three-man midfield .
The loan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watkins in the 7-2 rout against Liverpool .
You do , though , suspect it will be the same midfield on Sunday with Villa looking to dominate Arsenal in the middle , a side who have played 3-4-3 more often than not this season .
Conor Hourihane is a player who could well feel hard done by if he once again fails to get any minutes .
The Irishman has n't featured at all since his goal and assist showing at Fulham more than a month ago .
Across Villa 's attacking trident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he looks to build on his four-goal start in the Premier League to date .
Jack Grealish , up for Player of the Month , will also be looking to continue his fine form after already notching four goals and four assists from just six games played .
With Bertrand Traore out injured Trezeguet will most-likely start on the right-hand side after he was dropped for the first time in 12 league games last week .
The Egyptian has caused Arsenal problems previously and will look to be a thorn in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be on the bench on Sunday while Anwar El Ghazi could be brought in from the cold after missing the last two squads .
How Arsenal lined-up in the Premier League vs Manchester United , 3-4-3 : Leno ; Holding , Gabriel , Tierney ; Bellerin , Partey , Elneny , Saka ; Willian , Lacazette , Aubameyang .

Dean Smith has admitted to getting it wrong tactically against Leeds United while, in the latest defeat to Southampton, lamented his players for allowing set-piece king James Ward-Prowse to do what he does best.
Smith and his coaching staff were left "scratching their heads" at being 3-0 down at half-time last Sunday and told how he reverted to a 4-2-3-1 system after starting in a 4-3-3 against the Saints.
This Sunday against Arsenal provides the perfect opportunity to right some wrongs and to inject some momentum back into Villa's Premier League campaign, going into the next 12-day international break.
"They won the ball back very quickly against Manchester United last week," Smith said of Arsenal. "They pressed high up the pitch. They've scored seven goals from open play this season, more than any other team in terms of building up from the goalkeeper.
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"We have to fine a good balance when to press them and when to attack them. They've had a couple of misses this season as well and we know there's a period of the game where you can get at them and we've got to make sure we pick them moments well."
With picking moments a potential catalyst for success on Sunday, what about picking a starting XI that can cause Arsenal some problems?
The Gunners lost their last home match 1-0 to Leicester after a breakaway Jamie Vardy strike in what was their third defeat from seven games this term.
Villa will need to get back to their best at the back after going from three clean sheets from four games to conceding seven in their last two.
Summer signing Emi Martinez didn't have a shot to save last week against Southampton other than picking the ball out of the net and he'll be in determined mood to prove his worth against the club that gave him the green light to leave.
In front of the Argentinian Smith will be reluctant to make drastic changes and will most-likely stick with what is clearly his strongest back four of Matty Cash and Matt Targett at right-back and left-back and Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings his preferred centre-backs.
Bjorn Engels and Ahmed Elmohamady are likely to be on the bench should there be an enforced change on Sunday while the likes of Neil Taylor, Kortney Hause and Frederic Guilbert will be left at home once again.
Midfield appears to be somewhat of a conundrum for Smith and Villa after the boss previously admitted to "flipping the system" on more than one occasion. The boss has played two sitters - John McGinn and Douglas Luiz - with Ross Barkley as a No.10 while, last week, Barkley was in with McGinn and Douglas in a three-man midfield. The loan star also played high up alongside Ollie Watkins in the 7-2 rout against Liverpool.
You do, though, suspect it will be the same midfield on Sunday with Villa looking to dominate Arsenal in the middle, a side who have played 3-4-3 more often than not this season. Conor Hourihane is a player who could well feel hard done by if he once again fails to get any minutes. The Irishman hasn't featured at all since his goal and assist showing at Fulham more than a month ago.
Across Villa's attacking trident Watkins will lead the line once again as he looks to build on his four-goal start in the Premier League to date. Jack Grealish , up for Player of the Month, will also be looking to continue his fine form after already notching four goals and four assists from just six games played.
With Bertrand Traore out injured Trezeguet will most-likely start on the right-hand side after he was dropped for the first time in 12 league games last week. The Egyptian has caused Arsenal problems previously and will look to be a thorn in their side once more. Keinan Davis will be on the bench on Sunday while Anwar El Ghazi could be brought in from the cold after missing the last two squads.
Our predicted Villa line-up, 4-2-3-1: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Douglas Luiz, McGinn; Trezeguet, Barkley, Grealish; Watkins. Subs: Steer, Engels, Elmohamady, Hourihane, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Davis.
Available players potentially left out: Kalinic, Hause, Taylor, Guilbert, J.Ramsey.
How Arsenal lined-up in the Premier League vs Manchester United, 3-4-3: Leno; Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Bellerin, Partey, Elneny, Saka; Willian, Lacazette, Aubameyang.


birminghammail--2020-11-06--Blossoms bar stripped of license after flouting Covid laws

A popular bar in Wolverhampton has been stripped of its license after 'flouting Covid regulations on multiple occasions ' .
Revellers at Blossoms , b ased in North Street , were “ needlessly exposed to unnecessary risk during a health pandemic ” a meeting of the council ’ s licencing sub-committee heard this week .
It comes after customers were 'severely ' packed into the venue - which spans across two floors - and social distancing measures were ignored as punters queued up outside .
Clubbers were also dancing to loud music which was pumped out , forcing people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things are banned under Covid laws due to infection risk .
Despite attempts by the council ’ s environmental health team to work with the venue , they said breaches still took place .
Numerous Licensing breaches took place such as refusing to supply the council or police with requested CCTV footage , a lack of staff training records and operating without a personal licence holder being on the premises .
Following the hearing yesterday ( November 5 ) licensing sub-committee members decided to revoke the licence in accordance with Section 52 of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bolshaw , chairman of City of Wolverhampton Council ’ s licensing committee , said : “ The overwhelming priority of the council is to keep its residents safe and free from harm , regardless of the nature of the threat .
“ Blossoms put people in danger by ignoring laws designed to protect people during a deadly pandemic .
“ The council tried to help them to ensure they understood the rules , but unfortunately this support and advice fell on deaf ears and the bar continued to ignore the law on multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after hearing the evidence that the decision to revoke the licence of Blossoms was an appropriate and proportionate action for the promotion of the prevention of crime and disorder , and public safety licensing objectives.
” Superintendent Simon Inglis , from Wolverhampton Police , said : “ We have worked very closely with the local authority licensing department and public heath colleagues with regards to this premises over the past few months .
“ Whilst it is with regret that a business that would ultimately support the local economy has to remain closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis that the need to protect the health of the community comes first .
“ In addition to this , we will be consistent in our approach and if we identify other locations within the city that are prepared to breach the regulations in this way and fail to put in the proper controls , we will support further such action .
“ Our aim is to support local businesses that seek to support the city and its economy , but on behalf of those businesses that have complied with the regulations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure those that put the health of the city at risk are prevented from doing so .
”

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A popular bar in Wolverhampton has been stripped of its license after 'flouting Covid regulations on multiple occasions'.
Revellers at Blossoms, b ased in North Street, were “needlessly exposed to unnecessary risk during a health pandemic” a meeting of the council’s licencing sub-committee heard this week.
It comes after customers were 'severely' packed into the venue - which spans across two floors - and social distancing measures were ignored as punters queued up outside.
Clubbers were also dancing to loud music which was pumped out, forcing people to shout to hear each other - both things are banned under Covid laws due to infection risk.
Despite attempts by the council’s environmental health team to work with the venue, they said breaches still took place.
Numerous Licensing breaches took place such as refusing to supply the council or police with requested CCTV footage, a lack of staff training records and operating without a personal licence holder being on the premises.
(Image: Handout)
Following the hearing yesterday (November 5) licensing sub-committee members decided to revoke the licence in accordance with Section 52 of the Licensing Act 2003.
Cllr Alan Bolshaw, chairman of City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing committee, said: “The overwhelming priority of the council is to keep its residents safe and free from harm, regardless of the nature of the threat.
“Blossoms put people in danger by ignoring laws designed to protect people during a deadly pandemic.
“The council tried to help them to ensure they understood the rules, but unfortunately this support and advice fell on deaf ears and the bar continued to ignore the law on multiple occasions.
“Committee members were satisfied after hearing the evidence that the decision to revoke the licence of Blossoms was an appropriate and proportionate action for the promotion of the prevention of crime and disorder, and public safety licensing objectives.”
Superintendent Simon Inglis, from Wolverhampton Police, said: “We have worked very closely with the local authority licensing department and public heath colleagues with regards to this premises over the past few months.
“Whilst it is with regret that a business that would ultimately support the local economy has to remain closed, we fully support this decision on the basis that the need to protect the health of the community comes first.
“In addition to this, we will be consistent in our approach and if we identify other locations within the city that are prepared to breach the regulations in this way and fail to put in the proper controls, we will support further such action.
“Our aim is to support local businesses that seek to support the city and its economy, but on behalf of those businesses that have complied with the regulations, we will work in partnership to ensure those that put the health of the city at risk are prevented from doing so.”


