Aston Villa, Roma stunned in Europa League, Nottingham Forest wins under new coach Sean Dyche

Sean Dyche achieved in his first game what predecessor Ange Postecoglou couldn't in eight matches in charge: a victory.

Under its new coach, Nottingham Forest presented a concentrated display resulting in a 2-0 victory over Porto in the Europa League on Thursday.

It was the first victory for Nottingham in the competition and only the second overall this season, while Porto was defeated for the first time this term.

Morgan Gibbs-White converted from the penalty spot in the 19th minute at the City Ground. Igor Jesus doubled the advantage from another penalty in the 77th.

Former Burnley and Everton manager Dyche replaced Postecoglou, who was fired in ruthless fashion on Saturday around 20 minutes after Forest’s 3-0 home loss to Chelsea that left the team in the Premier League relegation zone.

Postecoglou had been in the job for only 39 days and didn’t win any of his eight matches in charge.

Czech team Viktoria Plzeň scored twice through Prince Kwabena Adu and Cheick Souaré within two minutes in the first half to stun Roma 2-1 at Stadio Olimpico.

Paulo Dybala reduced the deficit from the spot early in the second half.

Elsewhere, Braga. Lyon and Midtjylland maintained their 100% records.

Kerem Aktürkoğlu converted from the spot for Fenerbahce in a 1-0 win over Stuttgart.

Early goals three minutes apart from Jens Odgaard and Thijs Dallinga put Bologna en route to a 2-1 victory over FCSB in Bucharest.

Lille was handed a 4-3 home defeat by 10-man PAOK.

The kickoff of Feyenoord’s home game with Panathinaikos was twice changed because of a storm forecast before the Dutch hosts prevailed 3-1.

Mats Deijl’s second-half goal for European newcomer Go Ahead Eagles completed a 2-1 comeback victory over Aston Villa 2-1.

It was the first defeat for the Premier League club after two wins in Europe’s second-tier competition. The Dutch team recorded its second victory.

Deijl controlled the ball with his chest before firing a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez on the hour mark in the Dutch city of Deventer.

Evann Guessand struck early from inside the penalty area off Jadon Sancho’s cross to put Villa ahead in the fourth minute. It was the Ivory Coast forward's first goal for his new club.

Mathis Suray equalized three minutes before interval with a lob — scoring the historic first goal in the Europa League for the hosts.

Villa's Emi Buendía wasted a chance to equalize from the spot 11 minutes before the end, sending the penalty over the crossbar.

The loss ended Villa’s five-game winning streak in all competitions.

Fran Navarro and substitute Mario Dorgeles scored one each for Braga to beat Red Star Belgrade 2-0 for the third win from three for the Portuguese team.

Corentin Tolisso netted from close range in the third minute and substitute Afonso Moreira scored in the final minute in Lyon’s 2-0 home win over Basel.

Danish club Midtjylland took home three points from neutral site Bačka Topola, Serbia with a 3-0 win over Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv on two goals from Franculino Djú and another one from Philip Billing.

Emil Kornvig scored five minutes before the break and Norway’s Brann topped struggling Rangers 3-0.

Jacob Sørensen headed in the second in the 55th as the Scottish team didn't look capable of finding an answer to the aggressive play of the hosts. Noah Holm finished them off 11 minutes from time.

Rangers hired former Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl as its new coach on Monday to replace the fired Russell Martin.

Rangers are without a point in Europe. It was the second victory for Brann.

Rangers arch rivals Celtic came from a goal down to edge 10-man Sturm Graz 2-1. Liam Scales canceled out the opening goal by Tomi Horvat before Benjamin Nygren headed in the winner at Celtic Park. Minutes after the goal, Graz midfielder Tochi Chukwuani received a red card.

In the third-tier Conference League, Crystal Palace was stunned 1-0 by AEK Larnaca in London.

A game between Rijeka and Sparta Prague was suspended due to heavy rain after 12 minutes in Croatia. Play resumed after two hours but was abandoned after the first half and postponed until Friday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Celtic's Liam Scales, right, celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the UEFA Europa League soccer match between Celtic Glasgow and Sturm Graz, in Glasgow, Scotland, Thursday Oct. 23, 2025. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)

Roma's Paulo Dybala retrieves the ball after scores his side's only goal, from the penalty spot, during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between AS Roma and Viktoria Plzen in Rome, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Nottingham Forest's Igor Jesus scores their side's second goal of the game from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa League match between Nottingham Forest and Porto, in Nottingham, England, Thursday Oct. 23, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Braga's Fran Navarro after scoring the opening goal during the Europa League opening phase soccer match between SC Braga and Red Star Belgrade in Braga, Portugal, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis Vieira)

Lyon's Afonso Moreira scores the second goal against Basel during the Europa League phase soccer match between Lyon and Basel in Decines-Charpieu outside Lyon, France, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

From left: Brann's Eggert Gudmundsson, Eivind Helland, Emil Kornvig, Mathias Dyngeland, and Markus Haaland celebrate after their victory in the Europa League soccer match between SK Brann and Rangers in Bergen, Norway, Thursday Oct. 23, 2025. (Paul S. Amundsen/NTB via AP)

Go Ahead Eagles' Milan Smit, left, and Joris Kramer celebrate after the Europa League soccer match between Go Ahead Eagles and Aston Villa in Deventer, Netherlands, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings pushes Go Ahead Eagles' Mats Deijl during the Europa League soccer match between Go Ahead Eagles and Aston Villa in Deventer, Netherlands, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

Roma's Wesley gestures at the end of a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Inter Milan, in Rome, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins during a training session at Aston Villa FC Training Ground, Birmingham, England, Wednesday Oct. 22, 2025. (Martin Rickett/PA via AP)

Sean Dyche is unveiled as Nottingham Forest manager at the City Ground, Nottingham, England, Wednesday Oct. 22, 2025. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Two of President Donald Trump’s closest confidants, a former British prime minister, an American general and a collection of top officials from Middle Eastern governments are at the forefront of the U.S. Gaza ceasefire plan.

