Analysis: More woe for Villapublished at 07:28 BST
07:28 BST
Matthew Henry BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
When Aston Villa's opener squeezed in their travelling support broke into chants of "we scored a goal". There was to be no further celebration.
After a difficult transfer window and a summer dominated by discussions around Profit and Sustainability Rules, their start to the season has been downbeat. This defeat only adds to that feeling.
Harvey Elliott's strike did not open the goalscoring floodgates.
They did not have another shot on target until Matty Cash's back-post effort was saved by Hakon Valdimarsson in the 82nd minute, though Jadon Sancho did hit the post on his first appearance for the club.
Sancho was a peripheral figure on the left while Elliott played centrally, sometimes alongside makeshift striker Donyell Malen, with £30m summer signing Evann Guessand appearing raw on the right.
Elliott, on his first start since joining from Liverpool, had a few bright moments but Villa threatened most in the final quarter when Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers were brought on from the bench.
One boost was the return of Boubacar Kamara for a cameo in a midfield that has been ravaged by injuries.
Over the next week they travel to play newly promoted Sunderland and then begin their Europa League campaign against Bologna. A win is badly needed.
Brentford 1-1 Aston Villa (4-2 pens): What Emery saidpublished at 23:02 BST 16 September
23:02 BST 16 September
Image source, PA Media
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, speaking after his side was knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford:
"We improved things. We played 90 minutes with good balance to dominate and create chances.
"We scored one goal - positive. We drew. And the penalty shootout, we lost, so we are disappointed.
"We have to get strong defensively and offensively and get in combination good performances. Today is one part of the way. Not with the result we wanted but we have to accept it.
"There is still a lot of work to do, a lot of practice and matches. I think we are watching some improvement. Not enough but a lot of things will be positive."
Brentford v Aston Villa: Team newspublished at 19:15 BST 16 September
19:15 BST 16 September
Brentford manager Keith Andrews was expected to use his full squad for this cup tie and has not disappointed. In total there are 10 changes from Saturday's draw with Chelsea.
Sepp van den Berg is the only player retained. Vitaly Janelt plays for the first time since April after a heel injury.
Nineteen-year-old academy product Benjamin Arthur makes his first-team debut.
Brentford XI: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Van den Berg, Arthur, Ajer, Henry, Janelt, Milambo, Onyeka, Carvalho, Ouattara.
Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, makes his debut for Aston Villa - his first appearance for any club this season. There is also a full debut for fellow new signing Harvey Elliott, who came off the bench at Everton on Saturday.
Emi Martinez, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins all drop out of the Villa XI.
Aston Villa XI: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Maatsen, Bogarde, Elliott, McGinn, Malen, Sancho, Guessand.
'It's not all doom and gloom' - but is Villa's attack becoming 'predictable'?published at 13:49 BST 16 September
13:49 BST 16 September
Watch former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith give his take on the club's start to the season on BBC Radio Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"Villa have obviously got stung by the PSR rules," he said. "I looked at the squad earlier in the season and there was a few of the younger players on the bench when they've had a few injuries.
"Once the team comes back - Ollie Watkins guarantees you 15 goals a season.
"It's not all doom and gloom."
Media caption,
And former Premier League striker Chris Sutton broke down Villa's goalscoring woes so far this season.
HE said: "Everybody looks at the lack of goals but are they creating enough?
"I'd argue they haven't and it is an issue - hence the late moves [in the transfer window]."
Chance for Villa to change the mood as big games approachpublished at 13:48 BST 16 September
13:48 BST 16 September
Nick Mashiter Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The EFL Cup has usually come at the bottom of Aston Villa's priority list.
Not that it should be - it was the last major trophy they lifted in 1996 - but under Unai Emery they have only beaten Wycombe Wanderers in the competition.
Emery came to Villa just under three years ago declaring he wanted to end their trophy drought.
This year, Villa need the competition to kick-start their season after a four-game goalless start to the campaign leaves them second bottom of the Premier League.
One of those games was a 1-0 defeat at Brentford - where they travel to in the third round later on Tuesday.
Victory, however it comes, is paramount for Villa, who are in the stickiest period of Emery's reign - the Spaniard having taken them to the Conference League semi-finals and Champions League quarter-finals in previous seasons.
After facing the Bees, Villa travel to Sunderland on Saturday, before starting their Europa League campaign at home to Bologna next week.
Progress would set up a week which could change the mood at Villa.
It will be a much-changed team from the 0-0 draw at Everton on Saturday - expect deadline day arrivals Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho get a start.
