Aston Villa beat Viking

Aston Villa secured a 3-1 victory over Viking in the Uefa Champions League league phase match at Villa Park on October 21, 2026.

Goals from Ross Barkley and Emiliano Buendia

Ross Barkley scored the opener in the 23rd minute, followed by Emiliano Buendia's penalty in the 37th minute to double Villa's lead.

Own goal by Henrik Heggheim

Henrik Heggheim scored an own goal in the 60th minute to extend Villa's lead to 3-1, with Viking scoring a consolation goal late in the match.

Manager Unai Emery's comments

Unai Emery praised the team's performance, stating they dominated the first half and were better overall despite conceding some corners in the second half.

“We played a very safe match. First half we dominated, we were feeling comfortable. The second half we started not like the first half and conceded some corners. In 90 minutes overall we were better and dominated more than less.”

Villa's recent success

Villa have won all three opening Champions League matches after a 3-2 victory against Club Brugge and a 6-0 win over Fenerbahce.

Premier League performance

Villa won five out of six games in all competitions, marking a dramatic turnaround after a slow start to the season.

Villa's top-eight push

Villa's victory places them well for a top-eight finish in the Champions League, guaranteeing direct qualification for the last 16.