Despite the relief of getting off the mark in claret and blue, Sancho remains his own harshest critic. He acknowledged that while the goal against Fenerbahce was a significant milestone, his overall contribution needs to improve if he is to help Villa achieve their ambitions this season.
"I just take it day by day in training," Sancho explained, emphasising his current work ethic. "Obviously, the manager and the team are helping me to get to my best. Honestly, I know I can do a lot more. I'm very hard on myself in that aspect. But again, I'm very grateful that I got my first goal for Aston Villa and I hope it continues."
Sancho was a constant threat throughout the match in Turkey, buzzing around the final third until he was substituted by Emery in the closing stages to preserve his energy. The goal, a well-taken header, hinted at a player beginning to rediscover the instincts that once made him one of Europe’s most sought-after talents.
"I'm just really delighted that I got my first goal for Aston Villa," he told Villa TV. "It means a lot to me and obviously you saw me pointing at the bench when I scored. It's kind of an inside joke, I was pointing at at Ezri [Konsa] and Ian [Maatsen] because we were practising headers the other week and they were telling me I'd never score a header, so it was kind of fun."