Aston Villa have started their Premier League season with zero points and zero goals from two games under head coach Unai Emery.
The West Midlands club suffered a 4-0 opening day thrashing at Brighton before falling to Arsenal on Monday, leaving them empty-handed ahead of Saturday's trip to Hull City, who have collected six points from six.
The skeleton of the North Stand at Villa Park provides the backdrop to Emery's grand rebuilding project. Villa hope their stadium will be in working order from next season, but Emery does not have that much time to get his team firing on all cylinders again.
Villa were almost beaten before they started on the opening day, where the ongoing Ollie Watkins transfer saga overshadowed their heavy defeat on the south coast.
Across his managerial spells at Arsenal and Aston Villa, Emery has lost nine of his 17 matches in the opening month of the season. For a manager who has achieved significant success at Villa Park and enjoyed a solid tenure in north London, that record remains an area of concern.
Emery believes the transfer window should close before the season starts and reiterated that view in his latest matchday programme notes. Known for his meticulous coaching and preparation, Emery becomes distracted by transfer activity, which affects his team's performances at the start of every season.
Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and forward Nicolas Jackson made their Villa debuts against Arsenal. More debutants could feature at Hull, with moves for Ibrahim Mbaye and Taylor Harwood-Bellis expected to be made official on Tuesday, while Leon Goretzka could also play a part.
While the closing of the window should allow Emery to reset, the Spaniard faces the reality that he cannot simply write off the first month of the campaign.
Founded in 1874, Aston Villa are one of England's most historic football clubs and won the European Cup in 1982. Emery took charge in October 2022, having previously guided Sevilla to three consecutive UEFA Europa League titles and managed Paris Saint-Germain.
Counter-attacking framework
Although Villa have yet to register a shot on target this season, the squad shows the makings of an effective counter-attacking side under Emery's tactical plan.
Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki possesses an excellent kicking range with either foot. Despite shaky moments under the high ball and with one shot from distance on Monday, Suzuki demonstrated his distribution quality by sending George Hemmings scurrying towards the byline with a pinpoint delivery and finding his full-backs with angled passes.
Forward Nicolas Jackson is expected to test opposition defences once he gains match sharpness and develops an understanding with his team-mates. Facing Arsenal's back line, which is clearly the best in the Premier League, was a stern test, but Jackson should find more joy in upcoming fixtures.
When Ibrahim Mbaye and Johan Manzambi integrate into the side alongside Jackson, Villa will possess substantial pace in attack. Emery's primary task is now determining how best to deploy that speed.
Suzuki was signed to strengthen Villa's options in goal, while Jackson arrived to add firepower to the attack as Villa balance domestic fixtures in the Premier League with European competition.
Fitness concerns and squad depth
Villa's transfer business looks exciting on paper, but physical condition presents immediate challenges for several new arrivals. Manzambi was signed for nearly £60m despite carrying a knee problem, an issue that was not enough for Villa to pull out of the deal and one Newcastle were also happy to proceed with.
Manzambi is not expected to feature before the upcoming international break. "We must be careful with him," Emery admitted. "He had an injury and we want his comeback to be clear and strong, with no risk. Progressively, he is working individually and is starting collectively with the group this week."
A similar situation surrounds midfielder Leon Goretzka, who won the UEFA Champions League during his time at Bayern Munich. Emery hoped Goretzka could feature against Arsenal from the start, but the German international was not fit enough to begin the match.
"He needs more sessions on the training ground to get his fitness and the level we want," Emery said. "He is good and hopefully on Saturday after three days of training, he should be ready."
Including Goretzka at Hull could remain a risk, as players at half-speed in the Premier League are quickly exposed, even if they are Champions League winners.
Transfer deadline day decisions
Squad composition has also been impacted by player decisions regarding potential departures. Tammy Abraham decided to stay at Villa Park rather than accept a loan move to Ipswich Town, a choice that irked Emery because it prevented the club from adding another forward to support Jackson and the injured Brian Madjo.
With Villa's incoming business largely complete, the focus on deadline day on Tuesday shifts to finding a club for winger Leon Bailey, who is surplus to requirements but remains among the club's higher earners.
Bailey has already rejected the chance to move to Hull City. If he remains at Villa Park alongside Abraham, it is hard to imagine him featuring prominently in the months ahead.
Villa now turn their attention to Saturday's fixture against a Hull side that has made a flawless start with six points from six. The closing of the transfer window gives Emery the opportunity to establish stability as Villa search for their first win and first goal of the season.
