'Not the team they were' - should winless Villa be worried?

Three successive European campaigns, a top-four finish followed by a place in the top six - Unai Emery has delivered some unforgettable moments for Aston Villa fans.

This season is only five games old, but it is already clear something is not quite right.

Villa, who beat both Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last season, are yet to click, yet to win and desperately struggling for goals.

"They look clunky, they don't look fluid, and they are not the same team they were last year," former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Sunderland.

"It is just not clicking for Aston Villa."

Robinson was at the Stadium of Light to watch Emery's side struggle against newly promoted opponents who played for more than an hour with 10 men after the dismissal of defender Reinildo for kicking out at Matty Cash.

Villa took the lead through Cash's 67th-minute finish from 25 yards, but even then they were unable to hold on to the lead, Wilson Isidor equalising eight minutes later to earn the Black Cats a deserved point.

Emery described his side's defending as "lazy" after the match, adding: "Maybe it's the consequences we are not feeling dominating or playing our style."

So what has gone wrong and should Villa fans be worried?

'We need to dominate better, we need to get our style' - Emery

No wins, one Premier League goal, and out of the Carabao Cup before the end of September.

It has been a miserable start to Emery's third full season in charge.

Villa scored 134 goals over the previous two campaigns to secure fourth and sixth-placed finishes, so why have the goals dried up?

Cash's strike against Sunderland, a venomous shot which swerved before hitting the net, at least ensured they are up and running after failing to score in the the opening four league matches.

The run ended at 427 minutes, with only Crystal Palace in 2017-18 (641) and Newcastle United in 2005-06 (438) having to wait longer for a first league goal from the start of a campaign.

"They have got the first league goal off their backs but they didn't create a lot," added Robinson. "And they were a bit slow, pedestrian in midfield."

Villa registered just two attempts on target at Sunderland - a damning stat considering they played most of the match against 10 players.

No team has recorded fewer shots on target in the Premier League this season than Villa (12 - level with Everton and Leeds).

Dutchman Donyell Malen and Ollie Watkins both had great chances to snatch victory in the closing moments, but it is now one goal in 10 league games for the England forward.

That's the same Watkins who scored 16 times on the top-flight stage in the previous campaign.

"We need to play better, we need to control better, we need to dominate better, we need to get our style," admitted Emery. "Then the goals and assists will come."

"We are a little bit down in my expectation in how we are building as a team."

'We're not happy' - Cash admission as pressure mounts

Villa launch their Europa League campaign at home to Bologna on Thursday, and will have to juggle the demands of playing Thursday-Sunday matches.

Their failure to finish in a Champions League position meant restrictions were put in place during the summer to comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

In addition, the loss of loan signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio has impacted the depth of quality in the attacking department.

They were able to bring in Nice striker Evann Guessand for £26m plus £4.3m in add-ons, but the Ivory Coast forward has registered just two attempts on target.

"After playing 11 against 10 it should be easier to dominate and take advantage, but we were not playing with our identity," added Emery.

"I'm disappointed and frustrated, more for how we are not achieving our identity, playing the football we've been successful with."

Looking at positives for Emery, the next two Premier League games offer a decent chance of kick-starting their season.

Villa have back-to-back home games against Fulham on 28 September and Burnley on 5 October.

"We're not happy," goalscorer Cash told Sky Sports.

"As a team we've got to be better. With the quality we have, we need to be higher up the league.

"Over the last few years we've had a lot of highs at the club and at the minute we're in a bit of a tough period."

There is no doubt Emery's spell at Villa has been impressive overall and no-one will be pressing the panic button yet.

However, time and patience remains in short supply in the Premier League.

Emery will know that unless Villa pick up a win soon, the pressure will increase.

Villa have failed to win any of their opening five Premier League games

Tactical analysis: Emery's pragmatism perhaps to his detriment

Umir Irfan, BBC Sport football tactics correspondent

Villa's problems this season under Emery come from remaining too static in a number of departments.

Comparing their build-up play from 2023-2024 to this season shows little difference - there has been a continuous league-wide improvement in how well teams press so a largely unchanged build-up can be nullified more often. Predictable build-up play without ball-playing defenders like out-of-favour Pau Torres add to Villa's difficulties in possession.

When Emery's side were in good form, they faced deep defences less often, instead attacking quickly against teams pushing up.

Teams are aware of Villa's preference to attack quickly and have set up in compact defensive shapes deeper. This has prevented Villa playing in a way that suits striker Ollie Watkins. Newcastle played in this way earlier this season and their system exposed Aston Villa's weaknesses well.

With Marcus Rashford, Leon Bailey, Marco Asensio, and Jacob Ramsey leaving the club, Villa are severely lacking in the wide areas. Emery has used central midfielders Emi Buendia, John McGinn, and Morgan Rogers as their wide players this season.

Eddie Howe's men set up in a centrally compact 4-5-1. Sunderland blocked the centre of the pitch, too, in their 5-3-1 shape following the red card. The wide players mentioned above like to move into central areas so both midfield set-ups blocked the space they would typically move into.

If there was any space, it was in the flanks, with Matty Cash and Lucas Digne the players given the most time and space to attack. More natural wide attackers here would improve Villa against stubborn defences.

Emery's pragmatism has been on show this season, perhaps to his detriment as he has been reluctant to use more natural wide players in Harvey Elliott or Ian Maatsen.

Following the draw with Sunderland, Emery also branded his players "lazy". There are clear tactical questions that require answers but there is a concern that some players are becoming less receptive to the Spaniard's method too.