birminghammail--2020-11-06--Lee Bowyer reacts as Charlton Athletic boss linked with move to West Brom

Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has been linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion .
But the former Birmingham City midfielder today played down the rumour , which emerged in the national press last night .
Slaven Bilic remains in post after a poor start to the season with Albion winless after seven games .
Bilic oversaw West Brom 's latest loss on Monday night , a 2-0 reverse at Fulham at Craven Cottage .
Albion had set the foundations for a first win of the season with draws against Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion but struggled at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his second season at The Hawthorns after securing promotion last campaign , now faces a tricky pair of fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United .
The Mirror is reporting that Bowyer , who was linked with a return to Blues in the summer before they appointed Aitor Karanka , will be under consideration should Bilic be sacked by Albion .
However , Bowyer has made it clear that the first he heard of Albion 's supposed interest in him today .
Speaking to the South London Press , former Leeds United player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it was when I saw Ged ( Roddy , Charlton 's technical director ) in work this morning - he mentioned it .
I was n't even aware of it .
`` I think you know me now , I don ’ t look at social media or the papers .
I keep away from all that .
`` It 's nice to be recognised .
It happened a few times last season and the season before .
If you do well then people recognise you do well . ''
For his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players remain keen to put things right .
`` This is a season where we have n't invested heavily , so our aim is to stay up - that means never give up , it means being over committed , '' he said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday 's game against Tottenham Hotspur .
“ It means live it , do n't play games , live them .
Give everything .
It 's hard , it 's damn hard .
But can we do it ?
Yes .
But we @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer has been linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion.
But the former Birmingham City midfielder today played down the rumour, which emerged in the national press last night.
Slaven Bilic remains in post after a poor start to the season with Albion winless after seven games.
Bilic oversaw West Brom 's latest loss on Monday night, a 2-0 reverse at Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Albion had set the foundations for a first win of the season with draws against Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion but struggled at fellow newly-promoted Fulham.
Bilic, in his second season at The Hawthorns after securing promotion last campaign, now faces a tricky pair of fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
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The Mirror is reporting that Bowyer, who was linked with a return to Blues in the summer before they appointed Aitor Karanka, will be under consideration should Bilic be sacked by Albion.
However, Bowyer has made it clear that the first he heard of Albion's supposed interest in him today.
Speaking to the South London Press , former Leeds United player Bowyer said: "I first heard of it was when I saw Ged (Roddy, Charlton's technical director) in work this morning - he mentioned it. I wasn't even aware of it.
"I think you know me now, I don’t look at social media or the papers. I keep away from all that.
"It's nice to be recognised. It happened a few times last season and the season before. If you do well then people recognise you do well."
For his part, Bilic insisted today that his players remain keen to put things right.
"This is a season where we haven't invested heavily, so our aim is to stay up - that means never give up, it means being over committed," he said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game against Tottenham Hotspur.
“It means live it, don't play games, live them. Give everything. It's hard, it's damn hard. But can we do it? Yes. But we have to do it together."


birminghammail--2020-11-06--Man taken to major trauma centre after police incident

A road in the centre of one Worcestershire area has been closed due to a police incident .
The incident has taken place in George Street near to St Martin ’ s Gate in Worcester shortly before 3pm with George Street currently closed .
A man has been taken to a major trauma centre following the incident which has been described by West Mercia Police a s ‘ concern for safety ’ .
West Midlands Ambulance Service said they were called near to St Martin ’ s Gate at 2.56pm on Friday ( November 6 ) .
The service sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Midlands Air Ambulance critical care car , and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham to the scene .
“ We have treated a man who has been taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham by land ambulance.
” West Mercia Police has advised the public to ‘ please avoid the area ’ .
A spokeswoman for the force said : “ We are currently in attendance in George Street at a concern for safety .
One man has been taken to hospital .
“ The road and pedestrian access remain closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operations & Communications Tweeted : “ George Street , Worcester is currently closed due to a police incident , please use an alternative route .
”

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A road in the centre of one Worcestershire area has been closed due to a police incident.
The incident has taken place in George Street near to St Martin’s Gate in Worcester shortly before 3pm with George Street currently closed.
A man has been taken to a major trauma centre following the incident which has been described by West Mercia Police a s ‘concern for safety’.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said they were called near to St Martin’s Gate at 2.56pm on Friday (November 6).
The service sent two ambulances, a paramedic officer, the Midlands Air Ambulance critical care car, and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham to the scene.
“We have treated a man who has been taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham by land ambulance.”
West Mercia Police has advised the public to ‘please avoid the area’.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “We are currently in attendance in George Street at a concern for safety. One man has been taken to hospital.
“The road and pedestrian access remain closed at this time.”
West Mercia Police Operations & Communications Tweeted: “George Street, Worcester is currently closed due to a police incident, please use an alternative route.”


birminghammail--2020-11-06--Johnny Depp issues dramatic statement quitting Fantastic Beasts

Johnny Depp will stand down from his role in the new Warner Bros Fantastic Beasts film .
The actor shared @ @ @ @ @ said : `` In light of recent events , i would like to make the @ @ @ @ @ Firstly I 'd like to thank everybody who has gifted me with their support and @ @ @ @ @ been humbled and moved by your many messages of love and concern , particularly over @ @ @ @ @ `` Secondly , I wish to let you know that i have been asked to @ @ @ @ @ my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected that and agreed to @ @ @ @ @ I wish to say this .
`` The surreal judgement of the court in the @ @ @ @ @ fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal .
`` @ @ @ @ @ I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false .
My life and @ @ @ @ @ by this moment in time .
`` Thank you for reading .

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Johnny Depp will stand down from his role in the new Warner Bros Fantastic Beasts film.
The actor shared a statement on Instagram that said: "In light of recent events, i would like to make the following short statement.
"Firstly I'd like to thank everybody who has gifted me with their support and loyalty.
"I have been humbled and moved by your many messages of love and concern, particularly over the last few days.
"Secondly, I wish to let you know that i have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected that and agreed to that request.
"Finally I wish to say this.
"The surreal judgement of the court in the UK will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal.
"My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.
"Thank you for reading.
"Sincerely Johnny Depp."


birminghammail--2020-11-06--Aldi releases the perfect gift for wine lovers - but it's expensive

Aldi has released a new product that will be perfect for wine lovers - but it 's going to cost a pretty penny .
The budget retailer has released a massive £99 bottle of port which is going to be plenty for Christmas - and maybe the next Christmas after that .
The 10-year-old bottle of tawny port is 4.5litres so there will be tons of wine for your family for the rest of the year .
And if you have been on the lookout for a big bottle on the run-up to the festive season , this will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ touts that the bottle is a third of the price of a £265 similar bottle being sold at Harvey Nichols .
This whopper of a bottle is said to be rich and elegant combining aromas of fruit , a hint of nuttiness and subtle notes of chocolate , oak wood and butterscotch .
Aldi ’ s Tawny Port can be paired perfectly with a variety of sweet desserts from Christmas puddings and chocolate , to walnuts and cheese boards for a delicious festive accompaniment .
Aldi has also been recently been releasing its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has since released two movies featuring family favourite Kevin the Carrot .
The most recent advert shows Kevin being saved by Santa in order to get home in time for Christmas along with Harry the Hedgehog .

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Chris  Harper)

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Aldi has released a new product that will be perfect for wine lovers - but it's going to cost a pretty penny.
The budget retailer has released a massive £99 bottle of port which is going to be plenty for Christmas - and maybe the next Christmas after that.
The 10-year-old bottle of tawny port is 4.5litres so there will be tons of wine for your family for the rest of the year.
And if you have been on the lookout for a big bottle on the run-up to the festive season, this will be perfect for you to buy.
Aldi touts that the bottle is a third of the price of a £265 similar bottle being sold at Harvey Nichols.
(Image: Aldi)
This whopper of a bottle is said to be rich and elegant combining aromas of fruit, a hint of nuttiness and subtle notes of chocolate, oak wood and butterscotch.
Aldi’s Tawny Port can be paired perfectly with a variety of sweet desserts from Christmas puddings and chocolate, to walnuts and cheese boards for a delicious festive accompaniment.
Aldi has also been recently been releasing its Christmas adverts as we approach December. It has since released two movies featuring family favourite Kevin the Carrot.
The most recent advert shows Kevin being saved by Santa in order to get home in time for Christmas along with Harry the Hedgehog.


birminghammail--2020-11-07--Aston Villa fans tell Dean Smith to play Trezeguet and Hourihane against Arsenal

