Aston Villa have entered the 2026-27 season facing an attacking problem that Unai Emery must solve quickly.
Three Premier League matches have passed without Villa scoring a single goal. After major changes to the squad during the summer transfer window, the club is trying to build a new attacking identity while also dealing with the pressure that comes with competing at the highest level domestically and in Europe.
Villa’s goalless draw against Hull City offered some signs of improvement, but it also highlighted the biggest issue facing Emery’s side: creating opportunities is only useful if those chances are converted.
With a new-look forward line led by Nicolas Jackson and several recent arrivals still adapting to Emery’s demanding tactical system, Villa may need patience. However, the schedule gives them little time to wait.
Aston Villa Still Searching for Their First Premier League Goal
Villa have failed to score in each of their opening three Premier League matches of the 2026-27 campaign.
Their attacking struggles have been particularly noticeable because they managed only one shot on target across those three games. That attempt came through young George Hemmings during the 0-0 draw at Hull City.
The performance against Hull was nevertheless more encouraging than Villa’s previous league outings.
Emery’s team created several opportunities and enjoyed periods in which their attacking structure looked more organised. The final action, however, remained a problem.
Villa recorded an expected-goals figure of 1.74 against Hull compared with Hull’s 0.58, yet neither team found the net.
That difference between chance creation and finishing is important. Villa’s problem is not necessarily that they are completely incapable of reaching dangerous positions. Instead, their new attacking unit has yet to consistently turn those moments into goals.
Emery acknowledged after the match that his team needed to become more clinical while expressing confidence in the direction of their overall performance.
Why Aston Villa’s Attack Looks So Different
The current problems cannot be separated from the scale of Villa’s summer rebuild.
Several players who had been central to Emery’s previous attacking system are no longer at Villa Park. That means the manager is effectively trying to construct a new forward line while maintaining the standards that turned Villa into regular European competitors.
The departure of Ollie Watkins was particularly significant.
Watkins had developed into one of Villa’s most important attacking players, providing goals, movement behind defensive lines and a reliable outlet in transition.
He finished his Aston Villa career with 91 Premier League goals before moving to Al-Hilal.
Morgan Rogers was another major departure after completing a move to Chelsea. His combination of physical power, ball carrying and creativity had become increasingly important to Villa’s attack.
Replacing individual talent is difficult enough. Replacing established relationships between players is an even greater challenge.
Emery must now build those connections again.
Nicolas Jackson Has a Major Role to Play
Nicolas Jackson was signed to become a central part of Villa’s new attacking structure.
The Senegal international arrived for a club-record £65 million and carries considerable responsibility as the player expected to help replace Watkins’ goals.
Jackson is already familiar with Emery.
The pair previously worked together at Villarreal, where Emery gave Jackson his senior debut. That existing relationship could prove valuable because Emery’s tactical approach places significant demands on his players.
Jackson later developed further at Chelsea, scoring 30 goals in 81 appearances for the London club.
His Premier League numbers showed his potential but also highlighted the areas in which he needs to improve.
During his first Premier League campaign, Jackson scored 14 goals and supplied five assists. The following season brought another 10 league goals.
His subsequent spell with Bayern Munich demonstrated that he can be efficient when placed in a functioning attacking system. Jackson scored eight goals in 1,004 minutes and recorded a conversion rate of 21.1%.
Villa will hope Emery can unlock that version of the striker.
Replacing Ollie Watkins Is About More Than Goals
Comparing Jackson directly with Watkins does not tell the entire story.
Watkins’ value to Aston Villa extended beyond his goal total.
His movement created space for teammates, while his ability to stretch defensive lines helped Villa move quickly from midfield into attack.
Jackson possesses many of the physical qualities required to perform a similar role, but he must establish relationships with players who are themselves adapting to a new team.
That is one reason Villa’s attacking transition could take time.
