Emery’s Offensively Challenged Villa Reflects on Champions League Aspirations

Unai Emery showcased visible frustration as he surveyed Aston Villa’s continued struggles in the latest match, especially regarding their attack. The team’s inability to register any goals speaks volumes about their current form, marking a bleak milestone in their history.

A New Chapter in Misfortune

For the first time, Aston Villa has entered the history books for failing to score in the first four league matches of a season. Their latest encounter resulted in a dismal goalless draw against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium, a performance that rendered them second-best throughout the match.

Everton’s David Moyes orchestrated a more dominant display, leaving Emery contemplating the showings of his own squad. This particular match highlighted Villa’s reliance on goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, whose return to form was the only silver lining on an otherwise disappointing day.

A Missed Opportunity

The game was defined by Everton’s struggles in front of goal, particularly Beto, who squandered several chances, including failing to convert an easy opportunity early on and mis-hitting a subsequent chance later in the game. Aston Villa’s fate depended heavily on Martinez’s performance, especially when he thwarted Michael Keane’s header in the second half. The evening offered little for Villa’s supporters to cheer about, with only a deflected shot from Emiliano Buendia bringing any semblance of excitement.

A Disturbing Start

This season has been particularly concerning for Villa, a team that narrowly missed Champions League qualification at the end of the previous season. They commenced this campaign with high hopes, but thus far, they have produced a mere two points from four matches, all of which ended in draws — notably scoreless against both Newcastle United and Everton.

Villa now shares the unfortunate distinction of being one of only five teams in Premier League history to go without a goal in their opening four matches, joining the ranks of clubs like Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City. Furthermore, this marks the first instance since 2014-15 that Villa has not scored in five consecutive league outings.

Signs of Trouble for Emery

The situation looks bleak, as they currently find themselves at the bottom of the four divisions in England, yet to find the net this season, achieving their worst start to a Premier League campaign since 1997-98.

Emery’s side played with a lethargy and lack of intensity absent in their previous campaigns, a drastic deviation from their prior high-scoring successes. This time around, they managed only four significant chances throughout the first four fixtures of the season compared to a more prolific seven goals from the same number of games last year.

Despite his optimistic comments about the team’s competitiveness and Martinez’s impressive showing in goal, Emery acknowledges the pressing need for improvements in their offensive play. He pointed out that they must enhance their attacking tactics to better support their strikers and midfielders, admitting that the current performance levels are far from satisfactory.

A Dismal Performance

Villa started off with Ollie Watkins leading the line, yet he found himself struggling to make an impact and was substituted late in the match. The introduction of Harvey Elliott from Liverpool aimed to inject some life into the attack, but by that point, it was too late to salvage the game.

The evening ultimately belonged to Everton as they mounted pressure in pursuit of a victory. Villa managed to cling onto a point, yet this result further cements the idea that they are shadows of the side that made a strong push for Champions League football last season. With a challenging trip to Brentford in the Carabao Cup on the horizon, Emery faces urgent challenges to correct the course of his side’s faltering season.