Bruce delight at Villa’s perfect opening
For the first time since 1999, Aston Villa have won their opening two games of a league season. Not bad for a club who spent their summer in chaos.
When John Gregory’s men achieved back-to-back victories in the 1999-2000 season, it laid the foundations for a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League and a place in Europe. Villa’s fortunes have suffered since, but this season supporters are beginning to dream of mounting a Championship promotion challenge following a summer in which the club’s financial future often looked bleak.
Birkir Bjarnason (right) scored a 94th-minute winner in a pulsating game against Wigan Athletic in which Jack Grealish, who was denied a move to Tottenham Hotspur last week, and John Mcginn, who moved at the same time from Hibernian, stood out. It left Villa with maximum points and Bruce grateful for the investment from Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, their new Egyptian-us ownership duo.
“It’s been a difficult summer for everybody,” said Bruce. “I’ve lost good people because we thought there would be cuts, so to come out and get a decent start is great for the supporters.
“The new owners have breathed new life into everybody and taken away the doom and gloom. It will take a bit of time. I’d have loved to have bought Mcginn six weeks ago, but I couldn’t.
“The owners have managed to back me and we’ve bought a very good player. That wouldn’t have been possible four weeks ago. In fact Jack wouldn’t have been here, Jonathan Kodjia wouldn’t have been here, nor James Chester. So now we can all breathe a sigh of relief and get on with the main business, which is to play football.”
Chester headed Villa ahead from Mcginn’s free-kick, but Nick Powell equalised before half-time as he pounced on Mile Jedinak’s poor backpass. Callum Connolly put Wigan ahead after half-time, Chey Dunkley’s own-goal dragged Villa level and Bjarnason brought the house down when he turned home Conor Hourihane’s cross.
Aston Villa
Subs Booked Wigan Athletic
Subs Booked Referee