No goals but Emery knows Villa's forwards need time

What the report says

Aston Villa’s slow start in the Premier League has put fresh attention on Unai Emery’s rebuild, with the BBC Sport report noting that the club have failed to score in their opening three league matches and have managed only one shot on target. The team now turns to Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Club Brugge, where Emery is hoping to kick-start a season that has already brought major changes to the squad.

The article says Villa have altered their attacking line significantly since last season’s Europa League triumph, with six of the starting XI from that final now gone. Record signing Nicolas Jackson has arrived as the direct replacement for Ollie Watkins, while Ibrahim Mbaye and Alejandro Garnacho are among the new faces expected to provide creativity and supply. Watkins’ move to Al-Hilal and Morgan Rogers’ big transfer to Chelsea left Villa needing to rebuild key parts of the front line.

BBC Sport says Emery is confident Jackson can adapt, but that the bigger challenge is blending several new players into a coherent unit. The report also highlights that young arrivals such as Mbaye and Garnacho, plus other options including Tammy Abraham and Brian Madjo, are being asked to contribute quickly. Emery said patience is needed because the squad is being rebuilt, while stressing the importance of focusing on each match rather than longer-term expectations.

The broader context is that Villa have previously started slowly under Emery before improving, so the current scoring drought does not necessarily define their season. Still, with Champions League football returning and a new attacking core still settling, the club’s immediate task is to turn potential into goals.