Is it a crisis? Probably not. But Aston Villa’s season has, putting it mildly, not started well. Their quest to become the 162nd and final of the teams in England’s top seven divisions to score in 2025-26 fell flat in a goalless draw against Everton. More worryingly for Unai Emery is that his team largely look devoid of ideas, lacking the zip and intensity that has brought them their recent relative success.
Everton’s one moment of real alarm was when Emi Buendía hit a second-half strike from just outside the area. It took a huge nick off of James Tarkowski and, with Jordan Pickford flailing, went wide. That was it.
Emery has plenty of credit banked given what he has built in the nearly three years since he was appointed and it is generally accepted that the financial regulations have made life exceedingly difficult for Villa. They are essentially Newcastle, but a year behind. And yet Emery still has questions to answer. Include May’s defeat at Manchester United and Villa have failed to score in five Premier League games.
As of Everton, well, unlike most services connecting London and Birmingham to the north-west, their hype-train has left the station well before time. Yes, they have improved dramatically under David Moyes. Yes, they are no longer dour to watch. But talk of European football is premature. They have made a decent start to this season, but that is all it is. They ought to have won here and did not. Then again, they ought to have lost in their first game in this new waterside residence against Brighton and won it.