A striker can make the correct run, but the move fails if the midfielder does not recognise it. A winger can create space, but the opportunity disappears if the centre-forward attacks the wrong area.
Those details normally develop through repeated matches and training sessions.
Villa are currently trying to accelerate that process.
Morgan Rogers’ Creativity Must Also Be Replaced
Villa are not simply trying to replace Watkins.
The departure of Morgan Rogers has removed another major source of attacking production.
Watkins and Rogers combined for 46% of Aston Villa’s Premier League goals last season, illustrating how dependent the team had become on the pair.
Creativity has also been affected by the departures of players who contributed assists.
Rogers and Lucas Digne combined for 12 league assists last season, while Youri Tielemans added another four and Watkins contributed three.
Those numbers represent a substantial amount of attacking output that must now come from different players.
Villa therefore need more than a new goalscorer.
They need a new supply network.
Ibrahim Mbaye Could Become an Important Creative Weapon
One of Villa’s most intriguing summer additions is Ibrahim Mbaye.
The 18-year-old arrived from Paris Saint-Germain for £47 million and is regarded as a player with considerable long-term potential.
Despite his age, Mbaye already has experience inside an elite environment after developing at PSG.
He created four goals from 10 starts for the French champions last season and offers the kind of direct attacking qualities Villa require.
However, immediately expecting an 18-year-old to replace established Premier League creators would be unrealistic.
Mbaye must learn Emery’s tactical system while adjusting to English football.
His development could eventually provide Villa with a dangerous attacking option, but Emery will need to decide how quickly he can introduce the youngster without placing excessive responsibility on him.
Alejandro Garnacho Offers Another Route to Goal
Alejandro Garnacho is another player who could become increasingly important.
The Argentine winger joined Villa on loan from Chelsea and brings Premier League experience as well as the ability to attack defenders directly.
Garnacho produced four assists after creating six big chances for Chelsea last season, although he scored only once.
Those numbers suggest that his immediate contribution to Villa may come through chance creation rather than pure goalscoring.
His speed can stretch opponents and potentially create more room for Jackson in central areas.
The challenge is fitting Garnacho into Emery’s structure.
Emery expects his wide players to contribute to much more than attacking one-on-one situations. Positioning, defensive responsibilities, pressing triggers and movement without the ball are all important elements of his system.
That learning process helps explain why some new arrivals may require time before becoming automatic starters.
George Hemmings Has Created Competition
One of the interesting developments from Villa’s difficult start has been the involvement of George Hemmings.
The 19-year-old academy product entered the season with very limited Premier League experience but has already shown enough to earn Emery’s trust.
His shot against Hull represented Villa’s first effort on target of the league campaign.
Hemmings also created a promising opportunity for Emiliano Buendía during that match.
Emery has publicly praised the youngster’s ability and considers him capable of performing at Premier League level.
His emergence gives Villa another attacking option while also creating competition for more established players.
For a club going through a major squad transition, academy players can be particularly valuable because they already understand the culture and expectations surrounding the team.
Why Emery Is Asking for Patience
Emery’s tactical methods are detailed.
Players are expected to understand exactly where they should position themselves during different phases of a match, how Villa intend to build possession and what movements are required when opponents change shape.
That level of tactical preparation helped transform Villa after Emery took charge.
It can also make integrating a large group of new players complicated.
Villa added numerous players during the summer, meaning several members of the squad are simultaneously learning a new system.
Only goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and Jackson were among the new arrivals who started the Premier League draw against Hull.
Others are being introduced gradually.
That should not necessarily be interpreted as a lack of faith in the signings. Emery has previously demonstrated that he is willing to wait until players fully understand his requirements.
The difficulty is that Villa cannot allow their adaptation period to become an extended run of poor results.
Emery Sees Progress Despite the Lack of Goals
The Aston Villa manager has remained relatively positive despite the difficult opening.
Following the Hull draw, Emery emphasised that Villa had created enough opportunities to win but lacked efficiency in front of goal.
