Villa thrash Fenerbahce 6-0 for their biggest ever European win

Aston Villa beat Fenerbahce 6-0 at Villa Park on Wednesday night, the biggest win in the club's history in European competition and their first home win of the season.

Johan Manzambi opened the scoring on his 21st birthday, Nicolas Jackson scored twice before half-time, Ross Barkley added two in the second half and substitute Tammy Abraham got the sixth.

A bright start

Villa were on the front foot from the start. In the 12th minute a short corner was worked to John McGinn, whose cross was headed out only as far as Manzambi. He took a touch and hit a low shot that deflected off Milan Skriniar past Ederson.

Zion Suzuki then kept the lead intact, twice denying Vedat Muriqi, and Mason Greenwood, booed every time he touched the ball on his first appearance in England since January 2022, could not make a clean connection from the edge of the box.

Boubacar Kamara made the second, robbing Ismail Yuksek and feeding Jackson to lash into the bottom corner. Suzuki pushed an Aydin shot onto the bar, before McGinn won the ball and Jackson exchanged passes with Barkley to score his second in the same way.

Barkley's double

Ibrahim Mbaye was denied twice by Ederson early in the second half. Then Yuksek tripped Manzambi in the box and Barkley converted Villa's first penalty in nearly 18 months. Soon after, his shot from outside the area deflected in off substitute Bartug Elmaz. Abraham made it six late on.

"Today was very important"

Jackson, who has five goals in eight games since an initial £47.5m move, admitted he had wanted the penalty for a hat-trick. "The most important thing is we win. Hopefully next time I'll get the hat-trick," he said. "Today was very important as we had not won at home."

Emery said Barkley was the designated taker. "We are delighted for the first win at home, we needed it," he said. "This is the most important thing about tonight."

Two from two

Villa have won both their opening Champions League matches, and a win against Viking at Villa Park next week would leave them well placed to aim for a top-eight finish in the league phase. Despite still waiting for a first home league win, Villa have won 19 of 21 European home games under Emery. Prince William, a Villa fan, was in the crowd again.

Villa: Suzuki, Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Wan-Bissaka, Kamara (Gomes 73), Barkley (Goretzka 83), McGinn, Manzambi (Alysson 73), Mbaye (Garnacho 78), Jackson (Abraham 78).

Fenerbahce: Ederson, Semedo, Skriniar, Ake, Brown, Yuksek (Elmaz 69), Kahveci, Guendouzi, Greenwood (Nene 69), Muriqi (Lukaku 69), Aydin.