Aston Villa fans have been discussing the potential lineup that Dean Smith could go for in Sunday ’ s Premier League clash against Arsenal .
Villa travel to the Emirates Stadium looking to bounce back from two defeats in a row after an impressive start to the season .
Defeats against Leeds United and Southampton means that the Villains sit in eighth position in the Premier League table after four wins in a row at the start of the campaign .
Just one position below is Arsenal , with both teams looking to climb into the top positions by picking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Gunners came away as 1-0 winners against Manchester United in their last league outing .
Ahead of the game , Villa fans have had their say on any changes that they would like to see Smith make to his starting eleven .
It has been confirmed that winger Bertrand Traore will miss the match with a thigh injury , with most fans wanting Trezeguet to replace the Burkina Faso international .
Trezeguet replaced the winger in the first-half of the game against Southampton last weekend .
Some fans also want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Arsenal .
The 29-year-old has made just two Premier League appearances so far this season and has been an unused substitute for the last four games .
In our daily Aston Villa bulletin , we 'll be bringing you the latest breaking news , transfer features and comment pieces , as well as the key talking points for fans .
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It 's easy and only takes seconds .
Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit sign up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're all set .
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If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails , simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we do n't think you 'll want to .
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We also have a free app which you can download .
It is always up-to-date with the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Play Store and App Store Here are some thoughts on the changes Smith should make to his team selection .
Carl Corbett : Trez should be starting anyway !
He made such an impact when he come on last week .
Bozzy : Trez and Elmo in .
Cashy needs a week or two on the bench and Traore hurt his pride v Southampton and is out I 'd try to find a spot for Conor too , just not sure how Need to see a bit more of Hourihane , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are chasing or not ) .
McGinn a little quiet at the moment but should still start .
Skelly Tan : Trez RW and Elmo RB !
Cash has been weak in past two games and prob knocked his confidence .
Elmo is solid and experienced !
Isaac Cullen : Trez for Traore and wouldn ’ t hate to see Hourihane start over Mcginn/Barkley

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Aston Villa fans have been discussing the potential lineup that Dean Smith could go for in Sunday’s Premier League clash against Arsenal.
Villa travel to the Emirates Stadium looking to bounce back from two defeats in a row after an impressive start to the season.
Defeats against Leeds United and Southampton means that the Villains sit in eighth position in the Premier League table after four wins in a row at the start of the campaign.
Just one position below is Arsenal, with both teams looking to climb into the top positions by picking up all three points from the game.
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The Gunners came away as 1-0 winners against Manchester United in their last league outing.
Ahead of the game, Villa fans have had their say on any changes that they would like to see Smith make to his starting eleven.
It has been confirmed that winger Bertrand Traore will miss the match with a thigh injury , with most fans wanting Trezeguet to replace the Burkina Faso international.
Trezeguet replaced the winger in the first-half of the game against Southampton last weekend.
Some fans also want to see midfielder Conor Hourihane given a chance against Arsenal. The 29-year-old has made just two Premier League appearances so far this season and has been an unused substitute for the last four games.
Aston Villa daily newsletter. Free. To your inbox In our daily Aston Villa bulletin, we'll be bringing you the latest breaking news, transfer features and comment pieces, as well as the key talking points for fans. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit sign up. And that's it, you're all set. You can also sign up here. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. And what's more, it's absolutely free! You can also get all the latest updates by following us on social media here Facebook and Twitter. We also have a free app which you can download. It is always up-to-date with the latest news from across the region. Google Play Store and App Store
Here are some thoughts on the changes Smith should make to his team selection.
Carl Corbett: Trez should be starting anyway! He made such an impact when he come on last week.
Bozzy: Trez and Elmo in. Cashy needs a week or two on the bench and Traore hurt his pride v Southampton and is out
I'd try to find a spot for Conor too, just not sure how
Mike Schooling: Trez in for Traore.
Need to see a bit more of Hourihane, even if from the bench (depending if we are chasing or not). McGinn a little quiet at the moment but should still start.
Skelly Tan: Trez RW and Elmo RB! Cash has been weak in past two games and prob knocked his confidence. Elmo is solid and experienced!
Isaac Cullen: Trez for Traore and wouldn’t hate to see Hourihane start over Mcginn/Barkley


birminghammail--2020-11-07--Man charged with murder of teenager Panashe Bako at Crowne Plaza

Police have charged a man with murder after Panashe Bako was discovered dead at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Birmingham city centre .
Ceasar Bello , also known as Peace , has been charged with murdering 20-year-old Panashe at the hotel on Holliday Street , Birmingham on July 22 .
Bello , aged 18 , from no fixed address , was wanted by police but handed himself in yesterday ( Friday ) and was later charged with murder , robbery and assault .
He ’ s due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning ( 7 November ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ force homicide team , at West Midlands Police , said : “ This is a significant step forward in our investigation into the tragic killing of Panashe .
“ His family and friends are been kept updated at what I know remains an extremely difficult time for them.
” Panashe 's grief-stricken family had previously described him as a 'lovely boy who always went the extra mile to help people ' and they told of their shock after his tragic death .
In a video released by WMP , his family said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was young and had a lot of opportunities for him to develop into the person he wanted to be .
He was very loving .
Even on my mum 's birthday or my birthday he would spend all the money he had just to buy us birthday gifts .
`` It 's been very hard but we 've got lots of support .
We have a really big family and we 've had people around us but no one can fill that gap .
And it 's obvious that he 's not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a dream and probably you will wake up in the morning and it 's not real . ''
`` We are in pieces .
We never thought that Panashe would die at such a young age .
We all had expectations for him .
To have a wife , a child , a house , To have that taken away from us has been hard . ''

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From skyscrapers to HS2, get the latest on Birmingham's biggest developments as the city skyline continues to evolve
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From skyscrapers to HS2, get the latest on Birmingham's biggest developments as the city skyline continues to evolve
Police have charged a man with murder after Panashe Bako was discovered dead at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Birmingham city centre.
Ceasar Bello, also known as Peace, has been charged with murdering 20-year-old Panashe at the hotel on Holliday Street, Birmingham on July 22.
Bello, aged 18, from no fixed address, was wanted by police but handed himself in yesterday (Friday) and was later charged with murder, robbery and assault.
(Image: WMP)
He’s due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court this morning (7 November).
Detective Inspector Jim Colclough, from the force homicide team, at West Midlands Police, said: “This is a significant step forward in our investigation into the tragic killing of Panashe.
“His family and friends are been kept updated at what I know remains an extremely difficult time for them.”
Panashe's grief-stricken family had previously described him as a 'lovely boy who always went the extra mile to help people' and they told of their shock after his tragic death.
In a video released by WMP, his family said: "He was a lovely boy, he was young and had a lot of opportunities for him to develop into the person he wanted to be. He was very loving. Even on my mum's birthday or my birthday he would spend all the money he had just to buy us birthday gifts.
"It's been very hard but we've got lots of support. We have a really big family and we've had people around us but no one can fill that gap. And it's obvious that he's not there. You think you're just in a dream and probably you will wake up in the morning and it's not real."
"We are in pieces. We never thought that Panashe would die at such a young age. We all had expectations for him. To have a wife, a child, a house, To have that taken away from us has been hard."


birminghammail--2020-11-07--B&M stores sell out of £2 Christmas bauble with 'hidden feature'

B & M shoppers have been going out and attempting to find a new Christmas bauble which has it 's own `` hidden feature '' .
The retailer has been open for the second lockdown when it was deemed a essential store back in Spring .
B & M remains open which is great news for people who need cheap food and goods - including Christmas items .
And now , shoppers have been taken in by a new Christmas bauble that you can put items inside .
However , other people have been putting ashes inside it so they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during Christmas time .
The bauble has been so popular that it has been selling out at most stores and people are struggling to find it .
One shopper said : “ Thank you to the person that posted the other day about these ornaments to put ashes in… got one for each close member of my family and put a little card with a message on each one.
” The bargain £2 product has been shared by hundreds of people on social media , with many sharing their savvy tips and pictures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on received over 700 comments and 4,600 reactions .
One user commented : “ It ’ s a beautiful idea for beautiful Angels xxx ” , while another said : “ Aww that ’ s a lovely idea and beautiful ornament ” .

