The 2016-17 season was Aston Villa's 1st season in the Football League Championship following their relegation from the Premier League last season. The 2016–17 EFL Championship season was Villa's 142nd season in English football. It was the club's first season in the second tier of English football since the formation of the Premier League.

On 2 June 2016, Roberto Di Matteo was appointed the manager of the newly relegated Championship club, working under the new chairman Tony Xia. Di Matteo's former Chelsea teammate Steve Clarke was appointed as his assistant on the same day. Xia also appointed Keith Wyness as CEO. On 3 October 2016, Di Matteo was sacked as manager after a string of poor results culminating in a 2–0 defeat at Preston North End.

On 12 October 2016, Steve Bruce was appointed manager. In his second match in charge, Villa defeated Reading, the club's first win in 11 games and the first away win for 14 months. Bruce brought in Colin Calderwood as assistant manager from Brighton & Hove Albion and Stephen Clemence from old club Hull City as first-team coach. Competitions

Football League Championship

League table

Results summary

Results by matchday

Matches

On 22 June 2016, the fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.

FA Cup

EFL Cup

Transfers

Transfers in

+First TeamDatePositionNo.PlayerFrom clubTransfer fee 20 June 2016 DF 6 Tommy Elphick (41) AFC Bournemouth £3m 8 July 2016 GK 1 Pierluigi Gollini (20) Hellas Verona £4.1m 10 July 2016 MF 8 Aaron Tshibola (8) Reading £5m 4 August 2016 FW 44 Ross McCormack (20) Fulham £12m 12 August 2016 DF 12 James Chester (119) West Bromwich Albion £8m 17 August 2016 MF 25 Mile Jedinak (70) Crystal Palace £4m 24 August 2016 DF 27 Ritchie De Laet (8) Leicester City £2m 30 August 2016 FW 26 Jonathan Kodjia (96) Bristol City £15m 31 August 2016 MF 37 Albert Adomah (113) Middlesbrough Undisclosed 20 January 2017 MF 5 Henri Lansbury (41) Nottingham Forest £2.75m 25 January 2017 DF 16 James Bree (21) Barnsley £3m 25 January 2017 MF 20 Birkir Bjarnason (48) Basel Undisclosed 26 January 2017 MF 14 Conor Hourihane (132) Barnsley Undisclosed 31 January 2017 DF 3 Neil Taylor (89) Swansea City Undisclosed 31 January 2017 FW 9 Scott Hogan (56) Brentford Undisclosed

+EDS, Academy and otherDatePositionNo.PlayerFrom clubTransfer fee 31 January 2017 DF — Jacob Bedeau Bury Undisclosed

Transfers out

+First TeamExit datePositionNo.PlayerTo clubTransfer fee 1 July 2016 MF 18 Kieran Richardson Cardiff City Free transfer (Released) 1 July 2016 MF 28 Charles N'Zogbia Unattached Free transfer (Released) 1 July 2016 DF 33 José Ángel Crespo PAOK Undisclosed 29 July 2016 GK 1 Brad Guzan Middlesbrough Free transfer 2 August 2016 MF 8 Idrissa Gueye Everton £7.1m 3 August 2016 DF 6 Ciaran Clark Newcastle United £5m 7 August 2016 FW 9 Scott Sinclair Celtic £3.5m 27 August 2016 DF 3 Joe Bennett Cardiff City Free transfer 27 August 2016 DF 5 Jores Okore Copenhagen Undisclosed 29 August 2016 DF 16 Joleon Lescott AEK Athens Free transfer 31 August 2016 FW 20 Adama Traoré Middlesbrough Undisclosed 4 January 2017 FW 14 Rudy Gestede Middlesbrough Undisclosed 31 January 2017 MF 15 Ashley Westwood Burnley Undisclosed 31 January 2017 FW 10 Jordan Ayew Swansea City Undisclosed

+EDS and AcademyExit datePositionNo.PlayerTo clubTransfer fee 1 July 2016 DF 26 Lewis Kinsella Colchester United Free transfer (Released) 1 July 2016 DF 32 Janoi Donacien Accrington Stanley Free transfer (Released) 1 July 2016 GK — Benjamin Siegrist Vaduz Free transfer 1 July 2016 GK — Charlie Bannister Watford Free transfer (Released) 1 July 2016 DF — Josh Webb Kilmarnock Free transfer (Released) 1 July 2016 DF — Kodi Lyons-Foster Bristol City Free transfer (Released) 4 July 2016 FW 37 Callum Robinson Preston North End Compensation

