Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Unai Emery saw Aston Villa take a “very important step forward” as they set their slow start to the Premier League season aside in an opening Champions League win.
After an eventful transfer window that saw a number of Villa’s Europa League-winning stars depart, they are winless after three league matches, failing to score a goal in defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Arsenal, or their draw with Hull City.
A positive result was required away at Club Brugge on Tuesday to lift the mood, and Emery’s men delivered with a 3-2 success.
Captain John McGinn steered in an opener, and Emiliano Buendia quickly put Villa back in front after a Hugo Vetlesen equaliser.
Nicolas Jackson’s first Villa goal added to their lead, and although Nicolo Tresoldi set up a nervy finish from the penalty spot, Emery was delighted with the manner in which his side dealt with that scare.
“The hard work is even when we are not winning,” he said. “I am so, so happy today and thankful because we know how we are in the way with the responsibility we and I have.
“The players have a responsibility, too, the older players need to guide to keep our standard high, to show everybody that this is the only way to achieve our targets. We are improving after Brighton and after Hull City.
“Today was another step forward. We must work hard – it is the only way. This is the process that we must try to set. Today we did one very important step forward, being resilient when we were struggling.
“The subs impacted the game well and we regained control of the game. Brugge are strong and confident here. We did a very complete match, competing in 90 minutes.”
Villa’s 18th win from 28 Champions League or European Cup matches gives them the best winning rate (64.3%) of any team to play 10 or more times, but a number of those in action had not been involved in the club’s prior successes, making this one particularly important.
— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) September 8, 2026
“It’s a new Villa and it was a big test for the new players to dig in,” said McGinn.
“It was Joao Gomes’ and George Hemmings’ first Champions League games. It’s not easy to go away at a place like this in difficult weather conditions.
Club Brugge were pushing and pushing and pushing, and we had to stand strong. We managed to do that.”
McGinn is not one of those new faces. His goal was his 12th in major European competitions for Villa, making him the club’s leading continental scorer.
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