He was also encouraged by his team’s defensive organisation and their ability to limit Hull’s transition threat.
Villa secured their first clean sheet of the season in the process.
For Emery, establishing the correct structure appears to be the first stage. Improving the quality of the final action is the next.
That approach is understandable.
A team consistently creating high-quality opportunities is generally in a healthier position than one scoring occasionally from low-percentage chances while producing very little attacking threat overall.
Villa must now demonstrate that the Hull performance was the beginning of an improvement rather than an isolated positive.
Villa Have Experienced Slow Starts Before
There is another reason Emery may not be panicking.
Aston Villa also endured a difficult beginning to the previous campaign.
Last season, Villa needed five Premier League matches before scoring their first league goal. Their first victory in all competitions did not arrive until their seventh match.
The season ultimately ended very differently from how it started.
Villa produced a major turnaround and eventually won the Europa League in Istanbul, securing another opportunity to compete in the Champions League.
That experience provides evidence that a poor August or early September does not necessarily define an entire campaign.
However, there is one significant difference this time.
Emery is working with a substantially changed squad.
The previous group had years of shared experience inside his system. Many members of the current squad are still learning it.
Champions League Could Provide a Fresh Start
Villa’s attention now turns to Europe.
Their Champions League campaign begins away against Club Brugge, offering the team an immediate opportunity to change the mood surrounding their season.
European competition has played an important role in Villa’s development under Emery, and the manager has extensive experience on the continental stage.
A goal or victory in Bruges could provide a significant confidence boost.
It will not solve every tactical problem immediately, but confidence can be particularly important for attacking players.
Strikers experiencing a goal drought can begin overthinking opportunities that would normally be finished instinctively.
One successful moment can change that.
For Jackson and Villa’s other forwards, the Champions League opener therefore represents more than another fixture.
It is an opportunity to begin building the attacking chemistry the team desperately needs.
What Aston Villa Must Improve
The most obvious requirement is finishing.
Villa cannot continue producing matches in which promising opportunities fail to become goals.
But the solution involves more than Jackson.
The supporting players must consistently provide him with quality service.
Villa need greater penetration from wide areas, quicker combinations around the penalty area and more players arriving in goalscoring positions.
Set pieces could also become increasingly important while the open-play attack develops.
A team undergoing a tactical transition does not always produce fluid football immediately. Goals from corners, free-kicks or second balls can provide crucial points while attacking relationships improve.
Villa also need midfielders to contribute.
If opponents believe stopping Jackson is enough to neutralise Villa, they can focus additional defensive attention on the striker.
Goals arriving from several areas would make Emery’s team much harder to predict.
Is There Reason for Aston Villa Fans to Worry?
Three Premier League games without a goal is unquestionably concerning.
Villa have ambitions that extend far beyond simply competing in the division. A club targeting European qualification cannot afford extended periods without scoring.
But context matters.
The team has undergone one of its most significant squad transformations of the Emery era.
Key players have departed and their replacements are still adapting.
The Hull performance provided at least some evidence that the underlying attacking numbers can improve. Villa created opportunities and produced an xG figure significantly higher than their opponent.
The challenge now is turning encouraging signs into measurable results.
Nicolas Jackson Could Define Villa’s Rebuild
Much of the attention will inevitably remain on Jackson.
A club-record transfer fee creates expectations, particularly when the player has been signed to replace one of the most productive forwards in the club’s recent history.
But Villa’s success cannot depend entirely on him.
Jackson needs Mbaye, Garnacho, Hemmings, Buendía and Villa’s midfielders to create the conditions in which he can succeed.
Similarly, those players need Jackson’s movement to create space and give them a reliable target.
If those relationships develop, Villa could eventually possess a more varied attack than their early-season performances suggest.
If they do not, replacing Watkins and Rogers could become one of the defining challenges of Villa’s campaign.
