Aston Villa 2026-27 Fixtures

added to schedule July 23rd; staged at the Estadio do Dragao as Porto's annual members' presentation match. Villa lost 2-1. Unai Emery named a heavily rotated side in a 4-2-3-1 — Bizot; Cash, Mings, Cisse, Maatsen; Bogarde, Barkley; Bailey, Lynch, Hemmings; Burrowes — with Joao Gomes, Kosta Nedeljkovic and Brian Madjo among the substitutes. Villa's World Cup contingent (Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelof, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins) were not yet back in training; Johan Manzambi (knee) and Alysson (muscle) were unavailable, and Emiliano Buendia, Alejandro Garnacho, Evann Guessand, Pau Torres and Lucas Digne were not in the squad. William Gomes volleyed Porto ahead in the fifth minute and Luka Lynch levelled seven minutes later, drilling a left-footed finish across the goalkeeper after Lamare Bogarde won the ball back. Pepe restored the lead four minutes before the interval, scoring at the near post after Ian Maatsen conceded a free-kick in a dangerous area. Leon Bailey was withdrawn after 23 minutes for the academy winger Ben Broggio with no injury announced, and Ross Barkley was booked on 29 minutes before being replaced at half-time in a triple change that also introduced James Wright and Nedeljkovic. The second half produced few clear chances, with George Hemmings operating in the left-sided No. 10 role and the 18-year-old Brad Burrowes leading the line.

moved from July 25th; a 7.30pm BST kick-off at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium, live on VillaTV. Villa lost 4-2. Hemmings 14', Madjo 56'; Soler 22', Oskarsson 54', Carrera 66', and a fourth on 88 minutes. Unai Emery again named a young side in a 4-2-3-1 - Bizot; Cash, Cisse, Mings, Maatsen; Joao Gomes, Barkley; Burrowes, Buendia, Hemmings; Madjo - with Pau Torres among the substitutes for his first involvement of pre-season and Leon Bailey left out with muscle tightness. George Hemmings curled Villa ahead in the 14th minute before Carlos Soler levelled, and Orri Oskarsson turned in at the back post after a deflected free-kick early in the second half. Brian Madjo, on his second start, finished from close range after neat work from Emiliano Buendia for his third goal of pre-season. Gorka Carrera restored the Spanish side's lead on 66 minutes and the substitute goalkeeper James Wright, on at half-time, spilled a cross late on to gift Real Sociedad a fourth. Buendia played as the No. 10 before the interval and moved to the left after it; Joao Gomes completed 75 minutes and Pau Torres, introduced at half-time for Tyrone Mings, came through 45 minutes.

Second match of the Far East tour, at the True BG Stadium in Pathum Thani. Kick-off was put back by around an hour to 2.10pm BST because of adverse weather. Villa won 3-1. Buendía 12', Lindelöf 31', Kamara 62'; Leon James 83'. Unai Emery named a rotated side in a 4-2-3-1: Bizot; Cash, Carroll, Lindelöf, Rowe; Bogarde, João Gomes; Alysson, Buendía, Garnacho; Guessand. Substitutes: Wright, Asemota, McGinn, Pau Torres, Abraham, Maatsen, Nedeljković, Madjo, Kamara, Burrowes, Hemmings, Lynch. FotMob's team sheet identifies the three academy players given by surname only in the published sheet as TJ Carroll, Triston Rowe and the goalkeeper Owen Asemota. Boubacar Kamara was in a Villa squad for the first time since his January knee injury and Tammy Abraham returned after shoulder surgery. Johan Manzambi, Emiliano Martínez, Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa were still to report back from the World Cup, and Leon Bailey stayed in England. Team sheet confirmed by BirminghamLive at 1.33pm BST. Emiliano Buendía opened the scoring on 12 minutes, finishing a move worked through Alysson, Lamare Bogarde and Matty Cash, and Victor Lindelöf headed in Alysson's in-swinging corner on 31 minutes. Alejandro Garnacho was withdrawn on 43 minutes after being caught by the BG Pathum midfielder Ryan Edwards, BirminghamLive reporting that he left the field with blood coming from his mouth and describing it as a facial injury; no diagnosis has been given. João Gomes took a knock to the leg in the ninth minute and continued to half-time. Emery made seven changes at the interval, sending on McGinn, Pau Torres, Maatsen, Madjo, Burrowes and Lynch for a second-half side of Bizot; Rowe, Carroll, Torres, Maatsen; McGinn, Bogarde; Burrowes, Lynch, Hemmings; Madjo. John McGinn struck the woodwork from 30 yards on 54 minutes. Boubacar Kamara replaced Bogarde on 61 minutes for his first Villa minutes since January and scored from the edge of the box a minute later. McGinn was then forced off on 78 minutes with a knee problem, landing awkwardly on his left knee after a foul and being told to come off by Emery having signalled he was ready to continue. BG Pathum pulled a goal back on 83 minutes through Leon James, named as the scorer by both the Express & Star and Sky Sports. FotMob's full-time record and BirminghamLive's live blog agree on the scoreline and all four goals.