'I won't hold a grudge' as Martinez crucial to Villa's seasonpublished at 08:51 BST 16 September
08:51 BST 16 September
Hannah Gowen Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
On the penultimate day of the summer transfer window, Emi Martinez's fate at Aston Villa appeared to be written in stone. Following omission from the matchday squad against Crystal Palace, Villa fans began plotting a bitter break-up with the previously beloved goalkeeper.
And yet, on Saturday, Martinez returned to the starting XI against Everton. Despite Unai Emery's firm support for Marco Bizot in the previous gameweek, it felt inevitable that the boss would revert back to his number 23 if available.
Loyalty in football is a complex beast. In a deeply tribalistic sport, rooted in community and passion, players are often placed on pedestals and lauded for their commitment to the badge. Equally, we have seen players shunned for wanting a move.
All of this is more amplified than ever in the modern game, with fans connected to players through social media and an abundance of content that brings us closer to our clubs' stars.
In reality, true loyalty in football is a rare concept. One-club players are few and far between, and agents are constantly looking for the next best thing for their clients. Whether it is trophies, bigger pay packets or more game time, players will have their eyes on future moves.
Martinez's performance and clean sheet against Everton were a bargaining chip to get back into the hearts of Villa fans who felt hurt by his failed attempts to leave the club - a place that has worshipped him as a modern legend.
While a few taps of the badge and a clap towards travelling fans may only paper over the cracks left in his relationship with fans, his showing at Hill Dickinson Stadium was the first step towards repairing what may have been broken.
"The world's number one" needs to put in a few more of those shifts before he is in the clear, but there is little room for sentimentality in football. As long as he pulls on the shirt and gives his all for the club this season, I won't hold a grudge.
Villa can't score - but it's not a crisis yetpublished at 12:13 BST 15 September
12:13 BST 15 September
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Aston Villa have failed to score in their opening four league games for the first time in their history.
After four games last season, they had scored seven goals, but it is not just finishing that has been the problem.
If Villa had taken their chances like they did last season and matched their xG numbers, they still would have scored just three goals.
The other missing four goals are because of them creating both fewer and worse-quality chances, which we can see by the fact they have had just four big chances compared to 16 at this stage last season.
However, while Villa fans might think this is a bad omen for the season to come, the opposite is actually true.
Villa are just the fifth side to fail to score in their first four games of a Premier League season but not only did all of the previous four survive, they all finished comfortably in mid-table.
'Emery must be ecstatic' as Martinez returnspublished at 12:12 BST 15 September
12:12 BST 15 September
Steven Wyeth Final Score reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Unai Emery declared himself "happy" before Saturday's game at Everton that Emiliano Martinez remained an Aston Villa player. Afterwards, he must have been ecstatic.
Martinez returned to the Villa goal at Hill Dickinson Stadium after late transfer window uncertainty about his future, missing the defeat by Crystal Palace amid an apparent flirtation with a move to Manchester United.
Emery's decision to put that aside and recall his first-choice goalkeeper proved a wise one, as without him Villa would arguably have been beaten. If you are not scoring goals - and Villa are the only English league side without one - then you must keep them out at the other end.
Martinez produced world-class saves to turn aside a deflected Jack Grealish strike and Michael Keane's second-half header, helping to earn his team a point. As Villa look to rediscover their mojo, they are at least still building from a solid foundation.
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:34 BST 15 September
08:34 BST 15 September
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Everton and Aston Villa.
Here are some of your comments:
Everton fans
Steve: Another good performance, creating quite a few great chances, unfortunately we do not have a centre-forward who will take these chances! Beto just isn't good enough - his finishing is woeful! I'm not convinced Thierno Barry will be any better. I would have taken a punt on Jamie Vardy.
Greg: We did OK but we miss the killer instinct. Should have got Vardy for a season. He would have scored but it's a work in progress. Most players played really well. Idrissa Gueye is unbelievable. Thought David Moyes may have given Tyler Dibling 20 minutes. Save him for next week.
Lee: The perils of not getting a striker in. Beto does his best but should have finished at least two of those chances! Two points dropped in the end.
Blue: It shows how far we have come under Moyes that the result is slightly disappointing. Villa are a decent side and the miss early in the game could have changed everything, but it let us down. Michael Keane played really well, as did the rest, so we should grab the point and go again. It's only Liverpool next!
Villa fans
Matt: Another lacklustre display. Grateful to come away with a point. Starting to worry about where the goals are going to come from.
