Aston Villa stands alone as the only club in England’s top seven divisions yet to score this season. The underlying issue is one we underestimate because it is hard to quantify—the mood within the squad.

Aston Villa were on a high to end last season. They won thirteen of their last seventeen matches.

Ollie Watkins had a full preseason injury-free for the first time in a long time. He looked fresh and scored in all five preseason friendlies.

They looked set to start the season well, but what changed?

The Aston Villa players are ambitious. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, they need to be noticed to start for their national team. The star players will want Champions League, and Villa can’t offer that, but they qualified for the Europa League. Players like Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, and Emiliano Martinez were rumored to be linked with moves to teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, a key leader, was crying as he waved goodbye to the Villa fans to end last season. He thought he was gone. He was left out of the squad for the first three matches because he was waiting for the call from Chelsea or Manchester United that never came.

Aston Villa were hamstrung in competing against the other top clubs for the exciting summer signings in the transfer market due to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). They were forced to sell a club favorite, their beloved midfielder Jacob Ramsey, to Newcastle before their first match of the season.

Everything changed once Jacob Ramsey left, and you can tell both by, one, the body language of the players and two, their direct quotes.

The most telling statement came from Tyrone Mings; he said on Instagram, “Don’t wanna hear any bad words or anything negative on this name. You don’t know the half.” That is the sound of a player talking for a player who did not want to leave.

Once the season kicked off against Newcastle in that first game, they looked like a completely different squad compared to preseason. They were and continue to be lifeless with the ball.

Emiliano Martinez was sitting watching the game from the stands as Unai Emery chanted “Marco Bizot, Marco Bizot, Marco Bizot” in a pre-match press conference before the game. Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers, both lacking service, their faces look dejected.

The club can’t compete with the top four contenders in the transfer market, a beloved player leaves, and key players and leaders are anxious to find a new challenge. The vibes are off.

It’s a feeling you get when you look at their body language or when the camera zooms in on their face. If the vibes are off, it doesn’t matter how they set up.

The mood of the team trumps tactics, and that is something that is often ignored by us on the outside.

Now that the transfer window is closed, they’ll take a look around the locker room and look at Unai Emery; he’s a top manager, and they are in the Europa League. They’ll peer at their phone and see the promotional content for the World Cup. If not for the team, they’ll do it for themselves.

They’ll score but it doesn’t feel like the players are playing expecting to stay next season, so some questions on the motivation.