Aston Villa were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Brentford on Tuesday night, with the Bees running out 4-2 winners on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time
"Have you ever, have you ever, have you ever scored a goal?" jeered the Brentford fans, moments before Harvey Elliott broke his Aston Villa duck and put an end to the club's lengthy goal drought.
However, it was the Bees who had the final chuckle, knocking Unai Emery's squad out of the Carabao Cup in the third round - a loss that only exacerbated Villa's woeful start to the season.
Villa have now twice failed to overcome a Brentford team that lost key players over the summer - Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Christian Nørgaard, Mark Flekken, and most notably, Thomas Frank.
New manager Keith Andrews made 10 changes for Tuesday night's match, while Emery made seven, but still fielded a formidable team.
Among the starters were Jadon Sancho and Elliott. Sancho also had an opportunity to score on his full debut but was thwarted by the post after Evann Guessand played the ball across goal, reports Birmingham Live.
Aaron Hickey capitalised on the miss with a spectacular volley at the other end. Brentford's ruthless streak continued into the penalty shoot-out, converting all four of their penalties, while John McGinn and Matty Cash missed for Villa.
There's no sugar-coating Villa's start to the season. A result - and performance - is urgently needed at Sunderland on Sunday, ahead of three home games in the next four, against Bologna, Fulham, and Burnley.
So, after five matches of the new season, no victories, and just one goal scored - what exactly has gone awry at Villa?
A refresh that didn't happen.
Aston Villa were in desperate need of a revamp this summer, having become somewhat stagnant. The main reason for this is clear: the squad hasn't been bolstered with enough quality.
Financial constraints have certainly not helped matters, restricting Villa to free transfers and loan deals by the time deadline day rolled around.
This was a familiar scenario last winter when Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, and Axel Disasi were all brought in on loan. Both Rashford and Asensio managed to breathe new life into Villa's form, pushing the club to the brink of a Champions League return.
However, it's difficult to envision Villa's summer arrivals making a similar impact. Sancho is lacking match fitness, and while Guessand is physically up to the task, he needs time to adjust to Premier League football.
Despite financial limitations, Villa have splashed out approximately £160 million since the summer of 2024 on talent for Emery's first-team squad, unlike players such as Lewis Dobbin or Samuel Iling-Junior.
Yet Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana, and Donyell Malen have all found it challenging to secure starting positions.
Onana has struggled with fitness, while Maatsen - despite showing potential - often shares his position with Lucas Digne. With £85 million invested in these two players, Villa can ill afford to have either of them warming the bench.
Yes, Villa need depth and two quality players per position, but the fact remains: some of their recent signings haven't made the desired impact. Onana and Maatsen are still young and eager - but Villa must ensure every penny they spend is worthwhile.
That's precisely why the Malen acquisition is becoming more baffling by the day. He earned his fifth start on Tuesday, operating as a striker in Ollie Watkins' absence, yet managed just three touches inside the penalty area.
With minimal supply from his teammates, opportunities to shine were scarce - but it's also evident that Emery remains uncertain about how to deploy him effectively, if indeed he can at all. Prior to taking on Crystal Palace earlier this campaign, Emery was questioned about Malen's shortage of starts since January began.
"Sometimes I am not being fair with some players," he admitted. "When you have 20 players and different options in different positions, sometimes you're not fair with everybody.
"Especially Malen, I am happy with him. I am happy with him, and he can play in the starting XI. He can also play in various roles, as a right winger or a striker. He has some qualities that are very, very important for us. Sometimes, he can perform well either in the starting XI or as a substitute.
"I know every player wants to start, and even last year, when some players weren't available, he played in the starting XI or off the bench. He always showed his capacity to help the team, and now it is the same. He didn't start the first two matches, but maybe on Sunday, he will have the chance to start. Hopefully, he will perform well and, as well, achieve our collective objective and his individual targets."
Out of the 14 players who started more than 10 Premier League matches last season, only four were signed during Emery's reign. This lack of change - and tactical evolution - is making Villa predictable.
Emery needs his players to be fully committed.
This sense of predictability might be creeping into the dressing room as well.
There's no doubt about Emery's tactical brilliance. His meticulous approach has helped Villa achieve what other clubs with similar budgets haven't - consistently breaking into the top six.
But when results start to falter, players may find it hard to maintain the laser-like focus that Emery requires.
He needs total commitment - and he's had it for most of his tenure. But with confidence low and results scarce, Emery now faces a different kind of challenge.
His ability to manage his players will be vital in the coming weeks, as he tries to rally a squad still reeling from such a poor start - especially considering much of it was put together by previous managers.
If you don't improve, you go backwards.
Villa can't spend recklessly. They can't afford mistakes in the market.
They also can't just throw money at problems, unlike their rivals.
Clubs like Manchester United are splashing out £200 million on new forwards like Mbeumo, Benjamin Šeško, and Matheus Cunha.
Villa, on the other hand, couldn't spend even after selling homegrown talent Jacob Ramsey for £40 million.
That's the harsh truth. In a league where rivals are improving rapidly, standing still - or making errors - means going backwards.
Given the financial constraints they're under, it wouldn't be fair to overly criticise Villa's business, especially when their rivals for top-six positions are allowed to spend hundreds of millions without repercussions.
However, this is still a clear reason why Villa's level has dropped compared to other teams.