Aston Villa’s difficult start to the Premier League season has left Unai Emery searching for answers, but recent history provides a compelling reason not to panic.
Villa have collected just one point from their opening four league matches, following defeats to Brighton, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest and a goalless draw at Hull City.
Saturday’s 2-1 Forest defeat continued Villa’s wait for a Premier League victory, although Alysson at least ended their league scoring drought. The Guardian reported how Igor Jesus’ late goal condemned Emery’s side to another defeat.
Remarkably, Villa were in a similarly uncomfortable position 12 months ago.
Aston Villa recovered from dreadful 2025/26 start
Emery’s side took only two points from their first four Premier League games last season and failed to score once.
Villa eventually went six league matches without victory before their campaign transformed.
They recovered all the way to fourth place, finishing with 65 points, while also winning the Europa League after beating Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul.
That turnaround does not guarantee history will repeat itself.
Villa’s squad has changed substantially, with their level of squad retention dropping sharply during the summer.
Nicolas Jackson, Leon Goretzka, Zion Suzuki, João Gomes and others are still adapting to Emery’s methods.
But there has already been evidence of what Villa can become.
Their 3-2 Champions League victory at Club Brugge demonstrated considerably more attacking fluency than their domestic performances.
Villa’s current position is concerning.
Last season proved, however, that a dreadful August and September do not have to define an Emery campaign.
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