Aston Villa beat Viking 3-1 at Villa Park to make it three wins from three in the Champions League, although Peter Christiansen’s late volley denied Unai Emery’s side top spot in the league phase.
Ross Barkley opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, heading in from Ibrahim Mbaye’s corner as Villa controlled the contest from the outset.
Villa had adopted a makeshift shape, with Joao Gomes operating at right-back, but they still created the clearer opportunities. Gomes saw an early cross deflected against the underside of the bar, while Emi Buendia went close with two headers.
Buendia eventually doubled the advantage from the penalty spot before half-time. The decision followed a VAR review, which concluded that Viking winger Alysson had been clipped inside the area.
Alysson was a constant threat and played a central role in Villa’s third goal. He surged forward from deep before sending in a cross which Henrik Heggheim could only turn beyond his own goalkeeper in the 62nd minute.
The result briefly lifted Villa to the top of the league phase, prompting supporters to chant, “We are top of the league”. However, Christiansen’s outstanding volley in the 84th minute, awarded after another VAR check, reduced the margin and left Villa second behind Paris Saint-Germain.
Villa’s performance offered further evidence of the direction Emery is taking the club. A pre-match tifo in the Holte End declared that the side had conquered before and was ready for more, and the team responded with a composed display against the Norwegian champions.
