Aston Villa: Goalless and winless, Unai Emery’s side must meet greater expectations

Emery replaced Steven Gerrard in November 2022 with the club 14th in the Premier League, before taking them to the Europa Conference League semi-finals in 2024 and then the Champions League, reaching the last eight last season.

This season they have lacked the intensity and urgency which has been synonymous with the side under the Spaniard. Laborious and uninspired, it has been the opposite of what to expect under the former Sevilla, Paris St-Germain, Arsenal and Villarreal boss.

Yet Villa players still found the goal during the international break – Youri Tielemans scored twice for Belgium, Matty Cash netted for Poland, while Ezri Konsa got his first England goal in their 5-0 win in Serbia.

Villa also started the season weaker after Marco Asensio – who scored eight goals in a successful loan from PSG in the second half of last season – did not return.

The forward joined Fenerbahce earlier this month, while the club also opted not to turn Marcus Rashford’s loan from Manchester United into a permanent £40m move.

Villa sold midfielder Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle for £40m, leaving them depleted in attack until the deadline day loan arrivals of Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott.

Against the Magpies on the opening day, they had an XG from open play of 0.08 and made just 40 successful passes in the final third.

While those stats were marginally better against Everton – 0.24 and 0.75 – there clearly needs to be a stark improvement.

Villa visit Brentford in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday – having already lost 1-0 there in the league – before travelling to Sunderland on Saturday. Another two blanks would push them into a mini crisis.

Replying to a fan on social media at the weekend Vidagany asked for patience. Emery’s trusted lieutenant was right to say they had made rapid gains in the last three years but with that comes the extra expectation.

He wrote: “My humble suggestion is to ask – understanding moods are not high – to help the boys with support and memory of what they did in three amazing years. Much better years than the previous 15, 20?

“If you don’t want to give them credit, I respect it. If someone wants to push us with negativity, it is OK, you also can do it. But it is useless.

“If you want to help, as you the fans are the real owners of the Villa and protectors of the club and we know you deserve more. But let me remind you that in football there are good times and not good times. And everyone can choose one way or another. I believe in Unai and my team.”

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