Turkey United Kingdom

Aston Villa recorded the biggest European victory in the club’s history by beating Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park, securing their first home win of the season and strengthening their position in the Champions League.

Johan Manzambi opened the scoring before Nicolas Jackson struck twice in the first half, putting Unai Emery’s side firmly in control against the Turkish visitors. Jackson celebrated his double with a cutting gesture as Villa produced the clinical finishing that had been missing in their earlier home matches.

The goals came at the end of the ground where the North Stand is being rebuilt. Emery had said the construction work had affected Villa after they went three home games without a win this season, and the team had scored only once while attacking that end before the Fenerbahce match.

Fenerbahce goalkeeper Zion Suzuki made two important saves, but the visitors could not stem Villa’s pressure. Ross Barkley scored twice after the break and Tammy Abraham completed the scoring with a late tap-in.

The result was Villa’s first six-goal game since their 6-1 victory over Brighton three years ago. They had also scored five against Hibernian in the Europa Conference League in 2023.

Home concerns set aside

Villa had taken only one point from their opening three Premier League matches at Villa Park. Their 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday prevented a third successive home league defeat under Emery, something the club had not experienced since February 2024.

Fenerbahce arrived with several former Premier League players in their squad, including Ederson, Nathan Ake, Romelu Lukaku and Nelson Semedo. Villa, however, dominated the contest from the opening half and now have only one defeat in their past seven games.

Emery said the margin of victory did not fully reflect Fenerbahce’s performance, but stressed the importance of Villa’s response and the three Champions League points.

“They didn’t deserve 6-0 but for us it was very important how we achieved the first win at home and how we managed with different players, our progression and step forward,” Emery said.

“There is still a lot of work to do and we need time, we are progressively getting better and it was a good step forward. In the Champions League the three points are important. We want to be a protagonist in the Champions League.

“Now the clear objective is against Newcastle because of the lack of points in the Premier League.”

Before the international break, Emery described the first five weeks of the campaign as resembling pre-season, with 10 new players needing time to adapt after a chaotic summer of change.

New signings show promise

Manzambi was influential as he carried the ball past Fenerbahce challenges, while Ibraham Mbaye found space in attack despite Emery’s side still having areas to improve. Jackson took his chances, and Suzuki continued to look comfortable in his role.

Leon Goretzka also made his Villa debut as a late substitute.

Former Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov told TNT that the performance showed the potential Emery had identified in the squad.

“I think that's what Emery has been talking about with the potential of this team and what they can do,” Petrov said. “There's been a lot of questions from the start of the season, even for this game as well. People asking how far they can go in this competition but it seems as though they're clicking together and there's a flow to their game.

“The players that Emery has brought in are starting to perform really well and it's a well-deserved win.”