Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is projecting calm confidence despite a sluggish start to the Premier League season, with the club taking just one point and scoring no goals in three matches. This mirrors last season's slow beginning, after which Villa recovered to reach the Champions League for a second time in three years, giving Emery grounds to expect a similar turnaround as his side travel to face Club Brugge in Europe.

At this stage last season Villa were also pointless and further from their first goal, yet they went on to win 17 of 19 matches following their Europa League opener against Bologna, eventually qualifying for the Champions League after also winning the Europa League. Emery's methodical, analysis-heavy approach and calm demeanour, contrasted with captain John McGinn's more fiery instincts, has underpinned the club's most successful modern era. Players including Emiliano Buendía, one of the few survivors from last year's Bologna win, are hopeful a similar run can follow, even though so far this season Villa's only shot on target has come from teenager George Hemmings.