Gomes gets first Villa minutes as youngsters drive 5-0 Walsall win

João Gomes made his Aston Villa debut as Unai Emery’s side opened preseason with a 5-0 win away to Walsall. The new signing featured for 45 minutes after Villa changed almost the entire team at half-time.

Villa’s younger players shaped much of the match. Brian Madjo, 17, scored twice in the first half, while George Hemmings also found the net before the interval as the visitors quickly took control.

After the break, Luka Lynch added another goal via a deflected shot, and Aidan Borland produced one of the standout moments with an outside-of-the-foot finish from the edge of the area. Walsall had a chance through Tai Sodje from a corner, but Villa were largely comfortable.

The match also came during a busy Villa news window, with ESPN reporting after full-time that Morgan Rogers had completed a move to Chelsea. That reported transfer fee should be independently checked before any wider editorial treatment, while Villa’s preseason now continues with a trip to face Porto at the Estádio do Dragão.