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Join the Secret Elves to get first access to our exclusive reviews of the must-have products this year
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B&M shoppers have been going out and attempting to find a new Christmas bauble which has it's own "hidden feature".
The retailer has been open for the second lockdown when it was deemed a essential store back in Spring.
B&M remains open which is great news for people who need cheap food and goods - including Christmas items.
And now, shoppers have been taken in by a new Christmas bauble that you can put items inside.
However, other people have been putting ashes inside it so they can have their loved ones near them during Christmas time.
The bauble has been so popular that it has been selling out at most stores and people are struggling to find it.
One shopper said: “Thank you to the person that posted the other day about these ornaments to put ashes in… got one for each close member of my family and put a little card with a message on each one.”
The bargain £2 product has been shared by hundreds of people on social media, with many sharing their savvy tips and pictures of the much-loved locket, one post on received over 700 comments and 4,600 reactions.
One user commented: “It’s a beautiful idea for beautiful Angels xxx”, while another said: “Aww that’s a lovely idea and beautiful ornament”.


birminghammail--2020-11-07--Barry Bannan and his compelling Aston Villa backstory

On a patch of grass a three-year-old boy threads a football through a small gap between two trees .
Each time he succeeds , his father picks him up , moves him back another five yards , plonks him down again and points to the target .
Then another five yards and another until eventually , over time , the wee boy has the passing range of the best ball player outside the top flight .
That boy was Barry Bannan and his old man , James , was a tough taskmaster , the archetypal competitive Dad , determined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his youngest lad on that small park near Airdrie , in Scotland .
Just look at how he taught Baz to cushion a ball on that sweet left foot .
`` He was always hard on me , '' recalls Bannan , in conversation with Claret & Blue , BirminghamLive 's Aston Villa podcast .
You can listen to the podcast here '' We used to live in flats as well .
We were at the top flats .
I used to shout up to him to throw the ball and he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I never trapped it dead he would n't let me play until I did it properly .
He was quite tough on me , but I think that 's helped me to where I 've got to today . ''
Bannan senior 's own crack at professional football was over before it started when Celtic coaches knocking on his door to offer him a trial were told he was down the pub .
`` My gran 's killed him there be honest , '' smiles the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder .
`` She did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say they never came back . ''
They came back for Barry , though plenty of times .
Bannan trained once a week with Celtic , but the boyhood Bhoys fan resisted constant attempts to get him to commit further because he wanted to win trophies .
Back then , he says , a tweak to the academy system in Scotland meant that a competitive element had been removed for young hopefuls with professional clubs .
Instead he stayed with his Sunday league side Lenzie , enjoying playing with his mates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ player-of-the-season accolades .
Lenzie 's strong associations with Aston Villa extended to the Scottish boys club having Villa 's rampant lion on their crest and between them team manager Ian Stevenson and Villa scout George Grace got Bannan a trial at Bodymoor Heath .
Celtic pushed harder knowing that a lad who adored Henrik Larsson and Celtic 's class of the late nineties/early noughties was slipping from their grasp , but James Bannan had other ideas .
`` My Dad played a massive part in me going to Villa because the area I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of all went the other way , '' admits Bannan .
`` He did n't want that to happen to me so we decided to move from Scotland when I was 13 after I had a successful trial at Villa .
I 'd just done my first year at high school in Scotland and was starting to go to school discos and parties on Fridays .
I was just starting to enjoy that side of it and my Dad made me move .
I did n't take too kindly to it at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's the best thing I 've ever done . ''
It was ice-skating , not proper parties , Bannan adds when Claret & Blue suggests that they start them early up there .
By the time Bannan , Dad James , Mum Kathleen and his younger sister relocated to Birmingham the future Scottish international had already been causing ripples north of the border .
You can watch to the podcast here During his final years at primary school Bannan was in the youth set up at Albion Rovers and despite the club operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first team players and always volunteered for ball boy duties on a Saturday afternoon , at Cliftonhill just 10 minutes from his home .
Not least because it honed his reputation as a crowd-pleaser .
`` As a young kid growing up I used to think they were like superstars , '' he recalls .
`` I was just ball-boying one of the games and the ball came and I forgot it was a professional game .
I got carried away and was playing with the ball , forgetting that I had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was coming behind the goal to get the ball and - it was just something that I would do if I was in the park with my Dad or my mates - I just flicked the ball over his head and forgot completely .
The fans - there was only about 300 of them - found the funny side of it , but I do n't think the goalkeeper did ! ''
Birmingham was a home from home for the Bannans .
They had family in Harborne and Sutton Coldfield and had spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Second City even before making it their permanent base , but the move still took some getting used to .
Bannan used the universal language of football to fit in on the schoolyard at St Edmund Campion , in Erdington , but his sister found the adjustment a lot tougher , even though now , all these years on , she talks with a Brummie accent .
`` Luckily one of my aunties had a flat for us to move into straight away , '' he explains .
`` It was just a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the living room on a blow up bed with my sister .
For the first couple of months when I moved down here we lived above a pet shop .
It was just for a while so my Dad could find a job .
That was all we could afford at the time and then as my dad started getting jobs and working we then moved to somewhere else in Erdington , just off Tyburn Road by Spaghetti Junction . ''
When Bannan signed his first really big contract at Villa , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents back near Coatbridge in Scotland , where they were originally from .
They lasted six months up there before returning to Erdington where they still live to this day .
Bannan , his girlfriend Chloe and baby daughter Elsie are n't too far away .
`` This is home now , '' he admits .
Before long Bannan felt at home at Bodymoor Heath too .
Nurtured by fellow Scots Kevin MacDonald and Tony McAndrew as well as like-minded pass master Gordon Cowans , the midfielder was a regular as Villa 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ title double in the same year .
Even so it remained touch and go whether he would get a pro deal .
The question of his diminutive height was a factor when that call was eventually made .
Bannan explains : `` It was Martin O'Neill who had the final decision .
I got glowing reports from academy boss Bryan Jones , Sid Cowans , Kevin and and Tony .
I got a good report from all of the academy staff but it was down to the gaffer , Martin O'Neill .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we went into the meeting that he 'd mentioned about my height , that was his only query about me .
But when I made my debut in Hamburg I remember him saying that my height would n't be a problem because I had a good heart , I had the heart the size of a lion .
From that day on when there was a question about my height it made me work that much harder , especially because I 'd been touch and go for my pro deal . ''
Bannan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rushed to hospital after complications at birth he had four operations before he was eight and cites those early challenges , his upbringing on a rough estate and those writing him off as too small as the reasons for his stubborn , combative winning mentality .
He never did quite hit the heights with Villa .
He bears no grudge towards O'Neill for not affording him more than two brief substitute cameos in the UEFA Cup and admits few managers would have promoted an unproven teenager to a team knocking on the door @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is thankful a boss he grew up hero-worshipping at Celtic , gave him a pro deal and a debut .
