Who is afraid of Aston Villa?

Aston Villa are losing their way.

Just six months ago, Aston Villa stunned Europe by scoring three goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. They were explosive, confident and struck fear into their opponents.

Aston Villa goes downhill

But now, all the glory has faded. After the first four rounds of the 2025/26 Premier League, Villa have yet to score a single goal. Even more sadly, on September 13, Unai Emery and his team continued to get bogged down in a 0-0 draw against Everton - a team that is not a formidable force.

This is the first time in Aston Villa's history that they have gone through their opening four games without scoring a single goal. A sad record that clearly shows the decline of a team that flew high last season.

Unai Emery was forced to promise: “We will score again.” But for Villa fans, that statement seemed like a forced reassurance, because just a few months ago, goals came to them as easily as if they were a given.

In that gloomy picture, Emiliano Martinez is a rare bright spot. After a failed transfer to Manchester United, the Argentine goalkeeper returned and immediately proved his worth.

Against Everton, Martinez made a series of excellent saves: flying to block Michael Keane's header, using his foot to push the ball away from Jack Grealish's deflected shot, and especially making a great reflex to stop Beto's close-range chance. Without Martinez, Villa might have gone empty-handed.

In the stands, the fans chanted in unison: “Number 1 in the world ”. Coach Emery also had to admit: “The return of Emiliano is very good news. He had a great match. We need him”. But when the goalkeeper becomes the biggest hope, it is also a sign that the team is slipping.

Harvey Elliott has yet to show much for Aston Villa.

A club lost its way

Villa looked like a team without direction. Harvey Elliott was given the No. 9 shirt that had once belonged to Marcus Rashford, but was largely absent. Victor Lindelof was pushed into midfield, while Jadon Sancho – the hot new signing – sat on the bench for the entire match.

On the pitch, Villa's play lacked speed, ideas and especially connection. Ollie Watkins, the main striker, was almost "starved of the ball" throughout the match. Buendia, after more than a year of starting in the Premier League, missed a golden opportunity in front of an empty goal. The expected goals (xG) statistic of 0.31 showed that Villa were almost powerless to create scoring opportunities.

Without Rashford, Marco Asensio and Jhon Duran, Villa's attack no longer has individual breakthroughs. The midfield is more fragile after Tielemans' injury. Emery's constant rotation has made the squad lack cohesion, leading to disjointed and bland play. A team that once played high-energy football is now a shadow of its former self.

The 0-0 draw with Everton not only extended Aston Villa's scoreless streak to four games, but also exposed the full extent of their decline. A team that once struck fear into PSG has become a mediocre, lifeless team, reliant on their goalkeeper to hang on for every point.

Unai Emery may call it “a big point”, but it’s really just a temporary fix. With goals missing for four games, Villa have lost not just their confidence, but their identity.

If Emery does not quickly find a way out, the 2025/26 season could become the most painful fall in Aston Villa's modern history - from a team that once dreamed of conquering Europe, now falling to the bottom of disappointment.

Source: https://znews.vn/con-ai-so-aston-villa-post1585205.html