Aston Villa enter the international break with renewed momentum after their dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
Unai Emery’s side now have an extended pause before returning to domestic action against Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday 10 October.
That fixture begins a demanding run containing Premier League matches against Brentford, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Fulham, alongside two Champions League games.
The Premier League’s confirmed October broadcast schedule has now established the kick-off times and UK television details for Villa’s league fixtures through the end of the month.
Here is what awaits Emery when club football resumes.
Aston Villa Premier League fixtures after the international break
| Fixture | Date | Kick-off | Venue | UK TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aston Villa vs Brentford | Saturday 10 October | 15:00 BST | Villa Park | Not live in UK |
| Newcastle United vs Aston Villa | Saturday 17 October | 17:30 BST | St James’ Park | Sky Sports |
| Aston Villa vs Manchester City | Saturday 24 October | 12:30 BST | Villa Park | TNT Sports |
| Aston Villa vs Fulham | Saturday 31 October | 20:00 GMT | Villa Park | Sky Sports |
The schedule means Villa will play four Premier League matches in 22 days after returning from the international break.
European commitments make the period even more demanding.
Aston Villa vs Brentford starts the October restart
Villa return to action against Brentford at Villa Park on Saturday 10 October.
Kick-off is scheduled for 3pm BST.
Because the match falls inside the traditional Saturday afternoon blackout, it has not been selected for live domestic television coverage in the UK.
Emery will hope Villa can immediately build on the confidence generated by the Tottenham victory.
Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía scored as Villa secured their first Premier League win of the campaign in north London.
Our Tottenham 2-3 Aston Villa match report details how Emery’s side survived an early Spurs onslaught before becoming increasingly clinical.
The break could also improve Villa’s squad availability.
Pau Torres is recovering from a hamstring problem and Brentford represents the earliest possible date to monitor for his return.
Our latest Pau Torres injury update explains the defender’s current recovery window and the fixtures he could target.
Supporters can also follow every absentee through our regularly updated Aston Villa injury and suspension hub.
Fenerbahçe arrives before Newcastle trip
Villa will not have an uninterrupted week between Brentford and Newcastle.
Emery’s side host Fenerbahçe in the Champions League on Wednesday 14 October at 8pm.
The official Champions League schedule confirms that fixture is followed only three days later by the Premier League trip to Newcastle.
Villa visit St James’ Park on Saturday 17 October.
Kick-off is scheduled for 5.30pm BST and the game will be shown live on Sky Sports.
It represents another significant test of Villa’s away performances after the encouraging victory at Tottenham.
Emery will also have to consider rotation.
Managing minutes between Brentford, Fenerbahçe and Newcastle could become particularly important for players returning from injury or international duty.
Manchester City visit Villa Park after another European night
The schedule becomes even more congested the following week.
Villa host Viking in the Champions League on Wednesday 21 October before Manchester City visit Villa Park three days later.
The City fixture kicks off at 12.30pm BST on Saturday 24 October and will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.
That turnaround gives Emery limited preparation time between European and Premier League assignments.
Villa’s improved squad depth should help.
Recent performances have already demonstrated how different players can offer Emery different tactical solutions.
Matteo Ruggeri impressed while covering for Ian Maatsen against Tottenham, as examined in our analysis of Ruggeri’s growing importance.
Nicolas Jackson and Tammy Abraham have also both strengthened their cases for minutes at centre-forward.
Those selection battles will become increasingly important once Villa begin playing every three or four days.
Fulham completes demanding October league schedule
Villa finish their Premier League month at home to Fulham on Saturday 31 October.
The fixture has been moved to an 8pm GMT kick-off and will be shown live on Sky Sports.
That change is directly connected to Villa’s European schedule.
Emery’s side travel to face Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday 3 November, meaning the Fulham game now forms the beginning of another demanding sequence.
The four Premier League fixtures after the break therefore cannot be viewed in isolation.
Villa’s October schedule reads:
- Brentford at home
- Fenerbahçe at home
- Newcastle United away
- Viking at home
- Manchester City at home
- Fulham at home
That is six competitive matches between 10 and 31 October.
International break arrives at useful time for Aston Villa
The pause gives Emery an opportunity to work with the players remaining at Bodymoor Heath while several others join their national teams.
It also provides valuable rehabilitation time for an injury list that has included Torres, Ian Maatsen and Leon Goretzka.
Villa showed encouraging signs immediately before the break.
Their more direct tactical approach against Tottenham gave Emery another way of progressing the ball when opponents press aggressively.
The challenge now is carrying that improvement into a much more congested section of the calendar.
Brentford is the immediate target.
After that, the games arrive quickly.
By the end of October, Villa will have faced four Premier League opponents and two Champions League sides in the space of only three weeks.
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