Aston Villa Week in Review, Monday 26th October: Jackson Double Sinks Man City as Emery's Champions League Charge Continues
What a week for Villa, who followed up a win at Newcastle with a Champions League victory and then a huge Premier League scalp at Villa Park. BBC Sport reported that Nicolas Jackson scored twice as Villa beat Manchester City 2-1, ending City's perfect start to the season and making it four successive wins in all competitions (BBC Sport) (BBC Sport). Match of the Day pundits Martin Keown and Steph Houghton were full of praise for Jackson's display, with Keown calling him a "special talent" (BBC Sport), while BBC Sport also noted how the former Chelsea man continues to look like an upgrade in attack (BBC Sport) (GiveMeSport). Emery himself praised his "fantastic" side afterwards (BBC Sport), and spoke to the press about the Man City chants, Jackson's display, Zion Suzuki and the Garnacho situation (Birmingham Live). The win also came on the anniversary of Emery's fourth year in charge, though he explained why he wasn't getting carried away celebrating and was instead focused on the future (Express & Star) (Birmingham Live) (Express & Star).
Before that came Wednesday's Champions League win over Viking FK. The Guardian, Sky Sports and Express & Star all reported a 3-1 victory at Villa Park, with Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendia on the scoresheet along with an own goal from Henrik Heggheim, making it three wins from three in the group phase (Express & Star) (Express & Star) (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports) (The Guardian). Alysson was singled out as a key performer in the win (Sky Sports) (Sky Sports), having earlier impressed enough to earn his first Villa start against Newcastle, with Emery summing up his impact and praising how he's put his early problems behind him (Birmingham Live). The result means Villa have jumped to seventh in the projected Champions League prize money table (Football365), and Birmingham Live looked at how many more points Villa might need to secure a top-eight finish (Birmingham Live). Emery had warned before the game that his players couldn't afford to relax and that the perfect start "means nothing" unless they kept performing (Express & Star) (Birmingham Live), and BBC Sport also previewed Viking's remarkable story of ending a 34-year Norwegian title drought before making the trip to Villa Park (BBC Sport).
On the injury front, it's been a mixed week. Boubacar Kamara spoke about needing time to get back to full speed following his return from a serious knee injury (Express & Star), while Aaron Wan-Bissaka came back into contention to ease a full-back crisis before picking up a hamstring issue of his own against Newcastle (Express & Star) (Sports Mole). Villa were without recognised full-backs for the Viking game as a result, with Matteo Ruggeri and Ian Maatsen both affected (Express & Star), though there was a boost on the injury front as the week progressed (Birmingham Live) (Birmingham Live). Johan Manzambi's fitness became the headline concern heading into the Man City clash, with Emery providing regular updates and admitting some players may have had to play through "some pain" (Birmingham Live) (Sports Mole) (Sports Mole) (Birmingham Live). Despite the doubts, Express & Star reported Manzambi was named in the starting line-up against City (Express & Star).
Contract talk has centred on Emi Buendia, with reports suggesting Villa are stepping up efforts to tie the in-form Argentine down to a new long-term deal (TeamTalk) (TeamTalk). Buendia responded to the speculation himself after the Viking win (Birmingham Live), while GiveMeSport suggested another key player could be next in line for fresh terms (GiveMeSport). Elsewhere, the future of Alejandro Garnacho's loan move looks increasingly uncertain, with multiple reports suggesting Villa are having second thoughts about making the Chelsea loanee's switch permanent (Football365) (Sports Mole) (TeamTalk) (BBC Sport). TeamTalk also reported Villa have made contact over a potential move for Fenerbahce winger Oguz Aydin, a link seen as bad news for Garnacho's hopes of a permanent deal (TeamTalk).
Managerial speculation also did the rounds, with talkSPORT reporting that Emery's name has reportedly been taken off the table for the Manchester United job, with Guillem Balague suggesting Villa remain the perfect fit for him (talkSPORT). Former Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor gave his reaction to the links (TeamTalk), while Ruben Amorim also commented on a Villa transfer story involving a blocked summer move for a full-back (Birmingham Live). Matty Cash, meanwhile, gave his verdict that Villa may actually have improved despite a busy summer of outgoings (Birmingham Live), and also praised Emery as a "tactical genius" (AVFC.co.uk).
In the women's game, Aston Villa Women came from behind to beat Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park in the Women's Super League, with Amalie Vangsgaard scoring twice to seal the win (BBC Sport).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.