Tour finale at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, a 1pm BST kick-off. Villa lost 2-1. Unai Emery named Bizot; Cash, Lindelof, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, Joao Gomes; Hemmings, Buendia, Guessand; Madjo, with the front pairing of Guessand and Brian Madjo giving the shape a 4-4-2 look rather than the 4-2-3-1 of the earlier tour games. Boubacar Kamara made his first start since the knee injury he suffered in January and lasted an hour; Emiliano Buendia played from the left and drifted inside, and George Hemmings was used from the right for the first time. Kim Min-jae headed Bayern in front on 36 minutes from Tom Bischof's free-kick, delivered from the left. Evann Guessand passed up the clearest Villa chance of the match just before the hour, volleying rather than heading when Buendia picked him out with a free-kick. Marco Bizot kept the deficit at one on 66 minutes with a double save, blocking Josip Stanisic with his feet and then springing up to deny Arijon Ibrahimovic from the rebound. Luis Diaz, a 63rd-minute substitute, doubled the lead on 73 with a finish into the roof of the net off the underside of the crossbar. Joao Gomes pulled one back on 82, striking from the edge of the box and giving Manuel Neuer no chance, having spent the match sitting deeper than Kamara so his partner could press higher. Tammy Abraham, on for Madjo on 59 minutes for his first minutes of pre-season, headed against a fine Neuer save moments after the goal. Alejandro Garnacho and John McGinn were both left out injured, and Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins have still not reported back after the World Cup. Bayern were without Harry Kane and Michael Olise. Villa had eight shots to Bayern's sixteen and 44 per cent of the ball, but won the duel count 57-37.

Europa League winners vs Champions League winners. Unai Emery named Villa in a 4-2-3-1: Bizot; Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, João Gomes; McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings; Madjo. Alejandro Garnacho was left out under concussion protocols, and Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, and Ollie Watkins had already been given four weeks off. FULL TIME: Paris Saint-Germain 2 Aston Villa 1. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia cut inside Matty Cash and finished at Marco Bizot's near post on 20 minutes; Brian Madjo volleyed in John McGinn's cross on the stroke of half-time to become the youngest scorer in the competition's history; Désiré Doué struck the winner just after the hour, running beyond an imperfect offside line onto Ousmane Dembélé's pass, the goal ruled out on the field before semi-automated offside showed Cash had played him on and Omar Artan awarded it. Boubacar Kamara made his first start since the knee injury he sustained against Spurs in January. Villa had 15 shots to PSG's 12 and hit the woodwork once, and Warren Zaïre-Emery blocked João Gomes from a near-certain debut goal. Emery made a triple change on 73 minutes (Bogarde, Alysson, and Abraham for Kamara, McGinn, and Madjo) and sent on Mings and Barkley for Pau Torres and Gomes on 79. Yellow cards for Pau Torres, Gomes, and McGinn.

