Brian Madjo twice headed wide as Aston Villa battled for an equaliser against Paris Saint-Germain in Salzburg on Wednesday night.
The 17-year-old is used to waiting. Madjo signed for Villa from Metz in January but has been unable to play. Despite being from London, the former Luxembourg international’s registration was restricted until he turned 18.
In the midst of a pre-season campaign in which he’s featured regularly and scoring goals, Madjo was freed up when the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a Villa appeal. He made his overdue competitive debut in the UEFA Super Cup.
George Hemmings is thriving in a new position
Madjo eventually got his goal, bullying one of the best defenders in Europe at the back post to thump home from John McGinn’s cross, but rewind the move by one more pass and you’ll find the biggest positive of the night from Villa’s perspective.
Midfielder George Hemmings, now 19, came to the fore last summer. Villa’s first friendly was against Walsall at the Bescot Stadium and Hemmings immediately caught the eye.
He continued in that vein all summer and did so with various partners in the double pivot favoured by manager Unai Emery. The teenager was kept with the first team while others went on loan and made four appearances off the bench including one start in the Europa League.
Hemmings struggled in that start against Red Bull Salzburg but has been redeployed this summer and has been consistently impressive. Friendlies don’t count for much but performing in a Super Cup match against back-to-back Champions League winners PSG crystallised his shift into Villa’s three attacking midfielders in style.
The former Nottingham Forest youngster did everything against PSG that he’s been doing in his friendly appearances. His move up a line, primarily but not exclusively to the left wing, has unlocked a whole new battery of skills.
Hemmings looks a different player when he gets the ball out of his feet and carries the ball into green space, as he did in the first half in Salzburg.
His link play in the attacking third is more polished than anything he produced from central midfield suggested and he’s a threat, too. He was as close as anyone to scoring a second Villa equaliser against PSG.
The teenager has been used on the right this summer even with McGinn available, but it’s clear that Emery’s preference for him now is to play from the left in the role that brought the best out of a resurgent Emi Buendia in 2025-26.
Buendia has moved into the 10 after the British transfer record sale of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea but played the same way he always has. It was Hemmings who got at PSG, Hemmings who connected the play and Hemmings, ultimately, who did the lion’s share of the work left behind by Rogers, in both boxes and everywhere in between.
What’s planned for Hemmings this season isn’t clear. The arrival of Swiss international Johan Manzambi will affect how Villa configure their three off the striker and Hemmings is behind the newcomer in terms of his development as a first team-ready player.
But whatever Emery has in mind, Hemmings’ rather familiar performance might well have sharpened the manager’s faith in his promising youngsters in advance of what’s sure to be a busy and difficult season.
