It has been an eventful start to life in the Championship for Aston Villa.
Aston Villa look like they have finally settled into life in the Championship, but things were looking pretty desperate early on in the season at Villa Park.
Here’s the story so far:
Sheffield Wednesday’s Fernando Forestieri scores their first goal
Aston Villa headed to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday in their opening game of the season, but were unable to leave with any points. Fernando Forestieri scored the only goal to make it a losing start for then manager Roberto Di Matteo.
Luton Town’s Cameron McGeehan celebrates scoring their second goal
Three days later and Villa suffered another loss, this time in the EFL Cup. League Two’s Luton Town beat the Villans 3-1 on another dark night for a club that looked to be suffering from a relegation hangover.
Nottingham Forest’s Henri Lansbury scores their second goal
Conceding late goals started to become a regular occurrence for Aston Villa. Henri Lansbury’s 87th minute equaliser for Forest made it 2-2, and another two points dropped by Di Matteo’s side.
Aston Villa’s Aaron Tshibola scores their first goal
Finally luck was on Villa’s side when Newcastle arrived to Villa Park. The Magpies took the lead in the first half, but a late equaliser for Aaron Tshibola ensured it was late celebrations for Villa fans.
Aston Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo looks dejected after losing
After conceding a 90th minute equaliser against Barnsley, Aston Villa were then beaten 2-0 by Preston North End, with that defeat ending Di Matteo’s tenure as boss. The Italian was sacked with the club in 19th place in the Championship, two points above the relegation zone after 11 games.
Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce gestures to their fans
Steve Bruce was the man brought in to replace Di Matteo, and it was almost instant success for the former Hull boss.
His first game ended as a 1-1 draw with rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers, with both sides scoring from the spot.
Aston Villa’s Jordan Amavi celebrates after the match with manager Steve Bruce
Bruce’s first win in charge of Aston Villa came away to Reading, thanks to a 90th minute penalty from Jordan Ayew. This was Villa’s first away win since the opening day of the previous season, when they beat Bournemouth 1-0 at Dean Court.
David Davis celebrates scoring the first goal for Birmingham City
Having picked up seven points from his first three games, Bruce took his Aston Villa side to his former employers, and now rivals, Birmingham City. Gary Gardner gave Villa the lead, but David Davis made it 1-1 with just under 20 minutes to go, sending each team home with a point.
Jonathan Kodjia of Aston Villa celebrates scoring their first goal with Gary Gardner
Having gone a goal down at home to Blackburn, a Jonathan Kodjia brace turned the game on its head and gave Bruce yet another win as manager.
The 55-year-old is unbeaten in his first five games, lifting Villa up to 14th place and just five points off the playoffs after 16 games.
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