It was a week after O'Neill 's departure , however , when Bannan had returned from a 'making of me ' loan spell at Derby County that his claret and blue highlight of a decade at Villa arrived .
The sudden nature of O'Neill 's exit , five days before the 2010-11 season kicked off , left Bannan 's youth team mentors MacDonald and McAndrew in caretaker charge and after a Premier League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substitute in an opening day victory over West Ham United at Villa Park , Bannan was handed his first start in a Europa League qualifier at Rapid Vienna .
`` That 's my favourite memory , '' he grins .
`` Kev and Tony were the people who had basically made me who I was and they were the managers for that game .
I scored and there 's a video that I remember really well of Tony McAndrew jumping and smacking his head off the bench .
They were just over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 've nurtured through has scored for them in a Europa League game for the first team .
I always look back on that because that was me repaying them for their hard work really . ''
The hostile atmosphere inside the stadium only added to the teenage Bannan 's delight .
`` It was crazy , '' he says .
`` I remember Andi Weimann did his ankle .
That was obviously his boyhood team , he 'd grown up and come through the ranks there .
They had these mad ultra @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting stretchered off in pain - I think he was out for four months after that - they were throwing coins and everything at him and he was one of their own .
It was mental , it was hostile so that made it even better scoring there as well .
I 'd probably say that was my greatest moment at Villa and the victory at Anfield when we won 3-1 . ''
The 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Villa Park in November 2010 is right up there too .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day were from the Bodymoor Heath academy .
Bannan , Marc Albrighton , Jonathan Hogg and Gabby Agbonlahor started , while Eric Lichaj , Chris Herd and Nathan Delfouneso stepped off the bench and Shane Lowry , Isaiah Osborne and Daniel Johnson were unused substitutes .
( On the subject of Hogg , Bannan credits him with the funniest ever prank he 's ever known - but you 'll have to listen to the podcast for that ! )
.
Gerard 's juniors - by now Liverpool legend Houllier was in charge - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two-goal lead and Bannan knows why .
`` It was crazy . ''
he says .
`` I just remember - probably when we were 2-0 up - looking around and thinking this is mental .
My teammates that I 've grown up with through the youth we 're playing against the best team that 's been in England for the last 10 years and we 're 2-0 up .
I think that was probably the downfall , we let that kick in and they ended up coming back and scoring two .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were six or seven of us in or around it or featuring majorly .
That 's the bond we had .
I think that helped that day because growing up together you 're like family really .
We fought for each other on the pitch , that 's what happened that day , we just put in a great performance and it was a proud moment looking around and seeing the people that had been with you growing up and fighting for what you all want . ''
From cleaning the boots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nigel Reo-Coker and helping out with kit skips on matchdays for sneaky selfie opportunities in the tunnel ( `` I got my picture taken with Cristiano Ronaldo once '' ) , it was under Houllier 's tutelage that Bannan finally felt like a proper player at Villa .
Houllier not only rated him highly , but actually mentioned him in the same breath as Barcelona 's dream double act Xavi and Andres Iniesta .
`` That was the end of me that was ! ''
jokes Bannan .
`` Obviously my family and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they see things like that .
But coming from a manager like that if they 're saying good things about you it 's a positve .
Little things like that you try not to read too much into it but people are texting you and saying look what he 's saying about you and all that .
He 's managed top players in the past , so it was brilliant to hear .
It 's just to keep you going , if you 're going through a good patch or a bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try and keep your confidence up .
I was doing well at the time if I recall rightly and I think he was just trying to get that bit extra out me , and by saying that he thought it could have happened .
No doubt he did n't mean it because they 're two of the best players to have ever played in my lifetime . ''
It was a sad day when heart problems prematurely ended Houllier 's claret and blue revolution - but the arrivals of two Scottish football legends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - initially softened the blow when Bannan , by now a first team regular , continued to get plenty of games under Alex McLeish and then Paul Lambert .
His drink driving offence temporarily ended his run of matches under McLeish in 2011-12 and after impressing Lambert early on , he knew his time was up at the 2012-13 campaign neared its conclusion .
From being starstruck upon meeting Lambert , he was eventually Bomb-Squadded ( banished to train with the reserves ) by the Celtic legend .
`` That was a hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a troublemaker or anything .
I 'd come in , worked hard in training , done what I had to do , but for whatever reason I was n't going to feature in the plans .
But what I did n't like was I had to train with the reserve team and stuff like that .
I remember saying that day would it be alright if I could train with the first team until I got something but he was like 'No , I want my squad that 's going ahead next season @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get moves , elsewhere ' .
`` I was like 'fair enough ' .
We never argued , it kind of ended amicably , but it could have been dealt with better .
When I signed for Palace I think they took over my last year , so I would have been going into my last season at Villa .
I would have had the following season left .
Looking back now , I went to Palace , I would n't say I regretted it , but Alan Hutton was in the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back in .
I did n't want to leave , I was happy , my family were here , all my friends were here , obviously I was at the club that I wanted to be at .
So I do n't know if I 'd have maybe have stayed around I might have got in as the season went on , but he made it obvious that I was n't going to be part of it . ''
After two years at Palace , broken up by a brief loan spell at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his home at Sheffield Wednesday .
He 's been there five years now , is adored by the Hillsborough faithful and has made it his mission to get the Owls into the Premier League .
`` Once you get that feeling coming from the fans it makes you feel a hero , '' he beams .
`` I 've just connected with the club from day one .
I 've been there five years now which is a long time and I 've enjoyed every minute of it .
The only downside I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the club to the Premier League yet .
That 's something I want to do before I finish my career .
`` You always see players that will find a club , that 's their home and that 's where they 'll be .
I think with my moves to Crystal Palace and things like that and when I was playing in the Premier League with Villa we were struggling in the league and it was more of a fight , which did n't really suit me .
It was a bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in and out .
When I found Sheffield Wednesday it was a team that was dominating in that league and we were winning games every week .
I just seemed to slot into it perfectly and the last five years have probably been the best football that I 've played and the most I 've enjoyed football in my career so far . ''
That he never found that adulation at Villa is no longer a source of regret for Bannan .
Those claret and blue allegiances live on .
He raises his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stick from his mates and takes great delight from beating bitter rivals Birmingham City .
`` Yeah , I 'm still a Villa fan , of course , '' he adds .
`` From a young age the Blues-Villa derby has been a thing .
I played in a few myself .
They ( the Blues fans ) kind of carried it on to be honest .
I would n't say I was a major player like Gabby Agbonlahor or right now with Jack Grealish .
I was only there for a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main player .
When I started playing against them they would boo me , so I would think 'Oh right this is a bit weird ' .
Obviously me not liking them anyway from growing up as a kid it stays with you until you die really . ''
Now 30 - `` I look younger now I 've got rid of the beard '' - he is still an adopted Brummie , still takes great delight from winding up Blues and still supports Villa .
Oh and he can still thread a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too - and trap one dropped from the top of a block of flats .

