U21s: Fleetwood Town 2-3 Aston Villa

Emi Buendía scored twice on his first competitive start since May 2023 as Aston Villa won their opening game of the EFL Trophy against Fleetwood Town.

The Argentine broke the deadlock with an exquisite volley from a Ross Barkley corner before tapping home in the closing stages of the first half.

Fleetwood turned the game on its head with two goals in five second-half minutes to pull level, with Ronan Coughlan and Mipo Odubeko getting on the scoresheet.

But it was the visitors who emerged victorious when substitute Kyrie Pierre fired home with three minutes remaining.

Villa will look to build on the win when their Group D campaign continues against Bolton Wanderers in October.

Unai Emery was in the building to see four senior players get important minutes under their belts, with Barkley, Buendía, Lamare Bogarde and Jacob Ramsey joining Josep Gombau’s Young Lions for the game.

The former three were named in the starting XI and helped the visitors make a strong start, with Travis Patterson flashing an effort narrowly wide after ten minutes.

Fleetwood responded well and called Oliwier Zych into a fine save when Mark Helm’s rasping drive was tipped around the post.

The close control and movement of Barkley and Buendía stood out against their League Two opponents and they combined in spectacular style to score the opening goal.

Barkley’s high corner drifted to the far reaches of the penalty area, where Buendía cushioned a volley back across the goalkeeper and in off the post.

In the 40th minute, moments after James Bolton blazed over from three yards out for the home side, Villa’s No10 had his second of the night, tapping home from Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba’s cross.

Ramsey was introduced at the break and immediately set about picking a way through Fleetwood’s backline from his left-wing position.

However, it was the hosts who found a way to goal next, pulling one back when Coughlan met a corner and planted a header past Zych.

Barkley came close to restoring the away side’s two-goal cushion, but their lead was erased altogether via Odubeko, who poked a loose ball home at the near post.

Two goals in five minutes from their opponents momentarily rocked Villa, who had Zych to thank for a 1v1 save against Odubeko.

But the away team wrestled back control and saw Buendía come close to completing his hat-trick before Ramsey slid a shot wide.

Villa’s pressure eventually told with three minutes left to play when Pierre slammed home the winner, getting his side’s EFL Trophy campaign off to the best possible start.

Aston Villa: Zych, Bogarde (Rowe 77’), Smith, Swinkels, Patterson, Barkley (Taylor 77’), Alcock, Broggio, Buendia (Pierre 77’), Jimoh-Aloba (J.Ramsey 45’), Moore (Cotcher 77’).

Unused subs: Lewis, Amundsen-Day.