Aston Villa will head to Hull City on Saturday evening knowing their season needs a spark.

Unai Emery’s side have lost their opening two Premier League matches and are yet to score.

A 4-0 defeat at Brighton was followed by a much better display against Arsenal, but Bukayo Saka’s goal still condemned Villa to a 1-0 loss at home.

There were encouraging signs in that second performance. Emiliano Buendia struck the woodwork and Villa pushed one of the title favourites hard, yet the table still makes uncomfortable reading.

Saturday’s trip to the MKM Stadium now offers an immediate chance to respond. However, Hull have made a flying start following promotion.

The Tigers beat Man United 2-0 on the opening weekend before winning 1-0 at Coventry City. That leaves them with six points, three goals scored and none conceded.

Villa, by contrast, arrive with no points and a goal difference of minus five.

Emery must quickly turn an almost entirely rebuilt group into a settled team after a summer of major change.

10 new players came through the door, while several established stars moved on. Nicolas Jackson, Alejandro Garnacho, Leon Goretzka and Ibrahim Mbaye are among the arrivals now trying to find their feet in a new-look side.

That scale of turnover has handed Emery plenty of talent, but it has also left him searching for the right combinations.

One man who will not be involved at Hull is Amadou Onana.

The Belgium international remains sidelined after rupturing his ACL during the World Cup. He suffered the injury in Belgium’s last-16 victory over the USA and faces a long road back to action.

Onana’s absence is a major blow.

The powerful midfielder made 38 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring twice, and his presence is difficult to replace.

But while the 25-year-old continues his rehabilitation, Villa have reportedly made an important move to secure his future.

Amadou Onana pens new Aston Villa deal 'this afternoon' after agreement reached

Sky Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri claims Onana signed a new contract this afternoon.

An agreement is said to have been reached which adds another two seasons to his stay in the Midlands.

Onana’s previous terms were due to run until June 2029, so the reported extension would therefore tie him to Villa until the summer of 2031.

Villa have yet to confirm the deal, but its timing would send a clear message.

Onana joined from Everton for around £50 million in July 2024 and has since developed into a central figure under Emery.

At 6ft 5in, he gives Villa strength, height and authority in midfield, but he is also comfortable carrying the ball and supporting attacks. Giving him extra security during a serious injury recovery shows how highly Villa continue to value him.

It also removes any immediate uncertainty after Man United were linked with a move earlier this year.

The short-term focus is firmly on collecting a result at Hull without Onana, but the bigger picture could now include the Belgian at Villa Park for the rest of the decade.