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Topics: Football, Aston Villa, Premier League, Carabao Cup, Jadon Sancho
Chris Nee
Topics: Football, Aston Villa, Premier League, Carabao Cup, Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho's Aston Villa debut didn't go to plan as Unai Emery's team were dumped out of the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle.
Villa lost on penalties to Premier League rivals Brentford, who have already defeated them in the league this season.
Harvey Elliott's goal on his first start for his new club was their first of the season in any competition and gave them the lead at the Gtech Community Stadium but Villa were pegged back by Aaron Hickey's volley and ultimately beaten 4-2 on penalties.
Emery made a number of changes to his winless line-up including a green light from the start for Elliott, whose Villa deal includes an obligation to buy next summer, and a debut for Sancho.
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The England winger, who is on loan from Manchester United with no future commitments in the agreement, hit the post in the second half of the third round tie.
Villa's supporters are hopeful but unsure about what Sancho brings to their team.
The former Borussia Dortmund man, who spent last season on loan at Chelsea and won the Conference League under Enzo Maresca, serves a specific positional purpose after the sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle United but brought more questions with him than answers when he moved on transfer deadline day.
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Fans are also aware of Sancho's reputation at United, where his signing quickly turned sour and his professionalism is considered a matter of doubt.
If the 25-year-old's prospects are seen as uncertain but possibly a punt worth taking by Villa supporters, the same assessment is reportedly true behind the scenes.
According to The Athletic, Villa's backroom staff see Sancho as a talented player whose contribution to the club in 2025-26 could be everything, nothing or anything in between.
"There’s a feeling among club staff, kept anonymous to protect relationships, that Sancho could be anything," write Jacob Tanswell and Mark Carey.
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"Very few are willing to assume how well this season-long loan will turn out to be. He is a question, with no one quite knowing what and how he will produce.
"The hope is that he shares a burning desire to prove himself, playing with an intensity that Rashford had in training and which immediately impressed Villa staff."
Sancho took his first steps in a Villa shirt on Tuesday and fleetingly demonstrated an ability to add something different to a team that need his best.
He played 74 minutes as Villa offered a marginal improvement but fell short again.