On a patch of grass a three-year-old boy threads a football through a small gap between two trees. Each time he succeeds, his father picks him up, moves him back another five yards, plonks him down again and points to the target. Then another five yards and another until eventually, over time, the wee boy has the passing range of the best ball player outside the top flight.
That boy was Barry Bannan and his old man, James, was a tough taskmaster, the archetypal competitive Dad, determined to live out his own footballing dreams through his youngest lad on that small park near Airdrie, in Scotland. Just look at how he taught Baz to cushion a ball on that sweet left foot.
"He was always hard on me," recalls Bannan, in conversation with Claret & Blue, BirminghamLive's Aston Villa podcast.
You can listen to the podcast here
"We used to live in flats as well. We were at the top flats. I used to shout up to him to throw the ball and he would throw it off the balcony and if I never trapped it dead he wouldn't let me play until I did it properly. He was quite tough on me, but I think that's helped me to where I've got to today."
Bannan senior's own crack at professional football was over before it started when Celtic coaches knocking on his door to offer him a trial were told he was down the pub.
"My gran's killed him there be honest," smiles the Sheffield Wednesday midfielder. "She didn't know who they were - safe to say they never came back."
They came back for Barry, though plenty of times.
Bannan trained once a week with Celtic, but the boyhood Bhoys fan resisted constant attempts to get him to commit further because he wanted to win trophies. Back then, he says, a tweak to the academy system in Scotland meant that a competitive element had been removed for young hopefuls with professional clubs.
Instead he stayed with his Sunday league side Lenzie, enjoying playing with his mates and picking up shelf-loads of man-of-the-match awards and player-of-the-season accolades. Lenzie's strong associations with Aston Villa extended to the Scottish boys club having Villa's rampant lion on their crest and between them team manager Ian Stevenson and Villa scout George Grace got Bannan a trial at Bodymoor Heath.
Celtic pushed harder knowing that a lad who adored Henrik Larsson and Celtic's class of the late nineties/early noughties was slipping from their grasp, but James Bannan had other ideas.
"My Dad played a massive part in me going to Villa because the area I came from was rough and my mates kind of all went the other way," admits Bannan. "He didn't want that to happen to me so we decided to move from Scotland when I was 13 after I had a successful trial at Villa. I'd just done my first year at high school in Scotland and was starting to go to school discos and parties on Fridays. I was just starting to enjoy that side of it and my Dad made me move. I didn't take too kindly to it at the start, but looking back it's the best thing I've ever done."
It was ice-skating, not proper parties, Bannan adds when Claret & Blue suggests that they start them early up there.
By the time Bannan, Dad James, Mum Kathleen and his younger sister relocated to Birmingham the future Scottish international had already been causing ripples north of the border.
You can watch to the podcast here
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During his final years at primary school Bannan was in the youth set up at Albion Rovers and despite the club operating in the third tier, Bannan idolised the first team players and always volunteered for ball boy duties on a Saturday afternoon, at Cliftonhill just 10 minutes from his home.
Not least because it honed his reputation as a crowd-pleaser.
"As a young kid growing up I used to think they were like superstars," he recalls. "I was just ball-boying one of the games and the ball came and I forgot it was a professional game. I got carried away and was playing with the ball, forgetting that I had to give it back. The 'keeper was coming behind the goal to get the ball and - it was just something that I would do if I was in the park with my Dad or my mates - I just flicked the ball over his head and forgot completely. The fans - there was only about 300 of them - found the funny side of it, but I don't think the goalkeeper did!"
Birmingham was a home from home for the Bannans. They had family in Harborne and Sutton Coldfield and had spent many of their summer holidays in the Second City even before making it their permanent base, but the move still took some getting used to.
Bannan used the universal language of football to fit in on the schoolyard at St Edmund Campion, in Erdington, but his sister found the adjustment a lot tougher, even though now, all these years on, she talks with a Brummie accent.
"Luckily one of my aunties had a flat for us to move into straight away," he explains. "It was just a one bedroom. I was sleeping in the living room on a blow up bed with my sister. For the first couple of months when I moved down here we lived above a pet shop. It was just for a while so my Dad could find a job. That was all we could afford at the time and then as my dad started getting jobs and working we then moved to somewhere else in Erdington, just off Tyburn Road by Spaghetti Junction."
When Bannan signed his first really big contract at Villa, he splashed out on a house for his parents back near Coatbridge in Scotland, where they were originally from. They lasted six months up there before returning to Erdington where they still live to this day. Bannan, his girlfriend Chloe and baby daughter Elsie aren't too far away. "This is home now," he admits.
Before long Bannan felt at home at Bodymoor Heath too. Nurtured by fellow Scots Kevin MacDonald and Tony McAndrew as well as like-minded pass master Gordon Cowans, the midfielder was a regular as Villa's kids won an academy and reserve team title double in the same year. Even so it remained touch and go whether he would get a pro deal. The question of his diminutive height was a factor when that call was eventually made.
Bannan explains: "It was Martin O'Neill who had the final decision. I got glowing reports from academy boss Bryan Jones, Sid Cowans, Kevin and and Tony. I got a good report from all of the academy staff but it was down to the gaffer, Martin O'Neill. I remember my mum and dad saying when we went into the meeting that he'd mentioned about my height, that was his only query about me. But when I made my debut in Hamburg I remember him saying that my height wouldn't be a problem because I had a good heart, I had the heart the size of a lion. From that day on when there was a question about my height it made me work that much harder, especially because I'd been touch and go for my pro deal."
Bannan shrugs off the height thing now. Rushed to hospital after complications at birth he had four operations before he was eight and cites those early challenges, his upbringing on a rough estate and those writing him off as too small as the reasons for his stubborn, combative winning mentality. He never did quite hit the heights with Villa. He bears no grudge towards O'Neill for not affording him more than two brief substitute cameos in the UEFA Cup and admits few managers would have promoted an unproven teenager to a team knocking on the door of the Champions League. Instead he is thankful a boss he grew up hero-worshipping at Celtic, gave him a pro deal and a debut.
It was a week after O'Neill's departure, however, when Bannan had returned from a 'making of me' loan spell at Derby County that his claret and blue highlight of a decade at Villa arrived. The sudden nature of O'Neill's exit, five days before the 2010-11 season kicked off, left Bannan's youth team mentors MacDonald and McAndrew in caretaker charge and after a Premier League debut lasting one minute as a late substitute in an opening day victory over West Ham United at Villa Park, Bannan was handed his first start in a Europa League qualifier at Rapid Vienna.
"That's my favourite memory," he grins. "Kev and Tony were the people who had basically made me who I was and they were the managers for that game. I scored and there's a video that I remember really well of Tony McAndrew jumping and smacking his head off the bench. They were just over the moon. One of the boys that they've nurtured through has scored for them in a Europa League game for the first team. I always look back on that because that was me repaying them for their hard work really."
The hostile atmosphere inside the stadium only added to the teenage Bannan's delight.
"It was crazy," he says. "I remember Andi Weimann did his ankle. That was obviously his boyhood team, he'd grown up and come through the ranks there. They had these mad ultra fans behind the goal. He was getting stretchered off in pain - I think he was out for four months after that - they were throwing coins and everything at him and he was one of their own. It was mental, it was hostile so that made it even better scoring there as well. I'd probably say that was my greatest moment at Villa and the victory at Anfield when we won 3-1."
The 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Villa Park in November 2010 is right up there too. More than half of Villa's 18-man squad that day were from the Bodymoor Heath academy. Bannan, Marc Albrighton, Jonathan Hogg and Gabby Agbonlahor started, while Eric Lichaj, Chris Herd and Nathan Delfouneso stepped off the bench and Shane Lowry, Isaiah Osborne and Daniel Johnson were unused substitutes. (On the subject of Hogg, Bannan credits him with the funniest ever prank he's ever known - but you'll have to listen to the podcast for that!) .
Gerard's juniors - by now Liverpool legend Houllier was in charge - were 2-0 up, but blew a two-goal lead and Bannan knows why.
"It was crazy." he says. "I just remember - probably when we were 2-0 up - looking around and thinking this is mental. My teammates that I've grown up with through the youth we're playing against the best team that's been in England for the last 10 years and we're 2-0 up. I think that was probably the downfall, we let that kick in and they ended up coming back and scoring two.
"I remember that day well because there were six or seven of us in or around it or featuring majorly. That's the bond we had. I think that helped that day because growing up together you're like family really. We fought for each other on the pitch, that's what happened that day, we just put in a great performance and it was a proud moment looking around and seeing the people that had been with you growing up and fighting for what you all want."
From cleaning the boots of Patrick Berger, Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker and helping out with kit skips on matchdays for sneaky selfie opportunities in the tunnel ("I got my picture taken with Cristiano Ronaldo once"), it was under Houllier's tutelage that Bannan finally felt like a proper player at Villa. Houllier not only rated him highly, but actually mentioned him in the same breath as Barcelona's dream double act Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
"That was the end of me that was!" jokes Bannan. "Obviously my family and mates are on the phone straight away when they see things like that. But coming from a manager like that if they're saying good things about you it's a positve. Little things like that you try not to read too much into it but people are texting you and saying look what he's saying about you and all that. He's managed top players in the past, so it was brilliant to hear. It's just to keep you going, if you're going through a good patch or a bad patch the manager will say things to try and keep your confidence up. I was doing well at the time if I recall rightly and I think he was just trying to get that bit extra out me, and by saying that he thought it could have happened. No doubt he didn't mean it because they're two of the best players to have ever played in my lifetime."
It was a sad day when heart problems prematurely ended Houllier's claret and blue revolution - but the arrivals of two Scottish football legends -from opposite sides of the Glasgow divide - initially softened the blow when Bannan, by now a first team regular, continued to get plenty of games under Alex McLeish and then Paul Lambert. His drink driving offence temporarily ended his run of matches under McLeish in 2011-12 and after impressing Lambert early on, he knew his time was up at the 2012-13 campaign neared its conclusion. From being starstruck upon meeting Lambert, he was eventually Bomb-Squadded (banished to train with the reserves) by the Celtic legend.
"That was a hard one to take because I wasn't a troublemaker or anything. I'd come in, worked hard in training, done what I had to do, but for whatever reason I wasn't going to feature in the plans. But what I didn't like was I had to train with the reserve team and stuff like that. I remember saying that day would it be alright if I could train with the first team until I got something but he was like 'No, I want my squad that's going ahead next season altogether and the other ones trying to get moves, elsewhere'.
"I was like 'fair enough'. We never argued, it kind of ended amicably, but it could have been dealt with better. When I signed for Palace I think they took over my last year, so I would have been going into my last season at Villa. I would have had the following season left. Looking back now, I went to Palace, I wouldn't say I regretted it, but Alan Hutton was in the same boat. He stuck around and got back in. I didn't want to leave, I was happy, my family were here, all my friends were here, obviously I was at the club that I wanted to be at. So I don't know if I'd have maybe have stayed around I might have got in as the season went on, but he made it obvious that I wasn't going to be part of it."
After two years at Palace, broken up by a brief loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, Bannan has finally found his home at Sheffield Wednesday. He's been there five years now, is adored by the Hillsborough faithful and has made it his mission to get the Owls into the Premier League.
"Once you get that feeling coming from the fans it makes you feel a hero," he beams. "I've just connected with the club from day one. I've been there five years now which is a long time and I've enjoyed every minute of it. The only downside I would say is that I've not got the club to the Premier League yet. That's something I want to do before I finish my career.
Claret & Blue podcast Have you tried our Claret & Blue podcast out? Claret & Blue is our expanded look at everything Aston Villa - and you can find it on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube, as well as your podcast service of choice. Our writers will bring you the latest from Villa Park in their own unique style, taking a deeper look at the Villans while having a lot of fun along the way. What can you expect? Well,analysis, news, interviews and debate along with, yes, a fair amount of nonsense! That's not all though, you can find the podcast on Twitter here, and as a newsletter which you can subscribe to here. In our newsletter you'll get original articles like this and exclusive interviews before anyone else has access. What are you waiting for?
"You always see players that will find a club, that's their home and that's where they'll be. I think with my moves to Crystal Palace and things like that and when I was playing in the Premier League with Villa we were struggling in the league and it was more of a fight, which didn't really suit me. It was a bad time in my career because I was in and out. When I found Sheffield Wednesday it was a team that was dominating in that league and we were winning games every week. I just seemed to slot into it perfectly and the last five years have probably been the best football that I've played and the most I've enjoyed football in my career so far."
That he never found that adulation at Villa is no longer a source of regret for Bannan. Those claret and blue allegiances live on. He raises his game whenever he faces Villa to avoid stick from his mates and takes great delight from beating bitter rivals Birmingham City.
"Yeah, I'm still a Villa fan, of course," he adds. "From a young age the Blues-Villa derby has been a thing. I played in a few myself. They (the Blues fans) kind of carried it on to be honest. I wouldn't say I was a major player like Gabby Agbonlahor or right now with Jack Grealish. I was only there for a bit and I wouldn't have been the main player. When I started playing against them they would boo me, so I would think 'Oh right this is a bit weird'. Obviously me not liking them anyway from growing up as a kid it stays with you until you die really."
Now 30 - "I look younger now I've got rid of the beard" - he is still an adopted Brummie, still takes great delight from winding up Blues and still supports Villa.
Oh and he can still thread a football between two trees from 50 yards too - and trap one dropped from the top of a block of flats.


