Aston Villa’s Champions League Start: Three Wins From Three, Penalties and No Need for Full-Backs

Aston Villa maintained a perfect start to their Champions League campaign under manager Unai Emery with a 3-1 victory against Viking FK at Villa Park. The win marked Villa's third consecutive victory from three matches in the league phase. Emery deployed an unexpected tactical setup with a back three and no conventional full-backs, featuring Tyrone Mings, Victor Lindelöf, Pau Torres, and hybrid right-back João Gomes.

Villa secured the win courtesy of a Ross Barkley near-post header, an Emiliano Buendía penalty, and an own goal credited to Alysson Edward. The My Old Man Said podcast described the team's first-half display as the most controlled performance witnessed during Emery's tenure, noting that the Norwegian side was suffocated in their own half.