Aston Villa won at home for the first time this season in some style with their biggest European victory, sinking feeble Fenerbahce 6-0 in the Champions League league stage at a three-quarters full Villa Park.

Birthday opener and Jackson takes over

Switzerland international Johan Manzambi opened the scoring, celebrating his 21st birthday with a deflected shot in the 12th minute. The goal was his second for the club after Mattéo Guendouzi inadvertently headed on John McGinn’s cross following a short corner.

Nicolas Jackson put the game beyond Fenerbahce’s reach with two more goals before half-time. Collecting Boubacar Kamara’s pass, Jackson struck home cleanly from the edge of the penalty area just after the half-hour mark before repeating the trick six minutes before the interval. Jackson now has five goals for Unai Emery’s team since signing from Chelsea for £65m in the summer.

Ibrahim Mbaye contributed with a lively, pacy showing on the left wing. Zion Suzuki twice saved well from Vedat Muriqi, but Villa created umpteen chances themselves. Oguz Aydin shot against the Villa bar in between the goals, but Villa’s 11th successive home win in European competitions already looked safely banked.

Barkley brace and Greenwood booed

With Prince William cheering on from the stands, Ross Barkley made the night to remember as he scored twice, the first goal from a penalty earned by Manzambi, to help banish any fears about playing in front of the demolished North Stand.

Every touch for Mason Greenwood, playing his first game in England in nearly five years, was booed. "Greenwood, Greenwood, what’s the score," echoed around Villa Park. Chants of a less salubrious nature were also given regular renditions.

This was Greenwood’s first game in this country since he played in Manchester United’s 1-0 win against West Ham in January 2022. He had played for Marseille in a friendly against Villa 15 months ago, when he allegedly spat at Amadou Onana and had a spat with Tyrone Mings. So it was no surprise when his name was booed as the teams were announced and at every subsequent involvement.

Second half finish

Villa had conceded four of their five goals in three previous winless home games in front of the empty North Stand, and seemed more intent on keeping a clean sheet for the second half than busting a gut to score. Mbaye sprinted from one penalty area to the other, exchanging a one-two with Jackson en route, following a Fenerbahce corner before seeing his shot well saved.

Then Manzambi earned the penalty midway through the second half, when he was tripped by Ismail Yuksek, from which Barkley made it 4-0. The cheers that followed that were matched by the jeers for Greenwood as he was substituted. The pantomime was over as a contest, even if Barkley swiftly added a fifth with a deflected shot.

Suzuki, the home goalkeeper, had to tip over Aydin’s fierce shot five minutes from time but even before Tammy Abraham turned in Alysson’s cross for the sixth goal, Villa fans’ minds were starting to turn to Saturday evening’s trip to Newcastle United and the perennial autumnal challenge of resurrecting a difficult start to the league season.

"In Emery they trust."