birminghammail--2020-11-07--Police hunt man and woman after electric bike stolen

Police have released a CCTV image of two people they want to speak to following a theft in Wolverhampton .
An electric bike was stolen after a shed in Glengarry Gardens was raided .
It happened in the Compton area of the city during the night of October 9 .
The black and white image shows a man and woman in what appears to be a vehicle repairs store .
Both are wearing face masks and dark-coloured clothing .
The man is wearing a distinctive silver cross necklace and the woman has her hair pulled back with a pair of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Witnesses and anyone who may recognise the pair have been asked to come forward to assist with the investigation .
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said : `` We want to speak to them after an electric bike was stolen from a shed in Glengarry Gardens in Compton , Wolverhampton overnight on Friday , October 9 .
The Black Country Bugle Annual 2021 is going on sale from October 26 , right up until March 2021 .
It provides a colourful and memorable look back at all aspects of Black Country life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buildings , from the sports and pastimes that united the community to the firms and workplaces that provided jobs for thousands .
It ’ s all here in compelling stories and features and fascinating , rare photographs .
`` Anyone with information can contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101 .
`` To tell us what you know , not who you are , call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 .
Please quote crime number 20WV/248697Z/20 . ''

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Police have released a CCTV image of two people they want to speak to following a theft in Wolverhampton.
An electric bike was stolen after a shed in Glengarry Gardens was raided.
It happened in the Compton area of the city during the night of October 9.
The black and white image shows a man and woman in what appears to be a vehicle repairs store.
Both are wearing face masks and dark-coloured clothing.
The man is wearing a distinctive silver cross necklace and the woman has her hair pulled back with a pair of glassed on top of her head.
Witnesses and anyone who may recognise the pair have been asked to come forward to assist with the investigation.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "We want to speak to them after an electric bike was stolen from a shed in Glengarry Gardens in Compton, Wolverhampton overnight on Friday, October 9.
Black Country Bugle Annual 2021 The Black Country Bugle Annual 2021 is going on sale from October 26, right up until March 2021. It provides a colourful and memorable look back at all aspects of Black Country life, from much-loved characters to much-missed iconic buildings, from the sports and pastimes that united the community to the firms and workplaces that provided jobs for thousands. It’s all here in compelling stories and features and fascinating, rare photographs. The Black Country Bugle Annual 2021 Get your copy here.
"Anyone with information can contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101.
"To tell us what you know, not who you are, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Please quote crime number 20WV/248697Z/20."


birminghammail--2020-11-07--West Midlands Police announce major change due to coronavirus

Police are increasing patrols in Birmingham city centre to enforce new Covid restrictions which came into force on Thursday .
West Midlands Police issued a statement saying they were working with businesses to keep people safe .
However , they warned there would be fewer staff in their call centres than usual as more workers would now be working from home .
The statement said : `` Today we 're out patrolling in Birmingham , disrupting criminal activity and enforcing Covid-19 regulations .
`` We ’ re working hard together with businesses and partners to keep you safe .
‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ We ’ re here to help you .
Should you need us please call 101 , live chat on our website or in an emergency call 999 .
`` We don ’ t underestimate the impact the previous lockdown had on you .
We thank you for your efforts in helping keep each other safe .
Together we were able to reduce the spread of the virus , prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed and save lives .
`` With the announcement of a second lockdown we want to reassure you that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime , protect the public and help those in need .
`` However , to minimise the spread of the virus and protect our own staff means at times we may have fewer team members in our contact centres .
`` Our staff are helping out as much as they can from home , however it may take a little longer to get in touch , especially if you try to call us . ''
They force said people could help by keeping the phone lines free so they can prioritise 999 emergencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They said many of the calls they receive can be resolved online by going to west-midlands.police.uk If you do need to call police in a non emergency ring 101 .

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Police are increasing patrols in Birmingham city centre to enforce new Covid restrictions which came into force on Thursday.
West Midlands Police issued a statement saying they were working with businesses to keep people safe.
However, they warned there would be fewer staff in their call centres than usual as more workers would now be working from home.
The statement said: "Today we're out patrolling in Birmingham, disrupting criminal activity and enforcing Covid-19 regulations.
"We’re working hard together with businesses and partners to keep you safe. ‘Together we’ve got security covered.’ We’re here to help you. Should you need us please call 101, live chat on our website or in an emergency call 999.
"We don’t underestimate the impact the previous lockdown had on you. We thank you for your efforts in helping keep each other safe. Together we were able to reduce the spread of the virus, prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed and save lives.
"With the announcement of a second lockdown we want to reassure you that we’re still here to prevent crime, protect the public and help those in need.
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"However, to minimise the spread of the virus and protect our own staff means at times we may have fewer team members in our contact centres.
"Our staff are helping out as much as they can from home, however it may take a little longer to get in touch, especially if you try to call us."
They force said people could help by keeping the phone lines free so they can prioritise 999 emergencies and help those most in need.
They said many of the calls they receive can be resolved online by going to west-midlands.police.uk
If you do need to call police in a non emergency ring 101.


birminghammail--2020-11-07--Four ways how Covid-19 spreads differently to the flu making it deadly

Coronavirus cases have been spiking recently and the country is in the midst of another lockdown .
However , as the winter approaches , there will be many people who may be confused what the actual difference is between Covid-19 and the flu .
We all hear constantly about coronavirus and how it 's so deadly - but what actually makes it difference and what about those who foolishly claim `` it 's no worse than the flu '' ?
Dr Justin Varney , director of public health for Birmingham , told BirminghamLive the difference .
Speaking on a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It definitely is n't flu .
It is a different type of organism .
`` If you look at it under a microscope , it just looks totally different .
`` But it also behaves differently .
Flu is a respiratory illness and predominantly , people get very sick because when you get severe flu you have problems breathing and you can get fluid on the lungs , and we call that pneumonia .
`` Coronavirus does do that but it also does other things .
It seems to interrupt people 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood clots .
`` It also gives people a high fever , and flu does n't necessarily do that . ''
Here are an addition four ways Covid-19 differs from seasonal flu , with some help from the Mirror .
Scientists have not yet seen any human immunity to Covid-19 We do not yet have a vaccine for Covid-19 while each year the NHS offers a new flu jab which fights the latest seasonal strain .
Scientists say Covid spreads more than seasonal flu - and our lack of immunity is a major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marr , who lectures on civil and environmental engineering at US university Virginia Tech , warns a lack of Covid-19 immunity in populations leads to so-called 'supers-spreader ' events .
Prof Marr explained to Huffington Post how more people in any given room are more likely to catch the coronavirus than they are the flu and this is not down the nature of the virus itself but rather to the lack of immunity in the population .
So , as we already know , the race to find a vaccine for Covid-19 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight this virus in the here and now - and in years to come , as we do with seasonal flu .
Some people who carry Covid-19 are 'asymptomatic ' and do not display any symptoms Covid-19 and the flu share several symptoms , with a high temperature and a cough among those .
Both could see you experience a dry cough and with Covid the cough would be persistent .
While people with the flu often experience headaches and a loss of appetite .
But scientists discovered early on in the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 without showing any symptoms .
And this is another reason the coronavirus spreads more widely and more rapidly than seasonal flu .
If someone has no idea they have the virus - because there is no sign of any symptoms - then they will not self-isolate or avoid people , meaning they will be unwittingly spreading it .
Some scientists have even suggested that around 40 per cent to 50 per cent of people who catch Covid-19 are asymptomatic .
There are some cases of flu where people have shown no symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 'incubation period ' for Covid-19 is longer .
Prof Marr explained how the incubation period - the time between exposure to a virus and showing symptoms , or not - is up to 14 days with Covid , while people with flu tend to show symptoms withing three days .
This means the window for spreading flu to others and/or doing so unwittingly is much shorter .
Flu 's 'viral load ' - the quantity of a virus in body fluid - does not tend to begin until symptoms are visible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to a fortnight .
Prof Marr outlined how someone who has caught seasonal flu will on average spread it to 1.3 other people .
But with the coronavirus , this viral spread is almost double - to 2.5 people .
One example of a super-spreader event was in the White House Rose Garden , when top US scientist , Dr Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , revealed at least 11 people caught the bug .
Donald Trump 's team famously neglected to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House event we saw how Covid-19 can spread to more than 10 people at one event .
Dr Fauci said at the time : `` We had a super spreader event in the White House , and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks . ''
And Prof Marr backs this up , highlighting how successful social distancing and proper use of face coverings makes it harder for Covid to spread at a rate of 2.5 .
Covid transmission is different in kids compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ King 's College London found children display different Covid symptoms compared to adults , backing up other studies suggesting transmission of the virus is different for kids and grown-ups .
And the World Health Organisation has previously said `` children are important drivers of influenza virus transmission in the community . ''
It added : `` For Covid-19 virus , initial data indicates that children are less affected than adults and that clinical attack rates in the 0-19 age group are low .
`` Further preliminary data from household transmission studies in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than vice versa . ''
The WHO also reminded that , when it comes to seasonal flu , children are known to be more at risk of developing severe infections .
Children under the age of 6 months are at the highest risk of severe complications from the flu due to their immune systems being less developed and more fragile , and the fact they are too young to be given the flu jab .
Pregnant women , the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions are also more at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Covid .
But for kids at least , with the coronavirus , it seems the kids are alright , as the main risk is seen in the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions .
The WHO added : `` For Covid-19 , our current understanding is that older age and underlying conditions increase the risk for severe infection . ''