Peter: I am not sure where a win is coming from. I think the problem is midfield. If we do not get a win in our next home game I can see that we will be in a relegation fight. The truth is that the forwards are not getting enough chances. Delivery into the box is poor. There is no doubt that the players on the pitch on Saturday should be doing better.
Cassie: It's a game best forgotten, and Villa were lucky to have got a point. Emiliano Martinez saved Villa from a loss in a game of no creativity and no sign of improvement from our last match. Harvey Elliott must start the next game, and Ollie Watkins could find himself on the bench. Already, Villa are in a relegtion battle - not going to be a good season.
Adam: More fight and organisation about Villa. Martinez back to his best. Forward players were toothless. Unai Emery needs to stop shoe-horning John McGinn and Morgan Rogers into the team and have the nerve to drop one of them.
Villa a pale shadow of their 2024-25 sidepublished at 15:48 BST 14 September
15:48 BST 14 September
Phil McNulty Chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
The worry for Unai Emery is that at no point against Everton, did Aston Villa seriously threaten to alter the barren sequence that has made their start to the season so disappointing. The intensity and vibrant approach that has been their trademark was totally absent.
At this stage of last season Villa had scored seven goals and had 16 big chances, measured by Opta. This season they have had four of those opportunities in four games.
Emery tried to paint a rosy picture, but for a club of such high ambition this has been a misfiring start to a season which held - and still holds - high hopes.
Villa started with Ollie Watkins up front, but he was an invisible figure until he was substituted seven minutes from time. This was not entirely the England striker's fault as service was non-existent.
Emery introduced Harvey Elliott, Villa's deadline-day loan signing from Liverpool, to introduce some pep into his side's forward movement. He delivered a couple of darting runs, but this performance was beyond redemption by then.
Morgan Rogers, excellent for England in the 5-0 win against Serbia in Belgrade, could not exert any influence, leaving Everton keeper Jordan Pickford redundant apart from some routine handling and an attempt to unsettle Villa with some late launched clearances.
It was Everton pushing for victory, betrayed by their own cutting edge, while Villa held on for the point that satisfied Emery.
What will not satisfy Emery is that this now constitutes Villa's worst start to a Premier League season since 1997-98.
Emery, this wily and outstanding operator, will know the problems and will try to address what is currently a glaring weakness, but he must do it quickly with an away trip to Brentford in the Carabao Cup followed by a testing league visit to newly promoted Sunderland.
Villa, on this evidence, are a pale shadow of the side who performed so well in last season's Champions League and who came so close to reaching Europe's elite tournament this term.
Analysis: Dull Villa draw another blankpublished at 18:01 BST 13 September
18:01 BST 13 September
Phil McNulty Chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was a picture of agitated frustration in his technical area as his side produced another shot-shy performance which leaves them without a league goal this season.
Villa were ragged, uninspired and, had they got anything more than a point against Everton, it would have ranked as grand larceny.
No matter what Emery tried - even introducing deadline-day loan signing from Liverpool, Harvey Elliott, late on - it still failed to galvanise a side looking a shadow of the energetic, vibrant outfit that have illuminated the Premier League in recent seasons.
In the end they were grateful to Emiliano Martinez, seemingly back in the good books with Villa fans after falling from favour when he tried to seek a move away from Villa Park, for an excellent performance, highlighted by that second-half save from Michael Keane.
Emery needs to find a winning formula and fast as the season has been a slog for a club of such high ambition, although a point may be of some consolation after defeats at Brentford and at home to Crystal Palace.
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa: What Emery saidpublished at 18:01 BST 13 September
18:01 BST 13 September
Media caption,
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's draw with Everton: "We competed very well. Again, the goalkeeper [Emiliano Martinez] coming back playing a fantastic match.
"He saved us a lot of times. He made us confident we could play with our identity. Of course, we need defence and a lot of corners and a throw-in defence compact like we did. We need to get more confidence to play with the ball.
"Get more in their box - this is now our next step forward after a lot of difficulties we have had. I am so happy because we played compact and we played committed. The players followed the game plan we had.
"Of course, offensively we need more. We need to try to help out strikers, wingers and midfielders. [I am] happy because we competed and this it the first step forward."
On Youri Tielemans: "Yes, he is injured. We have some players injured and out. Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara are going to come back.
"Youri is going to be out some matches. We need to feel confidence playing with different players.
"We are going to work, and we know inside the problem we have."
Did you know?
