Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has called for calm following a goalless draw at Hull, insisting his rebuilt squad needs time to gel after a summer of significant turnover in personnel.
Villa's attack looked disjointed as the club continues to integrate a host of new arrivals, none more high-profile than striker Jackson, whose pedigree includes a title-winning spell at Bayern Munich last season. During his time in Bavaria, Jackson posted an impressive 21.1% conversion rate, finding the net eight times across 1,004 minutes on the pitch — numbers that explain why Emery is placing his faith in the forward despite the early struggles.
The challenge now is building the supply lines around him. With Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne and Youri Tielemans all having departed the club, Villa have lost the core that produced the bulk of their attacking output last season. Watkins and Rogers alone accounted for 46% of Villa's Premier League goals, while Rogers and Digne combined for 12 assists, with Tielemans contributing four and Watkins three.
Filling that void falls largely to 18-year-old Mbaye, a £47m deadline-day signing from Paris St-Germain, and Chelsea loanee Garnacho, alongside support from Brian Madjo and Tammy Abraham. Mbaye arrives with a strong pedigree of his own, having created four goals in 10 starts for PSG during their Ligue 1-winning campaign last season, though he was an unused substitute in the draw at Hull.
Garnacho, meanwhile, has yet to break into the starting XI, with 19-year-old academy product George Hemmings currently preferred. Despite the winger's lack of regular football before this season — just 25 minutes in the top flight — Emery has been effusive in his praise, describing Garnacho as