Four games into the 2026/26 Premier League season, and Aston Villa don’t have a goal to their name.
Two points, zero goals, 19th place… Unai, what’s going on?
While we’re only four games in, and they’re not doomed just yet, but this certainly is a harrowing start for the Villains.
After qualifying for a place in Europe for the third consecutive season, only missing out on a place in the UEFA Champions League on goal difference last season, Aston Villa have a mountain to climb if they want to remain on that stage.
Before Harvey Elliott’s EFL Cup goal against Brentford midweek, Aston Villa were the only team in England’s top seven divisions yet to score a goal in the 2025/26 campaign.
The season started with a goalless draw against Newcastle United at home.
It wasn’t a result to concern Villa fans, given they had been dropped down to ten men shortly after the hour mark.
A dominant but unsuccessful 1-0 defeat on the road against Brentford handed The Bees their only win of the season so far.
With 74% possession and 19 shots, Villa couldn’t find the back of the net.
Their shock 3-0 defeat at home against Crystal Palace further highlighted their misfortune, with the Villains comfortably dominating every metric, but failing to find the back of the net.
And now another goalless draw against Jack Grealish’s in form Everton, which saw Aston Villa preserve their cleansheet despite facing 20 shots from the hosts.
There is nothing in these performances that suggests Aston Villa are in any serious danger, and Unai Emery’s job is no doubt still safe.
But, their inability so far to find the back of the next is certainly cause for concern.
Villa become the fifth side in Premier League history not to score in the opening four league games, joining the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United, Swansea City, and Crystal Palace.
It’s been almost three years since Unai Emery took over from Steven Gerrard, with last year’s UCL quarter-final clash against PSG demonstrating the immense potential of his Aston Villa project.
Despite his transformation of the club, he has now guided them to their worst start to a league campaign since 1997/98.
Their transfer market performance did little to flex Unai’s ambition, with Jacob Ramsey’s departure leaving a void to fill in the Aston Villa midfield.
While they managed to hold onto Emi Martinez amidst interest from Manchester United, their new signings came from opposition benchwarmers and wantaways, and not the marquee players fans would expect from a club looking to once again contest for a Champions League place.
Harvey Elliott joined as a free transfer from Liverpool, while the polarising Jadon Sancho signed on loan after Manchester United did everything possible to rid him from their roster.
Victor Lindelof signed as a free agent, and Evann Guessand signed from OGC Nice after scoring 13 goals last season.
Their most recent result saw them knocked out of the EFL Cup in the Third Round by Brentford, who defeated them 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Gtech Community Stadium.
The result, while frustrating, saw them score their first goal of the 2025/26 season through Harvey Elliott.
While that doesn’t help their Premier League form, the Villains will look ahead to their weekend clash against newly promoted Sunderland as an important opportunity to win points and score goals.
But given Sunderland have hit the ground running with only one defeat in four games, Unai Emery will need to find answers before those ‘007’ jokes start getting too real.
Even with this string of results, Aston Villa have been dealt a number of tough, early blows.
They started their campaign with Andres Garcia and Ross Barkley ruled out through injury, before Emiliano Buendia was forced off injured in their 1-0 defeat against Brentford.
Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara both suffered hamstring injuries, ruling them out, too.
With a stable run of fixtures in the Premier League consisting of Sunderland, Fulham, and Burnley, it’s more important than ever for Villa to find their form before they face the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City, and Liverpool in consecutive games.
They will also commence their Europa League campaign next week, facing Bologna at home, before travelling to the Netherlands to face Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles in October.
The wheels haven’t fallen off yet.
Maybe they’ve commenced the season with a dead battery and a flat tyre, but there’s no reason to panic, and if they can get back on the road as soon as possible, there is plenty to salvage from this season.
But the longer it takes to jump-start their season, the more cars will pass them by, and their European hopes may quickly fade like a mirage on a long, straight road.