Aston Villa's Nightmare Start: 0 Points from 3 Games as Summer Chaos Continues
Unai Emery's Aston Villa side has suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Brighton, leaving the team without a point from their opening three games of the Premier League season.
A summer of change off the pitch for Aston Villa has been followed by one of the worst opening 45 minutes of a season in Premier League history. The team, which won the Europa League last season, has lost four key players, including Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, and Ezri Konsa, who could soon be followed by two more first-team stars, Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez.
The new-look Villa team went behind inside eight minutes, with Victor Lindelof bundling into his own net. Brighton's Maxim De Cuyper doubled their advantage, before Jack Hinshelwood scored twice in two minutes. The collapse continued with Joao Gomes, a £38m signing from Wolves, being sent off on his first Premier League appearance for his new club.
Gomes was caught in possession on the edge of his own box before Hinshelwood finished into an empty net for his second goal. He was later sent off for kicking out at Georginio Rutter. According to Opta, Gomes became just the second Premier League player to be sent off in the first half of his first appearance for club, after QPR's Samba Diakite in 2012.
There were empty seats in the Villa away end before half-time amid a hugely uncertain period for the Europa League winners. Brighton, however, did not add any more goals in the second half, although they did take the opportunity to rest some players ahead of Thursday's Conference League play-off second leg against Tromso.
Villa fans saw their team fall apart in the first half, with chants of Emery's name continuing despite the poor performance. The team's uncertainty off the field is undoubtedly a concern, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding the departures of Watkins and Martinez.
Villa have recouped huge fees for their departing stars, receiving a record £117m for Rogers from Chelsea, £51m for England defender Konsa and £35m for Tielemans. However, the uncertainty off the field is undoubtedly a concern. Emery has attempted to rebuild his side by signing Johan Manzambi, who was unavailable due to injury, while Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki appears to be the replacement for Martinez.
The team has also been linked with a move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson. Emery has said that he is "very excited" about the market and that he knows what he wants to do again for the next year. However, his response to a question about Watkins' omission from the travelling squad was bizarre, taking a lengthy pause before replying: "Silence." Emery previously said in a press conference that he wants to keep Watkins but has already confirmed that bids have been made for the 30-year-old.
Next up for Villa is a home match against Premier League champions Arsenal on Monday. The team will be looking to get their season back on track, but the uncertainty off the field will undoubtedly be a concern.
Source: Yahoo Sports