Aston Villa secured their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory away at Club Brugge in the Champions League, easing pressure on manager Unai Emery as he rebuilds the squad following a difficult start to the Premier League campaign. The result matters because it marks only Villa's second win since their Europa League triumph in Istanbul last May, and it comes after a summer of major squad turnover, offering early evidence that Emery's new-look team can still deliver under pressure.

Villa dominated the first half through goals from John McGinn, Emi Buendia and Nicolas Jackson, with McGinn's strike making him the club's all-time leading European goalscorer with 12. Brugge fought back via a Nicolo Tresoldi penalty, awarded after a handball by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and had further chances before Villa held on. Both McGinn and Emery praised the team's resilience, drawing comparisons to a similarly gritty win over Bologna last season that sparked a 17-wins-in-20-games run, as Villa look ahead to home Champions League fixtures against Fenerbahce and Viking in October.