Villa ‘have capability’ domestically and in Europe’

With the questions around whether playing in the Champions League will have a negative impact on Aston Villa’s league campaign, it is almost like recency bias has kicked in.

We forget that last year was their best season in the Premier League – and that while playing in Europe on Thursday nights.

They do have the capability to perform domestically while also being in Europe. We know that if you are in Europe on a Thursday, most people write you off because apparently you cannot win on a Sunday and on a Thursday.

In Unai Emery, Aston Villa have got the right man who has been there, done that. You can see it in the way he carries himself on the touchline. He is somebody who will be able to sense a negative trend as such and want to address it.

Yes, the performance against Ipswich was not great, but you could put some of that down to the fact that Ipswich themselves were pushing for that first win of the season, so they will give teams tough games.

The talk about this issue is because of Europe and travelling, but they had not even played the Bayern Munich game at that point so that was just a bad Saturday performance.

This is what it is to be in a football season and to realise that the Premier League is as tough as it comes because of the variability you will face week to week.

The main concern from additional European games is potential injuries.

Ezri Konsa being injured is a blow because this is an England international that they have who has been important to them. At times, they may also feel a bit light in midfield with current fitness issues.

But if they were to look at things in January, it would be unlikely to find a starter but rather someone to complement the overall squad as they are a really solid team, dynamic in attack and defensively very good.

With Amadou Onana, Tyrone Mings, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn coming back too, before long we will be praising them again for the squad depth they have got.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport’s Nicola Pearson