Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has defended starting 19-year-old George Hemmings ahead of Alejandro Garnacho after Saturday's 0-0 draw at Hull City. Birmingham Live , in a report by Villa correspondent John Townley, detailed Emery's reasoning after Hemmings produced an energetic performance. The teenager started his third Premier League match of the season, having started the UEFA Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain .
Hemmings registered Villa's first shot on target of the campaign against Hull, then almost supplied the decisive moment when he pulled the ball back for Emi Buendía , who lifted his effort over the bar. Emery praised the youngster's work rate, running and progress after spending last season around senior training. He called Hemmings clearly a Premier League player, while explaining that new arrivals need time to learn Villa's training demands and tactical instructions.
"George worked the whole year with us last year and played minutes. He is performing fantastically and getting better.
"He created one assist for Buendia. He is working on the intensity and kilometres we need. He is doing it. I think he is a player now, clearly, to be in the Premier League.
"Then, we have other players who have joined who need to adapt to us in training, playing matches, and Garnacho is in this way.
"We need their performance to try to add things, working and getting numbers. Garnacho is in this way. How he is responding, George, is really fantastic."
Emery's choice makes sense because Hemmings knows the job Villa ask of their wide attacking players. He spent a season learning pressing cues and defensive responsibilities, so Emery can trust him to execute instructions without losing Villa's shape.
That matters in Emery's setup, where the outside players have to run hard without the ball, recover quickly and understand when to narrow or stretch the pitch. Hemmings has shown enough commitment to meet those demands against Hull.
The numbers against Hull strengthen the argument. He produced Villa's first shot on target and created the chance Buendía should have finished. Those actions don't make him a better player than Garnacho, but they show why Emery can reward performance rather than reputation.
HULL, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 05: Alejandro Garnacho of Aston Villa looks on before the Premier League 2026/27 match between Hull City and Aston Villa FC at MKM Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Hull, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
Garnacho brings sharp acceleration, attacking flair and an ability to threaten defenders one-on-one. Villa recruited him on loan from Chelsea with a conditional obligation to buy, after Chelsea had paid £40m for him from Manchester United . Yet those credentials don't automatically solve Emery's problem.
A new player has to absorb the training tempo, positioning rules and defensive workload before he becomes a starter. Emery has made that standard clear, and Garnacho has entered a squad change after a busy summer.
There's no need to force the issue. Hemmings has earned another start through work and tactical discipline, while Garnacho can use training and substitute appearances to sharpen his connection with teammates. For Aston Villa, the choice is the player delivering what Emery demands.