Everton (111) and Aston Villa (110) have featured in more 0-0 draws than any other sides in Premier League history.
Even more, Villa have failed to score in their opening four league games to a season for also the first time in their history. Meanwhile, they're the fifth side to do so in the Premier League after Sheffield Wednesday (1993-94), Newcastle United (2005-06), Swansea City (2011-12) and Crystal Palace (2017-18).
Everton v Aston Villa: Team news published at 14:05 BST 13 September
14:05 BST 13 September
Everton make one change to the side that started their 3-2 Premier League win at Wolves before the international break. Tim Iroegbunam comes in for the injured Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Aston Villa make four changes to the side that lost 3-0 at home to Crystal Palace in the league before the international break.
Emiliano Martinez unsurprisingly returns in goal, while Emiliano Buendia, Lucas Digne and Lamare Bogarde also come in for Marco Bizot, Donyell Malen, Ian Maatsen and Evann Guessand.
Victor Lindelof, Harvey Elliott and Jadon Sancho all start on the bench.
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne McGinn, Tielemans, Buendia, Watkins, Bogarde, Rogers.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Aston Villa" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Wolves", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Everton v Aston Villapublished at 11:03 BST 13 September
11:03 BST 13 September
What a great game this is for Jack Grealish against his old club.
He has been on fire for Everton since joining them from Manchester City, and it is great to see him playing with a smile on his face. He has been the real creative spark for them this season and if he carries on this form he will be well and truly in the mix to make the England squad for next summer's World Cup.
So much has changed about Everton since David Moyes lost his first game back in charge against Villa, at Goodison Park in January, and not just that they now have a new ground.
You just sense that, with Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye, they have the attacking threat now that they had lacked for a long time. They will be full of belief, against an Aston Villa side who badly need a positive result after their slow start to the new campaign.
The obvious prediction, based on form, is to back Everton to win but I actually don't think Villa will keep on losing.
They are under-performing and also maybe bought a few players in a bit of panic at the end of the transfer window - Jadon Sancho, Harvey Elliott and Victor Lindelof all joined on deadline day - but Emery will get a tune out of his team sooner or later.
Everton v Aston Villa: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 19:23 BST 12 September
19:23 BST 12 September
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
Everton resume Premier League proceedings flying high at fifth in the table against an Aston Villa side who have an excellent record against the Toffees but are still searching for their first goal of the season.
BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before their meeting at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
In-form Everton
Everton return to Premier League football having picked up more points than any other club since the start of May (16) and won two games in August – as many as they managed in that month over the past four years.
Opponents Aston Villa, on the other hand, have endured a difficult start.. They sit in the relegation zone with one point from three games and the ignominy of being the only club in the top four English tiers yet to score a goal.
So are Everton worthy of their lofty position early in the season and are Villa playing as badly as it seems? The truth, as is so often the case, is somewhere in the middle.
Jack's back
Everton's excellent start has been built around the return to form of Jack Grealish, who faces his former club.
The England international has already provided two assists in each of his two Premier League starts for the Toffees, having done so on only two occasions in his previous 191 appearances in the competition.
The form of fellow new arrival Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has helped. He already averages more chances created per 90 of any Everton player since the start of last season, while no English player has created more chances in the Premier League in 2025-26 than Dewbury-Hall's eight. Not a bad way to start off a campaign with a World Cup at the end of it.
But the Blues' biggest boon is an improved efficiency in front of goal. In 2024-25, they ranked 18th for open-play goals (25). In this campaign, they have scored seven in their past three games in all competitions.
The new-found ruthlessness of David Moyes' side means they are outperforming their expected points total more than any team other than Liverpool, according to Opta data based on chances created and conceded.
Conversely, Unai Emery's Villa are suffering from something of a hangover following their European exploits last season, failing to find the net in all three top-flight outings so far.
The lack of goals is not for a want of trying. The Villans have had the same number of shots as Liverpool this season (33) – and the Reds are the Premier League's leading scorers on eight goals.
However, the West Midlands club are being undone by widespread wastefulness despite getting into good positions.
But if ever there was a fixture in which Villa's fortunes may change, it is this one.
They have won four of their past five Premier League visits to Everton (D1), keeping a clean sheet in their past four.
It is Villa's longest ever run of away league clean sheets against one opponent.
Everton have failed to score in their past four home Premier League games against Villa and Moyes' men will be hoping that a change of venue from Goodison Park to the Hill Dickinson Stadium also results in a change of fortunes in this particular contest.
Image source, Getty Images
