Aston Villa's tricky start to the season unpacked: The Brian Madjo mystery, a transfer window scramble, the peculiar decision on Taylor Harwood-Bellis... and the one shining light

If there is one thing Unai Emery really cannot stand, it is when he calls for a substitute only to find the player is still putting on his shirt or adjusting his boots.

Alejandro Garnacho has already found himself on the end of an Emery blast for touchline dawdling against Arsenal last week. At Hull, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tammy Abraham felt the full force of their manager’s fury.

Yet right now, that image of the unprepared sub sums up Villa in September 2026. They feel like that player who is just not quite ready when the manager beckons him over.

No team in the world could lose six players from their first-choice starting XI and bounce along as though nothing had happened. When the side in question is also severely restricted by punishing UEFA financial regulations, the rebuilding job becomes even tougher.

How clubs respond to those setbacks, however, tends to shape their future. These are early days for the new Aston Villa but for the second season in a row, they are without a win or a goal after three Premier League matches.

The team need to pull their socks up quickly, ideally in their Champions League opener at Club Bruges on Tuesday. Daily Mail Sport looks at what might come next for Villa as they begin their European campaign...

MISSING MADJO

Villa’s only goalscorer this season is Brian Madjo, who was chosen ahead of Tammy Abraham for the UEFA Super Cup and produced a barnstorming display against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg last month.

The 17-year-old is currently out with an ankle injury and Villa say they hope he will have recovered once the upcoming international break is over. If that is the case, it seems strange that Abraham has been preferred to Madjo in the Champions League squad. If he is back in October, Madjo would – in theory – be available for seven more European games.

Abraham joined Villa from Besiktas in January and it feels as though they have been trying to sell him ever since. They were desperate to send Abraham to Ipswich on loan just before deadline day and after the 1-0 defeat by Arsenal, Emery was pretty frank in his assessment of Abraham: ‘We opened the door for him but he’s decided to stay here with us.'

By Friday, he was more conciliatory – an understandable tactic given Abraham will be with Villa for four more months at least. ‘His challenge here is very important,’ said Emery.

Yet if Madjo’s injury really is minor, and Villa really were under no pressure from UEFA’s financial rules when they put together the squad, the choice looks curious.

Madjo has made only six senior appearances in his career, whereas Abraham has more than 400. Emery believes experience counts for plenty in European competition and Abraham has that, too, with 65 appearances. 

But this did not stop Emery throwing in European novice Morgan Rogers for the 2024-25 Champions League campaign, nor will he hesitate to use academy product George Hemmings in this season’s. So why not Madjo?

SIGNINGS WITH STRINGS ATTACHED 

Villa’s record signing, Johan Manzambi, has an issue with his knee and Emery has admitted he must take great care with the Swiss playmaker.

Leon Goretzka, 31, arrived on a free transfer on August 27 but has yet to feature in a matchday squad. Garnacho has played only 31 competitive minutes.

We may see more of Matteo Ruggeri and Ibrahim Mbaye after the international break, as is the case with Manzambi and Joao Gomes when he completes his suspension. Of Villa’s new signings, only goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, midfielder Gomes – sent off on his debut – and Nicolas Jackson have gone straight into the starting line-up.

Some players have called the 2026-27 squad the ‘new Aston Villa’ and the more bullish online followers talk about ‘Villa 2.0’. Really, though, what we are watching right now is an inferior version of the ‘old’ Villa.

It takes time to integrate new players and those who have departed are not easily replaced. Still, it feels like Villa have been scrambling a little too much.

It was common knowledge across the club that Rogers would leave. Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne had exit clauses. Ezri Konsa was one of three key targets for Arsenal since last May – which Villa must surely have known.

Which brings us to Taylor Harwood-Bellis...

SNUBBING KONSA'S REPLACEMENT

If a club rate a player highly enough to pay £30million for him as a replacement for Konsa, one of the best centre backs around, it surely follows that they would have him available for all their fixtures.

Not Villa, who have omitted Harwood-Bellis from their European squad. Emery says he has opted for versatility by including Lamare Bogarde, who can also play at centre back but is primarily a midfielder. He also namechecked Boubacar Kamara as a possible centre-back option. 

If you’re Harwood-Bellis, though, you may feel as though you’re not only fourth-choice centre back, but that the manager would rather play midfielders there in Europe if he has to.

Villa have form for this. They signed Donyell Malen in January 2025, only to axe him from the European squad when they made the high-profile loan signings of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. Malen, it is safe to say, was not a happy chap.

Again, Villa say the exclusion of Harwood-Bellis is unrelated to their UEFA settlement agreement, which means there must not be a ‘negative balance’ in their Champions League squad. In layman’s terms, that means the transfer and wage outlay on their signings cannot exceed the fees they have received in sales, and the wages they have saved.

Equally, Emery demands a great deal from his players when Villa do not have the ball. It takes time to master his instructions and perhaps Emery believes it too risky to ask a player to learn on the job, especially in the Champions League. 

The last time Emery made a major signing from the Championship, he went for Rogers – now one of the most expensive players in history after his £117m move to Chelsea.

Even so, the Harwood-Bellis call still seems an odd one, if it really is for football reasons alone.

HERO HEMMINGS

Amid the uncertainty of Villa’s start, they have unearthed a jewel from their youth system in Hemmings. 

Madjo drew all the attention against PSG but Hemmings looked the more accomplished footballer and he looks ready-made for a coach like Emery.

There are still kinks to iron out – as there will generally be for a player with only eight senior appearances. But look at the many upsides. 

Hemmings is technically strong, physically robust and tactically smart. This season, he more than held his own against Achraf Hakimi and Ben White.

In the home defeat by Arsenal last Monday, Hemmings started on the left of a narrow attacking three.

He had to provide Villa with an attacking outlet, help Ian Maatsen deal with Bukayo Saka, and stay aware of White when he stepped into midfield from right back. He did all three difficult jobs in the ‘serious, mature, responsible’ fashion Emery demands from all those he coaches.

It sounds daft to say this of a 19-year-old novice, but Villa’s new boys can learn a great deal from Hemmings. A player can be as skilful as he likes but if he doesn’t do what Emery wants out of possession, he won’t play many games.

Mbaye is a double Champions League winner, Goretzka has 17 major trophies and Garnacho is closing in on 200 senior appearances at the age of 22 – but Hemmings is showing the way. All Villa fans hope the new men can be up to speed as quickly as him.