Not even scoring for the first time since last May could drag Aston Villa out of their worrying early-season slump.
Unai Emery’s men are out of the Carabao Cup, beaten on penalties by Brentford. Though this competition matters less to Emery than any other, defeat increases the pressure on Sunday’s trip to Sunderland in the Premier League.
Harvey Elliott made his full debut and Jadon Sancho featured for the first time in a Villa shirt but though Elliott scored, neither player could inspire a turnaround in their team, with Sancho missing a glorious chance with Villa 1-0 up.