Arsenal defeat highlights Emery's next Villa objective after defensive progress
01.09.26, 09:00 Updated 01.09.26, 01:12
Michael Plant
In many ways, Aston Villa’s much-publicised return to Villa Park proved slightly anticlimactic.
Supporters had waited 103 days to laud their Europa League-winning heroes back on home soil. Unfortunately, when the time finally came, fewer than half of the XI that started in Istanbul remained. In their place, fans may have readied themselves to welcome a new batch of claret-and-blue stars, yet only two of Villa’s abundant summer arrivals started Monday’s game against Arsenal.
After the capitulation at Brighton last week, this was billed as the game for Unai Emery’s new-look side to give a first real account of themselves. Yet even that didn’t transpire on a night where Villa neither impressed nor disappointed.
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Michael Plant Freelance reporter. Nearly a decade's experience in the media industry and a former Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool club correspondent. A Villa fan from birth, Michael was born in Birmingham but grew up in Belfast.