Aston Villa carry the weight of an old English institution: founded in 1874, based at Villa Park, and still operating with the resources of a major Premier League club. Their squad is valued at around £465.5m by Transfermarkt, with 37 players and an average age of 24.
The 2026-27 season has been uneven. Villa sit sixteenth in the Premier League, while their wider campaign has included a League Cup fourth round, a UEFA Super Cup final and Champions League league phase football. Recent league form reflects the instability: away wins at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City sit alongside defeats to Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Their numbers point to a side still short of balance. At Villa Park they are averaging 0.5 goals scored and 1.5 conceded per match; away from home, the scoring improves to one per match, but the defensive cost rises to two conceded. Tammy Abraham, Emiliano Buendía and Nicolas Jackson lead the scoring with two goals each.
For Celtic supporters, Villa are a familiar type of modern English opponent: deep squad, high value, and capable of awkward results, but presently vulnerable enough for their league position to matter.
