Despite yet another stuttering start to a new campaign, Aston Villa are starting to show positive signs on the pitch after a soul-destroying summer window.

Unai Emery’s men saw the heart of their most successful side in a generation torn apart, which no doubt had an effect on the side during the early stages of 2026/27.

However, his side have now avoided defeat in five of their last six games across all competitions, with Nottingham Forest the only side to get one over them since the start of September.

Saturday’s draw with Brentford was yet another stepping stone for the Villans, as two players starred once again to help Emery’s men in their hunt for success.

How McGinn & Jackson caught the eye against Brentford

As has been the case for the majority of the last five years, midfielder John McGinn started for Villa in the Premier League last weekend and managed to catch the eye with his display.

The Scottish international was a constant threat to the Bees throughout the clash at Villa Park, subsequently creating two chances - one of which was defined as a big chance.

He registered the most shots on target of any player within Emery’s starting eleven on Saturday afternoon, with his tally of three allowing him to find the back of the net for the second time this term.

McGinn wasn’t alone in impressing during this weekend’s stalemate, as striker Nicolas Jackson once again demonstrated why the board paid £60m for his signature this summer.

The centre-forward has been tasked with providing the goods following the departure of Ollie Watkins, but his figures from the draw showcase why he’s more than capable of stepping up to the plate.

The 25-year-old once again found himself on the scoresheet for the third time in five matches, including for the second time in as many league outings.

His tally of seven touches in the opposition box on Saturday was evidence of his poacher nature, something which allowed him to maintain his tremendous scoring form.

How Villa have found another £100m star after Brentford

The aforementioned duo’s responsibility within attacking areas has no doubt been heightened in recent months after the Villa hierarchy sanctioned the £117m sale of Morgan Rogers.

His subsequent move may have been an English-record, but it left a huge hole within Emery’s attack in their hunt to build on the recent Europa League success.

It’s certainly taken time to gel after the fire sale at Villa Park, but it seems as though the manager is finally starting to understand his best options in the final third.

Summer addition Johan Manzambi is a player who had to bide his time in the West Midlands, after arriving from Freiburg for a then club-record £52m back in July.

His injury issues prevented him from making a huge impact during the early stages of 2026/27, but the Swiss international has finally overcome his recent setbacks.

The 20-year-old has started each of the last two league games for Emery’s men, subsequently registering a goal and two assists during games against Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford.

His showing during the latter of the two games was evidence of the quality he possesses and demonstrates how he could emulate Rogers in being a £100m talent in the near future.

Manzambi featured for 86 minutes of the 2-2 draw, and subsequently took the most shots of any player (7), whilst creating the most chances of any player on the pitch (3).

The latter of the two figures allowed him to tee up McGinn for his goal and allowed Emery’s men to maintain their recent impressive form in the Premier League.

He also managed to complete 95% of the passes he attempted on Saturday, with the attacker registering nine line-breaking passes - the most of any attacker in the Villans’ starting eleven.

His direct nature with the ball at his feet saw the youngster complete two dribbles and resulted in the opposition committing two fouls on the forward to stop him getting into full flow.

After losing Rogers this summer, many Villa supporters would have feared the worst and expected a huge drop off within the attacking department.

However, Manzambi has already demonstrated that he’s capable of setting new heights at Villa Park and allowing the fanbase to forget about the Englishman’s achievements.

Should he continue in the same vein during the years ahead, there’s no reason why the Swiss star can’t be the next player to depart the West Midlands for over £100m.