Villa's eighth and last match of the summer, and they lost 2-1. Tim Kleindienst 32', 35'; McGinn 69'. Unai Emery rested the side that will start at Brighton & Hove Albion, having taken the minutes he wanted out of the Super Cup, and named a young 4-2-3-1: Bizot; Nedeljkovic, Lindelof, Mings, Rowe; Bogarde, Barkley; Alysson, Lynch, Hemmings; Abraham. Emiliano Martinez, Ezri Konsa and Ollie Watkins were all still on their four-week post-World Cup break, and Joao Gomes and Brian Madjo were injured. Gladbach had the better of a flat first half. Alysson was booked for a late tackle on 12 minutes, Robin Hack volleyed just past the post on 23, and after a hydration break that visibly irritated Emery, Franck Honorat raced clear on the right and squared for Kleindienst to tap in on 32 minutes. Three minutes later Kleindienst headed a second straight from a corner. Emery changed six at the interval, sending on Wright, Cash, Maatsen, Kamara, Buendia and McGinn. Buendia set up Maatsen for a poor finish on 50 minutes, and four minutes later Abraham slipped chasing a Barkley pass, was treated on the pitch and limped off, with the 18-year-old Brad Burrowes replacing him and Pau Torres coming on at the same time. McGinn was booked on 67 and pulled a goal back on 69, finishing from close range after Buendia cut the ball back. Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba came on for Barkley with four minutes left.

League-phase opener at the Jan Breydel Stadium, kick-off 17:45 UK time. FULL TIME: Club Brugge 2 Aston Villa 3, Villa's first win of the season. Unai Emery named a 4-2-3-1: Suzuki; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Maatsen; Kamara, João Gomes; McGinn, Buendía, Hemmings; Jackson, with Matty Cash left at home with muscle soreness and Wan-Bissaka making his full Villa debut. John McGinn opened the scoring on 11 minutes, guiding a first-time left-footed finish into the far corner after Pau Torres carried the ball to the edge of the box and squared it; the goal was McGinn's 12th in Europe for Villa and made him the club's all-time leading European scorer. Hugo Vetlesen levelled on 19, finishing Jan Virgili's cut-back past Suzuki. Villa were level for less than three minutes: Nicolas Jackson backheeled into João Gomes, who twisted inside the box and picked out Emiliano Buendía for his first goal since the Europa League final in May. Torres supplied the third on 43, lofting a pass between Lee Han-beom and Brandon Mechele for Jackson to run onto; Yann Sommer raced 40 yards from his goal, Jackson took the ball round him and passed into the empty net for his first in claret and blue. Nicolò Tresoldi pulled one back from the penalty spot on 61 after a VAR review sent Sandro Schärer to penalise Wan-Bissaka for handball, and Tresoldi hit the post soon afterwards. Villa held on through a long spell of pressure, Suzuki making two good saves and Joaquin Seys clearing a Lamare Bogarde shot off the line. George Hemmings, 19, became Villa's first teenager to start a European Cup or Champions League match in 43 years. Emery made a triple change on 69 minutes (Bogarde, Barkley, and Alysson Edward for Wan-Bissaka, Kamara, and Buendía) and sent on Abraham for Jackson on 81. Yellow cards for Ian Maatsen, John McGinn, and João Gomes.

Third round at the Coventry Building Society Arena, kick-off 20:00 BST. Villa won 3-1. Abraham 7', 59', Barkley 40'; Torp 27'. Unai Emery named a heavily rotated side in a 4-2-3-1 — Bizot; Wan-Bissaka, Harwood-Bellis, Mings, Ruggeri; Bogarde, Barkley; Mbaye, McGinn, Hemmings; Abraham — handing Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ibrahim Mbaye their first Villa starts, with João Gomes left out as a precaution with calf discomfort. Tammy Abraham ran between the Coventry centre-backs to finish George Hemmings's outside-of-the-foot pass inside seven minutes. Victor Torp equalised on 27 with a free-kick after Ross Barkley was booked for the foul that conceded it, and Barkley then headed Villa back in front at the near post from Mbaye's corner five minutes before the interval. Marco Bizot was replaced by Zion Suzuki at half-time after coming off hurt, and Abraham turned in his second from another corner on 59. Johan Manzambi and Emiliano Buendía replaced McGinn and Mbaye on 64, Nicolas Jackson came on for Abraham on 69, and Alysson replaced Hemmings on 79. Villa finished with 18 shots to Coventry's 15 and nine on target to five, and went through to the fourth round.