The White House this week announced the members of a new Palestinian committee to run Gaza’s day to day affairs, along with an executive committee of international experts who will supervise these efforts. They include a high-powered group of people with strong connections across the region and varying degrees of leverage of Israel and Hamas.

The entire effort will be overseen by the “Board of Peace” — a collection of world leaders led by Trump whose other members still have not been named.

Still, this week’s appointments mark an important step forward for Trump’s ambitious ceasefire plan. The White House this week said the plan had entered its second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza, deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.

Here’s a closer look at the appointments of the executive committee:

Rubio is the U.S. secretary of state and national security adviser, putting him at the center of American foreign policy.

Witkoff has served as the White House Mideast envoy during Trump’s second term in office. A real estate developer and close friend of Trump, he was a key architect of the ceasefire plan, which took effect on Oct. 10.

Kushner is Trump’s son-in-law who has long been a key foreign policy adviser to Trump. Kushner was a driving force in the Abraham Accords, a series of diplomatic agreements between Israel and Arab countries during Trump’s first term. Kushner has returned to the White House as an important player in pushing forward the new ceasefire.

The British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, Blair has decades of experience in the Middle East. He took the United Kingdom into the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 despite strong public opposition. He later served as Middle East envoy for the “Quartet” of Mideast mediators — the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. The post began with great promise but struggled to deliver results in its quest to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Jeffers has been appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, an on-the-ground multinational force meant to enforce and guarantee the ceasefire. Jeffers previously served as head of the U.S. military’s special operations command and oversaw implementation of the 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Fidan has been the Turkish foreign minister since 2023 and is close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While Turkey has a strained relationship with Israel, it has good relations with Hamas and could play an important role in persuading the Islamic group to yield power and disarm.

Ali Al-Thawadi is a diplomat from Qatar, which has been a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the war.

Rashad is the director of Egypt’s intelligence agency. Egypt borders both Israel and Gaza and, like Qatar, has been a key mediator throughout the war.

Al-Hashimy is a Cabinet minister for the United Arab Emirates. The wealthy Gulf country has strong ties with Israel and is expected to play an important role in the reconstruction process of Gaza.

Banga is the president of the World Bank. Born in India, since moving to the U.S. in the early 2000s, Banga has held prestigious positions in the corporate world, including heading Mastercard and serving as director of Exor and Temasek, large holding companies.

Rowan is a co-founder, chief executive and chairman of Apollo Global Management, a U.S. asset-management firm. The billionaire businessman is also a philanthropist who has supported projects in Israel, the U.S. Jewish community and the University of Pennsylvania, where he and Trump both studied.

Kaag, the Netherlands’ former deputy prime minister, has served as the United Nations coordinator for humanitarian aid to Gaza since the war erupted in late 2023.

Gabriel served as a policy adviser on Trump’s first presidential campaign and currently is deputy national security adviser.

Gabay is an Israeli billionaire who is a major shareholder in Aroundtown SA, a global real estate group. He previously was chief executive of Israel’s largest bank, Leumi. Gabay’s presence gives Israel an unofficial representative on the executive board.

Mladenov, a Bulgarian politician and former U.N. envoy to the Middle East, will serve as the “high representative” for Gaza. He will act as the on-the-ground link between the Board of Peace and the Palestinian technocratic committee.

Shaath has been named as head of the new Palestinian committee administering Gaza’s daily affairs. Shaath, an engineer, is a Gaza native who previously served as deputy transportation minister for the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

FILE - Members of the committee monitoring the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, the Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Aroldo Lazaro Saenz of Spain, center, US Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, right, and Gen. Guillaume Ponchamp of France, left, meet with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)

FILE - Sigrid Kaag, United Nations senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, attends a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

FILE - President of the World Bank Ajay Banga attends the 1+10 Dialogue between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and with heads of major international economic organizations in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 25, 2017 file photo, the U.N. special envoy for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, attends a press conference at the (UNSCO) offices in Gaza City. (AP Photo/Adel Hana, File)

FILE - Egypt's intelligence chief Hassan Rashad attends his meeting with the Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)

FILE - The UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy arrives for the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting at Itamaraty Palace in Rio de Janeiro, Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado, File)

FILE - Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan answers questions from reporters during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra, File)

FILE - Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair walks through the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, file)

FILE - US envoy Steve Witkoff, left, and US businessman Jared Kushner attend a press conference after the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine during the 'Coalition of the Willing' summit on security guarantees for Ukraine, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Jan 6, 2026. (Ludovic Marin, Pool photo via AP, File)

FILE - Secretary of State Marco Rubio makes a statement to reporters while meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

FILE - A displacement camp sheltering Palestinians on a beach amid stormy weather is seen in Gaza City, Jan. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)