'Not the team they were' - should winless Villa be worried?

Three successive European campaigns, a top-four decorativeness followed by a spot successful nan apical six - Unai Emery has delivered immoderate unforgettable moments for Aston Villa fans.

This play is only 5 games old, but it is already clear thing is not rather right.

Villa, who hit some Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain successful nan Champions League past season, are yet to click, yet to triumph and desperately struggling for goals.

"They look clunky, they don't look fluid, and they are not nan aforesaid squad they were past year," erstwhile England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live aft Sunday's 1-1 tie astatine Sunderland.

"It is conscionable not clicking for Aston Villa."

Robinson was astatine nan Stadium of Light to watch Emery's broadside struggle against recently promoted opponents who played for much than an hr pinch 10 men aft nan dismissal of defender Reinildo for kicking retired astatine Matty Cash.

Villa took nan lead done Cash's 67th-minute decorativeness from 25 yards, but moreover past they were incapable to clasp connected to nan lead, Wilson Isidor equalising 8 minutes later to gain nan Black Cats a deserved point.

So what has gone incorrect and should Villa fans beryllium worried?

No wins, 1 Premier League goal, and out of nan Carabao Cup earlier nan extremity of September.

It has been a miserable commencement to Emery's 3rd afloat play successful charge.

Villa scored 134 goals complete nan erstwhile 2 campaigns to unafraid 4th and sixth-placed finishes, truthful why person nan goals dried up?

Cash's onslaught against Sunderland, a venomous changeable which swerved earlier hitting nan net, astatine slightest ensured they are up and moving aft failing to people successful nan the opening 4 convention matches.

The tally ended astatine 427 minutes, pinch only Crystal Palace successful 2017-18 (641) and Newcastle United successful 2005-06 (438) having to hold longer for a first convention extremity from nan commencement of a campaign.

"They person sewage nan first convention extremity disconnected their backs but they didn't create a lot," added Robinson. "And they were a spot slow, pedestrian successful midfield."

Villa registered conscionable 2 attempts connected target astatine Sunderland - a damning stat considering they played astir of nan lucifer against 10 players.

No squad has recorded less shots connected target successful nan Premier League this play than Villa (12 - level pinch Everton and Leeds).

Dutchman Donyell Malen and Ollie Watkins some had awesome chances to snatch triumph successful nan closing moments, but it is now 1 extremity successful 10 convention games for nan England forward.

That's nan aforesaid Watkins who scored 16 times connected nan top-flight shape successful nan erstwhile campaign.

"We request to play better, we request to power better, we request to predominate better, we request to get our style," admitted Emery. "Then nan goals and assists will come."

"We are a small spot down successful my anticipation successful really we are building arsenic a team."

Villa motorboat their Europa League run astatine location to Bologna connected Thursday, and will person to juggle nan demands of playing Thursday-Sunday matches.

Their nonaccomplishment to decorativeness successful a Champions League position meant restrictions were put successful spot during nan summertime to comply pinch nan Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

In addition, nan nonaccomplishment of indebtedness signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio has impacted nan extent of value successful nan attacking department.

They were capable to bring successful Nice striker Evann Guessand for £26m positive £4.3m successful add-ons, but nan Ivory Coast guardant has registered conscionable 2 attempts connected target.

"After playing 11 against 10 it should beryllium easier to predominate and return advantage, but we were not playing pinch our identity," added Emery.

"I'm disappointed and frustrated, much for really we are not achieving our identity, playing nan shot we've been successful with."

Looking astatine positives for Emery, nan adjacent 2 Premier League games connection a decent chance of kick-starting their season.

Villa person back-to-back location games against Fulham connected 28 September and Burnley connected 5 October.

"We're not happy," goalscorer Cash told Sky Sports.

"As a squad we've sewage to beryllium better. With nan value we have, we request to beryllium higher up nan league.

"Over nan past fewer years we've had a batch of highs astatine nan nine and astatine nan infinitesimal we're successful a spot of a reliable period."

There is nary uncertainty Emery's spell astatine Villa has been awesome wide and no-one will beryllium pressing nan panic fastener yet.

However, clip and patience remains successful short proviso successful nan Premier League.

Emery will cognize that unless Villa prime up a triumph soon, nan unit will increase.