The 15th Antonio Puerta Trophy, played in memory of the Sevilla defender who died in August 2007, and Unai Emery's first return to the club he led to three straight Europa League titles. Villa won 3-1 with three goals in 12 minutes after falling behind. Isaac Romero, wearing Puerta's No. 16, put Sevilla ahead on 53 minutes; Ross Barkley levelled on 71, Alejandro Garnacho put Villa in front on 79, and the academy midfielder Max Jenner, on for seven minutes, sealed it on 83 after another error playing out from the back. Emery named a 4-2-3-1: Bizot; Bogarde, Harwood-Bellis, Mings, Fortes; Kamara, João Gomes; Hemmings, Buendía, Garnacho; Abraham. Garnacho started after four matches on the bench. Pau Torres and Brian Madjo both played the second half on their returns from injury — Madjo for the first time since the UEFA Super Cup on August 12th — as Emery sent on Wan-Bissaka, Torres, Bloomfield, Barkley and Madjo at the interval for Fortes, Mings, Kamara, Buendía and Abraham. Alysson replaced Hemmings on 66 and Jenner replaced Gomes on 76. Bizot played the full match. Leon Goretzka, back in training, was not in the matchday squad. Sources: BBC Sport (Nick Mashiter) match report; 101TV; Read Aston Villa team sheet, October 2nd.

League-phase matchday two at Villa Park. FULL TIME: Aston Villa 6 Fenerbahçe 0 (3-0 at half-time), Villa's biggest ever European win and their first home win of the season. Unai Emery named a 4-2-3-1: Suzuki; Cash, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Wan-Bissaka; Kamara, Barkley; McGinn, Manzambi, Mbaye; Jackson, with Wan-Bissaka continuing at left-back. Johan Manzambi opened the scoring on his 21st birthday on 12 minutes, his shot from John McGinn's corner deflecting in off Milan Škriniar. Nicolas Jackson drilled in from 18 yards on 31 after Boubacar Kamara won the ball high up the pitch, and scored again from a similar spot on 39 from Ross Barkley's pass. Barkley converted a penalty on 68 after Ismail Yüksek tripped Manzambi, then added a deflected strike from the edge of the box on 72; Tammy Abraham turned in Alysson's cross from close range on 90. Zion Suzuki twice denied Vedat Muriqi and Oğuz Aydın hit the crossbar. João Gomes and Alysson replaced Kamara and Manzambi on 73, Alejandro Garnacho and Abraham came on for Mbaye and Jackson on 78, and Leon Goretzka made his Villa debut in place of Barkley on 83. Mings, Buendía, Bogarde, Bizot, and Wright were unused. Villa have two wins from two in the league phase and host Viking FK on October 21st. Sources: Press Association (Jonathan Veal); Express & Star (Matt Maher), October 14th.

League-phase matchday three at Villa Park. FULL TIME: Aston Villa 3 Viking 1 (2-0 at half-time), a third win from three in the league phase. Unai Emery named a 4-2-3-1 with no natural full-back available: Suzuki; João Gomes, Lindelöf, Pau Torres, Mings; McGinn, Barkley; Alysson, Buendía, Mbaye; Jackson. Gomes, playing at right-back, saw an early cross deflect onto the underside of the bar. Ross Barkley headed in Ibrahim Mbaye's corner on 23 minutes, and Emiliano Buendía scored a penalty on 37 after a VAR check ruled that Alysson had been clipped in the box. Alysson, the outstanding player on the pitch, raced through from deep on 62 and his cross was turned into his own net by Henrik Heggheim. Peter Christiansen's volley on 84, awarded after a VAR check, was Viking's consolation and left Villa second in the league phase behind Paris Saint-Germain. Matty Cash, Leon Goretzka, and Tammy Abraham replaced Gomes, Barkley, and Jackson on 70 minutes; Alejandro Garnacho came on for Mbaye on 72 and George Hemmings for Alysson on 75. Maatsen, Kamara, Harwood-Bellis, Bogarde, Bizot, and Wright were unused. Source: Sky Sports (Adam Bate) match report, October 21st.

Fourth round at the Vitality Stadium. Amine Adli finished Julio Soler's cross on seven minutes, Lewis Cook's mishit cross from a corner beat Marco Bizot six minutes into the second half, and Alvaro Rodriguez punished Lamare Bogarde's misplaced pass on 69 minutes. Villa made nine changes from the win over Manchester City; Leon Goretzka made his first start and missed a free header in first-half stoppage time. João Gomes, Emiliano Buendía, and Brian Madjo were booked. Bournemouth face Liverpool in the quarter-finals; Villa have still not gone beyond the fourth round under Unai Emery.