Aston Villa's Champions League Challenge: Emery Under Pressure
Aston Villa’s Champions League return comes with a sting in the tail. Last season ended in European glory; this one has opened with a jolt.
Unai Emery’s side head to Club Brugge on Tuesday still hunting their first win of the 2026-27 campaign, weighed down by a Super Cup defeat and just one point from three Premier League games. The European specialist suddenly finds himself under an unfamiliar glare.
Emery under scrutiny
The Basque coach has built his reputation on nights like this, but his selection calls have stirred debate. Brian Madjo, the hero of August with two goals against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup, was left out of Villa’s league-phase squad, as was summer signing Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Those omissions have not gone unnoticed.
Madjo would not have featured in Belgium anyway. He joins Swiss World Cup star Johan Manzambi and long-term absentee Amadou Onana on the treatment table, stripping Villa of power and presence in key areas.
The flip side? Emery finally gets to lean on some players he cannot use domestically. Joao Gomes, banned for three Premier League matches, is free to anchor the midfield in Europe and could be central to any response Villa can muster.
New faces waiting in the wings
This trip to Bruges may also mark the first glimpse of Leon Goretzka in claret and blue. The German midfielder is yet to kick a ball for Villa but could be eased in from the bench, offering control and experience if the game demands it.
Out wide, former PSG winger Ibrahim Mbaye is pushing hard for a starting berth. His inclusion would likely come at the expense of either rookie forward George Hemmings or busy creator Emi Buendia, a delicate call with Villa still searching for rhythm in the final third.
Up front, the burden again falls on record signing Nicolas Jackson. The striker has yet to convince, but with Madjo injured and Tammy Abraham seemingly out of Emery’s plans, the path is clear for Jackson to lead the line. This is the kind of stage he was bought for; now he has to show it.
Behind him, new number one Zion Suzuki is expected to continue in goal, another symbol of the changing guard after Villa’s summer overhaul.
Selection dilemmas at the back
Full-back remains a live battle. Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are pressing to dislodge Matty Cash and Ian Maatsen, who carries his own history into this tie after scoring against Brugge at Villa Park in March 2025. Emery must decide whether to lean on familiarity or inject fresh energy on the flanks.
At centre-back, memories linger. On Villa’s first visit to Bruges in that 2024-25 campaign, a major error from Tyrone Mings helped hand the hosts a 1-0 win. The question now is whether Emery trusts Mings again in this arena or restores Pau Torres to the heart of defence for added composure.
For all the noise and all the change, the likely shape of Villa’s side still looks familiar. A possible starting XI in Bruges:
Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Gomes; McGinn, Buendia, Hemmings; Jackson.
A club that scaled Europe last season now walks back into the Champions League with doubts swirling, form stuttering, and reputations on the line. Bruges, once a stumbling block, now offers a stark choice: reset the season, or let the unease deepen.
