It has been a challenging start to the season for Aston Villa. Although some of the in-match circumstances went against the regular run of play for the Villans, there also has to be a concession that the side has often not helped out their own situation during the games themselves.
Part of the challenge, of course, will have to do with the other aspects of the club that do not directly have anything to do with the activities on the pitch.
While the rest of the Premier League has been able to add to their rosters, seemingly without the same concern of repercussions, Villa have faced the weight of being under the intense scrutiny from the sport's governing bodies. It is the sort of thing that is beyond the control of those in the dressing room but is something that can be felt. The impact and uneven nature of how EPL clubs compete in the same flight is something that is obvious and on purpose, making it that much more pronounced in terms of mental impact on clubs that are not blessed enough to have the distinction of being in the 'big six.'
Plenty of quality at Aston Villa
Even so, the same corps that did enjoy a fair amount of success last season has found it difficult thus far in the 2025-2026 campaign. Take the latest England roster, for example. Three Villans in Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, and Morgan Rogers received a call-up. Matty Cash just scored a beauty for Poland, and Youri Tielemans captained his Belgium side to a dominant victory.
That is to say that the quality was there, even before the late additions that occurred just before the deadline. Now the challenge will be to incorporate the new players into the team while also trying to find a way to have those already at the club playing at the level that Villa fans know this side is capable of. Unai Emery has a fairly difficult task on his hands. There is not, however, anyone else better suited for this challenging endeavor.