Aston Villa are in desperate need of a positive performance and result against Sunderland this weekend
Our dedicated Aston Villa reporter is always on the pulse of all things claret and blue, from major talking points to transfer news to match action, John Townley will bring you the very latest from Bodymoor Heath and Villa Park.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery (Image: PA)
Aston Villa’s goalscoring woes have been the defining feature of their miserable start to the campaign.
Unai Emery’s side travel to Sunderland this weekend hoping to score their first league goals of the season and register their first win in all competitions.
After drawing 1-1 at Brentford on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup, Villa were eliminated from the competition on penalties, with John McGinn and Matty Cash both seeing their spot-kicks saved by Hákon Valdimarsson.
Goalless draws against Newcastle United and Everton bookended back-to-back defeats before the September international break, against Brentford and Crystal Palace.
Villa’s xG (expected goals) across those four matches stands at just 2.9 - only 0.3 better than the worst figure in the league, posted by Wolves.
Wolves have also faced Everton and Newcastle, but their season began with tougher fixtures: Manchester City at home and Bournemouth away.
Only once in their history have Villa endured a longer goalless run in the league - a six-game drought between December 2014 and February 2015.
They could now become just the third team in top-flight history to fail to score in any of their first five league games of a season, after Ipswich Town (1970–71) and Crystal Palace (2017–18).
What has gone under the radar, due to Villa’s attacking struggles, is that their underlying defensive numbers are equally concerning.
Only Burnley (9.2) have posted a worse xGA (expected goals against) than Villa, who have an xGA of around seven - suggesting they’ve been fortunate not to concede more.
In contrast, Villa have managed two clean sheets and only lost by a single goal at Brentford. The three goals they did concede came at Villa Park against Crystal Palace - a side that has now extended its remarkable record against Emery’s team to five wins and 19 goals scored in the last 16 months.
Villa's defensive and attacking performances both need significant improvement - and fast.
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