Aston Villa produced their most emphatic performance in European competition on Wednesday night, defeating Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park to register their first home win of the season and move to two victories from two in the Champions League.
Johan Manzambi, celebrating his 21st birthday and making his first appearance in the competition, opened the scoring after just 12 minutes when his shot deflected in off Fenerbahce captain Milan Skriniar. Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was called upon to deny Vedat Muriqi twice as the Turkish side threatened, but Nicolas Jackson's brace before the interval made the outcome certain.
Jackson's first came just after the half-hour mark after Boubacar Kamara won the ball high up the pitch and found the striker, who drove a low finish into the corner from 18 yards. Barkley then picked him out on the edge of the box six minutes before the break and Jackson selected the same bottom corner for his second. Oguz Aydin struck the Villa crossbar in between those goals, but the advantage was already commanding.
Manzambi was tripped by Ismail Yuksek in the 68th minute and Barkley — the pre-arranged penalty taker — converted from the spot, denying Jackson the chance to keep the match ball. Four minutes later Barkley added a fifth with a deflected effort from the edge of the area that wrong-footed Ederson. Tammy Abraham completed the rout in the 90th minute, turning in from close range after winger Alysson had crossed from the left.
"Yeah I wanted to take it but the most important thing is we win," Jackson told TNT Sports of the penalty decision. "Hopefully next time I'll get the hat-trick."
Emery acknowledged after the match that the scoreline was harsh on the visitors, saying his side had achieved something important in how they managed different players and showed progression. He was particularly warm about his striker, describing Jackson as doing a fantastic job.
The £65m summer signing, who arrived from Chelsea as a replacement for Ollie Watkins following Watkins' £50m departure to Al-Hilal, now has four goals in three games and five for the season in total. Jackson and Emery have history stretching back to Villarreal, where Emery handed him his debut. The 25-year-old scored the manager's final goal there — a last-minute winner against Almeria — before Emery left for Villa Park in October 2022.
Manzambi, a £59.5m recruit from Freiburg, was a constant threat throughout in the No 10 role. He told reporters it was his first Champions League game and first goal, on his birthday, with his family watching — a sentiment that captured the mood inside Villa Park.
Leon Goretzka made his debut from the bench late in the game. Barkley, however, departed in the 82nd minute appearing to clutch at his upper leg and hip area, leaving him a doubt for Saturday's Premier League trip to Newcastle. Villa's recent run now stands at just one defeat in their last seven games.
Reporting: BBC, RTÉ, GiveMeSport, Daily Mail, Guardian, Sky Sports, The Sun, BBC Sport, The Guardian.