Unai Emery believes Aston Villa did enough to win at Hull City and is confident his team’s Premier League goal drought will soon come to an end.
Despite carving out several clear-cut chances at the MKM Stadium, Villa failed to get their campaign up and running on Saturday as they were held to a goalless draw.
Ross Barkley, John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia passed up Villa’s best opportunities, as they won the expected goals (xG) battle by 1.74 to 0.58 but could not find a way past Konstantinos Tzolakis in the Hull net.
Having failed to even register a shot on target in their drab defeats to Brighton and Arsenal across the first two matchdays, Villa remain winless and goalless for 2026-27, sitting 17th in the table.
And, after also failing to net in their first four games of 2025-26, Villa are just the second team in English top-flight history to open back-to-back campaigns with three goalless games, after Ipswich Town in 1969-70 and 1970-71.
With Coventry City and Tottenham also yet to find the back of the net, this is the first Premier League season with as many as three goalless sides after three matchdays.
Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, Emery said: “The result is not enough, but how we played and how we created, with our chances to score – I think we deserved more.
“We weren’t clinical. We had four very good chances to score and, of course, if we score, the match can change.
“We avoided some mistakes we made before; we avoided the transitions, we avoided giving up corners or free-kicks, where they can feel strong.
“We had more chances, in the end, to win. They are very motivated, excited to be here at home with their supporters, and they had some options.
“But overall, after 90 minutes I feel comfortable that we are progressing. It’s hard, but we have to accept how we are. Again, we are building the team.”
3 – Aston Villa are just the second team to fail to score in their first three games in consecutive top-flight campaigns after Ipswich Town (1969-70, 1970-71).
Frustration. pic.twitter.com/WqjPHIdA0K
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 5, 2026
Villa went through a large-scale rebuild in the summer transfer window, though only two of their new additions – goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and striker Nicolas Jackson – started on Saturday. Three more came off the bench, in Matteo Ruggeri, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Alejandro Garnacho.
And Emery reiterated that patience will be required as Villa move on from the sales of stalwarts Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Emiliano Martinez.
“We worked four years in the same structure and we always felt comfortable. The supporters were more or less happy with how we did it,” he said.
“Now, we need time and in some ways it may not be about passion, but we have passion. Of course, to win matches, you need goals.
“But, we created chances today to score, and we must improve by being clinical. Then, we need to exploit things better and be better from set-pieces. “
Villa’s next match is in the Champions League, as they open their league-stage campaign at Club Brugge, before they welcome Nottingham Forest to Villa Park on September 12.