Loans in

+First TeamStart dateEnd datePositionNo.PlayerFrom club 5 January 2017 End of Season GK 34 Sam Johnstone Manchester United

+EDS, Academy and otherStart dateEnd datePositionNo.PlayerFrom club

Loans out

+First TeamStart dateEnd datePositionNo.PlayerTo club 22 July 2016 End of season MF 25 Carles Gil Deportivo La Coruña 10 August 2016 End of season MF 24 Carlos Sánchez Fiorentina 24 August 2016 End of season MF 17 Jordan Veretout Saint-Étienne 13 January 2017 End of season GK 1 Pierluigi Gollini Atalanta 16 January 2017 End of season DF 28 Aly Cissokho Olympiacos 30 January 2017 End of season MF 8 Aaron Tshibola Nottingham Forest 1 February 2017 End of season FW 44 Ross McCormack Nottingham Forest

+EDS, Academy and otherStart dateEnd datePositionNo.PlayerTo club 12 July 2016 1 January 2017 MF — Riccardo Calder Doncaster Rovers 4 August 2016 3 January 2017 DF 34 Easah Suliman Cheltenham Town 6 August 2016 End of Season DF 42 Niall Mason Doncaster Rovers 25 August 2016 End of Season MF — Henry Cowans Stevenage 26 August 2016 3 January 2017 DF 46 Kevin Toner Walsall 31 August 2016 7 January 2017 MF — Harry McKirdy Stevenage 31 January 2017 End of Season DF 46 Kevin Toner Bradford City

Non-competitive

Pre-season

First team squad

Ordered by squad number. Appearances include all competitive league and cup appearances, including as substitute.

Squad statistics

Appearances (Apps.) numbers are for appearances in competitive games only including sub appearances Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute Red card numbers denote: Numbers in parentheses represent red cards overturned for wrongful dismissal.

No.Nat.PlayerPos.ChampionshipFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsAppsAppsApps2 CB 31 (1) 1 5 1 1 1 33 (1) 1 5 13 CB 14 2 14 2 4 CB 1 (1) 1 2 (1) 5 CM 17 (1) 2 17 (1) 2 6 CB 20 (6) 4 20 (6) 4 7 RB 22 (8) 1 9 1 1 23 (8) 1 9 19 CF 9 (4) 1 2 9 (4) 1 2 11 CF 4 (9) 1 2 1 5 (7) 1 12 DF 45 3 6 1 46 3 6 13 GK 14 MF 13 (4) 1 3 13 (4) 1 3 16 RB 6 (1) 6 (1) 18 FW 0 (2) 0 (2) 19 LW 4 (11) 1 0 (1) 1 5 (12) 1 20 LM 5 (3) 5 (3) 21 RB 31 (3) 5 1 0 (1) 32 (4) 5 22 CM 18 (8) 1 2 1 19 (8) 1 2 23 LB 26 (8) 6 1 1 28 (8) 6 25 DM 33 8 1 34 8 26 FW 36 19 5 1 36 19 5 127 DF 3 1 3 1 29 FW 0 (3) 0 (3) 31 GK 5 (1) 1 1 6 (1) 1 34 GK 21 1 22 35 MF 0(1) 0(1) 37 MF 30 (8) 3 1 1 31 (8) 3 1 38 DM 39 FW 0 (6) 0 (1) 0 (7) 40 MF 20 (11) 5 5 1 1 1 22 (11) 5 5 11* GK 20 20 5* CB 1 1 8* MF 5 (3) 1 3 1 1 7 (3) 1 3 10* FW 17 (4) 2 5 1 1 1 18 (4) 3 6 14* FW 8 (10) 4 3 0 (1) 8 (11) 4 3 15* MF 18 (5) 3 18 (5) 3 20* RW 0 (1) 0 (1) 28* LB 11 (1) 2 11 (1) 2 44* FW 13 (7) 3 4 0 (1) 1 1 14 (8) 3 5 46*CB Own goals 1 0 0 0Totals4780400012048824

(*)Player made appearance(s) before leaving the club on loan or permanently.

Suspensions

PlayerDate ReceivedOffenceLength of suspension Leandro Bacuna v Barnsley, 27/9/16 1 matchPreston North End, Football League Championship Jack Grealish Stamp; retrospective ban.3 matchesReading, Fulham, Birmingham City, Football League Championship Jordan Ayew v Birmingham City, 30/10/16 1 matchBlackburn Rovers, Football League Championship Ross McCormack v Blackburn Rovers, 5/11/16 1 matchBrighton & Hove Albion, Football League Championship

References