Aston Villa have only conceded more than one goal in two of their opening 12 matches this season, but a worrying theme has still emerged.

Unai Emery’s side managed to shore up defensively towards the end of last season, keeping six clean sheets in their final 10 Premier League games, and have largely contained their opponents in the opening two-and-a-half months of the current campaign.

Only in the defeat against Crystal Palace have Villa been overrun - a team that has now beaten Emery’s men five times in 17 months, scoring 19 goals in the process.

Villa started the season slowly but managed to turn things around, winning five consecutive games before facing Go Ahead Eagles in their third Europa League fixture on Thursday night.

Evann Guessand put Villa ahead against the Eredivisie side, but complacency quickly set in as Watkins, Buendia, and Guessand all missed big chances to double the lead.

They were punished as Mathis Suray and Mats Deijl completed the comeback with goals either side of...