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Pressure grows after cup exit and winless start — but Unai Emery deserves time
Aston Villa’s miserable start to the 2025/26 campaign continued with a cup exit on penalties to Brentford last night, as they lost 4-2 in the shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
That results means Aston Villa are still searching for their first win of the season, but signs of improvements were at least they scored a goal. Their goalless start to the new Premier League season marks the first time in the club’s history they have failed to score in any of their opening four league matches. By the same stage last year, Villa had already found the net seven times.
The lack of goals is just one concern. Villa’s attacking play has lacked creativity and cutting edge, with the side generating fewer and lower-quality chances than they managed at this point last season. It is a downturn that has raised eyebrows, with some suggesting the goodwill towards Unai Emery will not last forever.
“Questions will be asked”
“Emery has a lot of credit in the bank at Aston Villa,” Brown told Football Insider. “But then the question is, how long do you give him? They’ve gone four games without a win and without a goal, so what happens if that’s five? Then six? Then seven?
“At some point, they’re going to have to make a decision about his future if things don’t improve. If you start the season and after four games you still haven’t won a game, there is always going to be pressure building on your job, whoever you are.
“Emery still has the support of the board at Villa because he’s been very successful there, they’ve built a good thing and he’s taken them to competing in Europe. But the problem is in football, that goodwill can only last so long until questions are being asked about why the team isn’t performing any more.”
Opinion: Emery still has credit in the bank
While frustration among fans is understandable, the prospect of Unai Emery losing his job remains slim at this stage. Villa’s preparations were disrupted by a difficult transfer window and off-field PSR complications, yet the club still managed to keep the core of their squad intact. Emiliano Martinez stayed put despite serious interest from Manchester United, while Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers also remain key figures.
Incomings such as Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho should add much-needed creativity once they settle in, while striker Evann Guessand — who hit 12 goals for Nice last term — has the potential to offer a new dimension in attack.
Most importantly, Emery has transformed Villa since his arrival, steering the club away from relegation battles and into Europe three seasons in a row. That track record buys him time, and he deserves the opportunity to turn things around. A win and a goal in the league would ease nerves quickly — and Sunderland away this weekend offers the perfect chance to reset.
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