It is not so much what happens on the pitch which matters - though a win against Crystal Palace on Sunday would obviously be welcome - but what occurs off it which holds the key to kickstarting the season.
The air of negativity around a frustrating and uncertain summer, in which Villa have been severely restricted in the transfer window, has bled into the start of the campaign.
Rather than provide relief and distraction from PSR, SCR and all those other pesky acronyms, the start of the actual football has so far only served to heighten the gloom among supporters.
Just one point and no goals scored has been the return from two of the most insipid attacking performances of the Emery era.
Through 180 minutes, Villa have managed just five shots on target, with Caoimhim Kelleher’s first half stop from John McGinn in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Brentford the only serious exertion for either opposing goalkeeper.
For the first time since 2002, Villa have played their opening two games without finding the net. A team which for the past three years has more often than not found a way to win, currently can’t even find a way to score.
It screams of the need for a shake-up and an injection of fresh energy. The most obvious way to do that is through the market and much as business has been fiendishly tough, you suspect Monchi and the club’s recruitment team will find a way to bring in new blood before next Monday’s deadline.