One defeat so far in 2026 as we look into January for Unai Emery’s men

Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest

Aston Villa made a perfect start to the new year with a convincing 3-1 win over Sean Dyche’s men, wasting no time in bouncing back from a heavy 4-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates earlier that week. A goal from Ollie Watkins on his 250th appearance for the club and two second-half goals from Scotland international John McGinn guided Villa to an 11th straight victory at Villa Park, their longest winning run since 1980.

Crystal Palace 0-0 Aston Villa

Up next was a tough away trip to Selhurst Park to face a Palace side who were undefeated against Villa in their last six encounters but were struggling themselves domestically, having not recorded a home win since the beginning of November. A frustrating goalless draw, which saw Emery’s side have fifteen shots on goal, meant Villa failed to tighten the gap to three points on Arsenal at the top of the table.

Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa (FA Cup)

It was a break from league action with Villa travelling to North London as they began their FA Cup journey with an impressive 2-1 win against fellow Premier League outfit Spurs. A strong opening half saw first-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers give Villa a two-goal cushion at the break, and despite an improved display from Thomas Frank’s side in the second half, which saw Wilson Odobert pull a goal back, Villa held on to book a place in the fourth round as a home tie against Newcastle United awaits later this month.

Aston Villa 0-1 Everton

Villa went into this game knowing a win would see them overtake Manchester City into second place after they had fallen to a 2-0 defeat in the Manchester Derby the day before. However, they were unable to take advantage of that opportunity and instead suffered only a third defeat at Villa Park this season in what was an uninspiring performance, to say the least. Villa showed a real lack of urgency and quality in the final third for large spells, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez’s mistake, which led to Everton’s goal, proved to be costly in the end.

Fenerbahce 0-1 Aston Villa

On a more positive note, Villa would go on to secure automatic qualification for the last 16 in the Europa League with a game to spare, as they grounded out a 1-0 win over José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, courtesy of Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho netting his first goal for the club. Villa were perhaps unfortunate not to have won by more, having missed some big chances, and had a second goal for Jadon Sancho ruled out for offside before half-time.

Newcastle 0-2 Aston Villa

Not many people would have predicted Emery’s men to win either of their away matches against both Fenerbahce and Newcastle before a ball was kicked due to Villa’s injury issues, but they did exactly that. Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins scored in either half to secure a first away win at St James’ Park since 2005 and ensure Villa’s strong away form in the league continued, as they would go level on points with second-placed Manchester City for the time being.

Aston Villa 3-2 Red Bull Salzburg

Villa would end the month with three points against German opposition Red Bull Salzburg as the league phase of the Europa League ended, with Villa already through. Villa showed resilience and character as they fought from 2-0 down to win it late on, with 19-year-old Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba coming off the bench to net his first senior goal for the club, as Villa ended the league phase of the Europa League unbeaten at Villa Park, and they can now look forward to the knockout stages in March.