Aston Villa lost to Sheffield Wednesday in their first Championship match.
Aston Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo
Aston Villa suffered a 1-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday in their opening Championship fixture.
New owner Tony Xia was in attendance at Hillsborough, able to watch his side in a competitive fixture for the very first time.
Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia in the stands
If the scale of the job ahead for Villa was not already apparent to the Chinese businessman, reality should quickly have sunk in.
Despite displaying a short temper a fortnight ago when shown Ian Holloway’s pre-season prediction for his club, Xia seemed calm having watched the opening fixture, and not too melodramatic.
There are 45 games remaining in this Championship season and at this early stage they are right not to be overly worried.
Sheffield Wednesday are an experienced side in the division and while Villa need to get up to speed soon, the team always faced a tough task with the way the fixture list fell on the opening day.
They face Luton Town in the League Cup on Tuesday, and will be determined to get a first win of the season under their belts. Lose that one, and Xia may not be so relaxed.
New owner Dr Tony Xia during the press conference
The eccentric owner was also positive about missing men Adama Traore and Jordan Amavi, insisting both will soon be available for selection.
The pair are bright talents who missed most of last season through injury, and could play crucial roles in the club’s revival this upcoming campaign if they can stay healthy.
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