Aston Villa finally have their first win of the 2026/27 season and they had to earn it the hard way.
Villa defeated Club Brugge 3–2 in Belgium on Tuesday, building a commanding first-half lead before spending much of the second half desperately protecting it.
John McGinn, Emiliano Buendía and Nicolas Jackson gave Villa a 3–1 advantage before halftime.
Nicolo Tresoldi pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 61st minute, turning the remainder of the match into a survival exercise.
Villa held on. For Unai Emery, it was an important European victory after a sluggish beginning to the domestic campaign.
Villa explode out of the blocks
McGinn opened the scoring in the 11th minute. It was the perfect start for the visitors, who looked aggressive and confident from the opening stages.
Club Brugge responded eight minutes later through Hugo Vetlesen, but Villa immediately regained control. Buendía restored Villa’s lead in the 22nd minute. Then came Jackson. The summer arrival, brought in to replace Ollie Watkins, scored his first goal for the club in the 43rd minute. It was a goal that summed up Villa’s first-half performance.
Pau Torres won the ball and sent a long pass forward. Club Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had come well outside his area, but Jackson reached the ball first, took it around him and finished into an empty net. Villa went into halftime 3–1 ahead. They appeared to be cruising. They were not.
Brugge turn the match around
The Belgian side returned from halftime with a completely different level of intensity. Villa were pushed deeper and deeper.
Brugge’s pressure eventually produced a penalty after a VAR review determined that Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s arm had made contact with the ball in the area. Tresoldi converted in the 61st minute.
Suddenly there was only one goal between the teams. The atmosphere changed. Villa were no longer playing for another goal. They were defending what they already had.
Brugge created further opportunities, including a header from Tresoldi that struck the post after a save from Yuki Suzuki. The visitors also required important defensive interventions.
Emery gets the result he needed
Villa survived the final pressure.
The victory gives Emery an important European result and, perhaps more importantly, gives his squad confidence. The first half demonstrated their attacking potential.
The second half demonstrated their ability to suffer. Those qualities may both prove valuable during a long Champions League campaign. For Jackson, the night was particularly significant.
His first Aston Villa goal arrived in one of Europe’s biggest competitions and proved decisive. For Emery, the message is equally important. His team are not yet where he wants them to be.
But they have their first win. And in the Champions League, surviving a difficult away night can be just as valuable as dominating one.
