A giant tifo dropped from the Holte End before kick-off against Viking on Tuesday. It read: "We've Conquered Before. We're Prepared For More." Down on the touchline, Unai Emery was walking to a standing ovation. A few weeks earlier the mood around Villa Park had been a lot more nervous.
Villa beat the Norwegians 3-1 to make it three wins from three in the Champions League, and that made it 12 European home wins in a row. They finished the night level on nine points with holders Paris St-Germain, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Betis. On Saturday lunchtime they host Manchester City, who have won all seven of their league games.
Selling big, rebuilding fast
The summer looked daunting. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans left, along with Ollie Watkins, who joined Al-Hilal. Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers went to Arsenal and Chelsea for a combined £172m. In all, six of the side that beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final in May have gone. Villa took in about £320m from sales and spent £280m.
The start was slow, which Emery's teams often are. Villa lost 4-0 at Brighton, with all four goals before half-time, then 1-0 at home to Arsenal, drew 0-0 at Hull and lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest. The first win came at Spurs. After that came a 6-0 thrashing of Fenerbahce, a 1-0 win at Newcastle and then Viking.
The new faces
Twenty-year-old Brazilian Alysson was the pick of the players against Viking. He joined from Gremio in January in a deal that could reach £10.4m, and he won the penalty that Emiliano Buendia converted for 2-0. His own cross then deflected in off Henrik Heggheim for the third. On the other flank, 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye, signed from PSG for £47m, flashed real promise. He scored for Senegal against France at the World Cup and became the youngest African to score at a men's finals.
Elsewhere, Zion Suzuki arrived from Parma for £30m and looks assured, with a passing range that gives Villa something extra. Joao Gomes cost £38m from Wolves. Nicolas Jackson, whom Emery coached at Villarreal, came from Chelsea for £65m and already has five goals. Johan Manzambi, the 21-year-old Swiss midfielder signed from Freiburg for a little over £50m, scored the winner at Newcastle. He is a doubt for the City game.
The old hands still matter
Captain John McGinn remains the heartbeat of the side, and 32-year-old Ross Barkley is enjoying a late renaissance. He scored against Viking, his fourth of the season. "As a person, he is a fantastic guy," Emery said. "I am pushing him a lot offensively. I know he can score and can head the ball."
Emery marks four years since his appointment from Villarreal this weekend, and his mood afterwards was bright but not complacent. "There's still a lot of work to do, so how we are responding, getting better, is really fantastic," he said. Barcelona and a trip to Galatasaray follow City. Villa's rebuild now has a proper test to go with its good start.
Context: Aston Villa 3-1 Viking in the Champions League league phase; Villa host Manchester City at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime, then play Barcelona and, away, Galatasaray. Source: BBC Sport.
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