Nicolas Jackson celebrated his first-half brace with a cutting move that proved fitting on a night when Aston Villa found their clinical edge.
A first victory at Villa Park this season, three first-half goals (six in total) and a resounding Champions League victory, all in the biggest European victory in their history.
Unai Emery said his side had been hit by the rebuilding of the North Stand after three games without a win at home this season, but showed no signs of struggling against Fenerbahce.
A dominant victory against the Turkish visitors leaves Villa already well placed to reach the knockout stage of the Champions League and will contribute to their slow growth.
The questions mounted as Villa picked up just one point from their opening three Premier League home games this season, although Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Brentford allowed them to avoid a third successive home league defeat under Emery for the first time since February 2024.
Against Fenerbahce, they found a willing opponent. Scattered with former Premier League players including Ederson, Nathan Ake, Romelu Lukaku and Nelson Semedo, the visitors would have been a formidable foe five years ago.
Instead, they fell back quickly in the first half – despite two important saves from Zion Suzuki – as Johan Manzambi and Jackson’s brace put Villa in complete control.
The goals were scored in front of the skeleton of the North Stand, which will not have gone unnoticed since they had only scored once when attacking this end of the season.
Ross Barkley’s double and Tammy Abraham’s late strike added to the visitors’ woes and underlined Villa’s dominance.
They last scored in a 6-1 win over Brighton three years ago and had already beaten Hibernian by five in the Europa Conference League in 2023.
The result provides another stepping stone and extends Villa’s recent form to just one defeat in their last seven games.
However, Emery’s rebuild will still take time. Before the international break, he described the first five weeks of the campaign as still being pre-season with 10 new players to adapt to after a chaotic summer of changes.
Reflecting after the match on how things are progressing, he said: “They (Fenerbahce) didn’t deserve 6-0, but for us it was very important how we got the first win at home and how we dealt with the different players, our progress and our progress.
“There is still a lot of work to do and we need time, we are gradually improving and this 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 target is against Newcastle due to the lack of points in the Premier League.”
The first signs of progress are already evident.
Manzambi got past Fenerbahce’s helpless tackles, Ibraham Mbaye found space to exploit – although he needs to improve – and Jackson was clinical.
Leon Goretzka made his debut as a late substitute and Suzuki remained in charge, continuing to slip into his role with ease.
“I think that’s what Emery talked about about the potential of this team and what they can do,” former Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov told TNT.
“There have been a lot of questions since the start of the season, even for this match. People are wondering how far they can go in this competition, but it seems like they are getting along and there is a flow to their game.
“The players Emery has brought in are starting to perform really well and it’s a well-deserved win.”
Gn sports