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Joseph Wilkes, Chris  Harper)

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Coronavirus cases have been spiking recently and the country is in the midst of another lockdown.
However, as the winter approaches, there will be many people who may be confused what the actual difference is between Covid-19 and the flu.
We all hear constantly about coronavirus and how it's so deadly - but what actually makes it difference and what about those who foolishly claim "it's no worse than the flu"?
Dr Justin Varney, director of public health for Birmingham, told BirminghamLive the difference. Speaking on a special Facebook Live broadcast, he said: "It definitely isn't flu. It is a different type of organism.
"If you look at it under a microscope, it just looks totally different.
"But it also behaves differently. Flu is a respiratory illness and predominantly, people get very sick because when you get severe flu you have problems breathing and you can get fluid on the lungs, and we call that pneumonia.
"Coronavirus does do that but it also does other things. It seems to interrupt people's clotting, so they end up with blood clots.
"It also gives people a high fever, and flu doesn't necessarily do that."
Here are an addition four ways Covid-19 differs from seasonal flu, with some help from the Mirror.
Scientists have not yet seen any human immunity to Covid-19
We do not yet have a vaccine for Covid-19 while each year the NHS offers a new flu jab which fights the latest seasonal strain.
Scientists say Covid spreads more than seasonal flu - and our lack of immunity is a major factor.
Airborne viruses expert Professor Linsey Marr, who lectures on civil and environmental engineering at US university Virginia Tech, warns a lack of Covid-19 immunity in populations leads to so-called 'supers-spreader' events.
Prof Marr explained to Huffington Post how more people in any given room are more likely to catch the coronavirus than they are the flu and this is not down the nature of the virus itself but rather to the lack of immunity in the population.
So, as we already know, the race to find a vaccine for Covid-19 is or vital importance if we are to fight this virus in the here and now - and in years to come, as we do with seasonal flu.
Some people who carry Covid-19 are 'asymptomatic' and do not display any symptoms
(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
Covid-19 and the flu share several symptoms, with a high temperature and a cough among those.
Both could see you experience a dry cough and with Covid the cough would be persistent.
While people with the flu often experience headaches and a loss of appetite.
But scientists discovered early on in the pandemic that some people can catch and carry Covid-19 without showing any symptoms.
And this is another reason the coronavirus spreads more widely and more rapidly than seasonal flu.
If someone has no idea they have the virus - because there is no sign of any symptoms - then they will not self-isolate or avoid people, meaning they will be unwittingly spreading it.
Some scientists have even suggested that around 40 per cent to 50 per cent of people who catch Covid-19 are asymptomatic.
There are some cases of flu where people have shown no symptoms, but a key difference is that the 'incubation period' for Covid-19 is longer.
Prof Marr explained how the incubation period - the time between exposure to a virus and showing symptoms, or not - is up to 14 days with Covid, while people with flu tend to show symptoms withing three days.
This means the window for spreading flu to others and/or doing so unwittingly is much shorter.
Flu's 'viral load' - the quantity of a virus in body fluid - does not tend to begin until symptoms are visible.
But with Covid-19, this could take up to a fortnight.
Higher viral spread
(Image: Peter Harbour - Yorkshire Live)
Prof Marr outlined how someone who has caught seasonal flu will on average spread it to 1.3 other people.
But with the coronavirus, this viral spread is almost double - to 2.5 people.
One example of a super-spreader event was in the White House Rose Garden, when top US scientist, Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed at least 11 people caught the bug.
Donald Trump's team famously neglected to wear masks during the pandemic and at the September White House event we saw how Covid-19 can spread to more than 10 people at one event.
Dr Fauci said at the time: "We had a super spreader event in the White House, and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks."
And Prof Marr backs this up, highlighting how successful social distancing and proper use of face coverings makes it harder for Covid to spread at a rate of 2.5.
Covid transmission is different in kids compared to adults
(Image: Getty Images)
Top boffins at Britain's King's College London found children display different Covid symptoms compared to adults, backing up other studies suggesting transmission of the virus is different for kids and grown-ups.
And the World Health Organisation has previously said "children are important drivers of influenza virus transmission in the community."
It added: "For Covid-19 virus, initial data indicates that children are less affected than adults and that clinical attack rates in the 0-19 age group are low.
"Further preliminary data from household transmission studies in China suggest that children are infected from adults, rather than vice versa."
The WHO also reminded that, when it comes to seasonal flu, children are known to be more at risk of developing severe infections.
Children under the age of 6 months are at the highest risk of severe complications from the flu due to their immune systems being less developed and more fragile, and the fact they are too young to be given the flu jab.
Pregnant women, the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions are also more at risk from the flu - as they are with Covid.
But for kids at least, with the coronavirus, it seems the kids are alright, as the main risk is seen in the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.
The WHO added: "For Covid-19, our current understanding is that older age and underlying conditions increase the risk for severe infection."


birminghammail--2020-11-07--Michael Owen's expected result for Arsenal vs Aston Villa

Former Premier League striker Michael Owen has predicted Arsenal to come out as ‘ comfortable ’ winners against Aston Villa when the two sides meet in the Premier League on Sunday evening .
Villa go into the game looking to put a run of two straight defeats behind them and get back to winning ways .
Dean Smith ’ s men started the season in scintillating form , winning all of their opening four Premier League matches , including impressive victories over Liverpool and Leicester .
But defeats against Leeds United and Southampton have dented the form ahead of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting in eighth place in the table , one position above Arsenal .
Mikel Arteta ’ s side came away from Old Trafford with all three points last week and picked up a 4-1 Europa League win against Molde on Thursday night .
And Owen thinks that the Gunners will have too much for Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday .
“ Arsenal claimed an excellent victory at Old Trafford last week .
Mikel Arteta set his stall out perfectly , and the Gunners will be hoping to carry that momentum into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Despite mounting a late comeback , Villa suffered defeat against Southampton last week , making it back-to-back losses for Dean Smith ’ s side .
In our daily Aston Villa bulletin , we 'll be bringing you the latest breaking news , transfer features and comment pieces , as well as the key talking points for fans .
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It is always up-to-date with the latest news from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and App Store “ This will be another tough one for Villa , and I expect Arsenal to have their tails up .
I fancy the good vibes to continue for the home side with a comfortable win against the Villains.
” The last meeting between the two sides saw Villa come out as 1-0 winners at the end of last season , thanks to Trexeguet ’ s first-half goal , it was a result that many Villa fans say was key in their Premier League survival at the end of the campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a repeat of that on Sunday , in the hope of proving Owen wrong and getting back to winning ways .

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Former Premier League striker Michael Owen has predicted Arsenal to come out as ‘comfortable’ winners against Aston Villa when the two sides meet in the Premier League on Sunday evening.
Villa go into the game looking to put a run of two straight defeats behind them and get back to winning ways.
Dean Smith ’s men started the season in scintillating form, winning all of their opening four Premier League matches, including impressive victories over Liverpool and Leicester.
But defeats against Leeds United and Southampton have dented the form ahead of the match vs Arsenal, with Villa currently sitting in eighth place in the table, one position above Arsenal.
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Mikel Arteta’s side came away from Old Trafford with all three points last week and picked up a 4-1 Europa League win against Molde on Thursday night.
And Owen thinks that the Gunners will have too much for Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
“Arsenal claimed an excellent victory at Old Trafford last week. Mikel Arteta set his stall out perfectly, and the Gunners will be hoping to carry that momentum into this one,” he told BetVictor .
“Despite mounting a late comeback, Villa suffered defeat against Southampton last week, making it back-to-back losses for Dean Smith’s side.
Aston Villa daily newsletter. Free. To your inbox In our daily Aston Villa bulletin, we'll be bringing you the latest breaking news, transfer features and comment pieces, as well as the key talking points for fans. How do you sign up? It's easy and only takes seconds. Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit sign up. And that's it, you're all set. You can also sign up here. If you decide later that you no longer wish to receive the emails, simply follow the unsubscribe link in one of the newsletters - but we don't think you'll want to. And what's more, it's absolutely free! You can also get all the latest updates by following us on social media here Facebook and Twitter. We also have a free app which you can download. It is always up-to-date with the latest news from across the region. Google Play Store and App Store
“This will be another tough one for Villa, and I expect Arsenal to have their tails up. I fancy the good vibes to continue for the home side with a comfortable win against the Villains.”
The last meeting between the two sides saw Villa come out as 1-0 winners at the end of last season, thanks to Trexeguet’s first-half goal, it was a result that many Villa fans say was key in their Premier League survival at the end of the campaign.
Villa players will be looking for a repeat of that on Sunday, in the hope of proving Owen wrong and getting back to winning ways.