in the 2003–04 season, samuel played every minute as villa came 6th in the premier league. he scored his first professional goal on 20 september 2003 against his former club charlton, from 19 yards to give villa a 2–1 victory. he scored again in the reverse fixture at the valley on 27 march 2004, which the villans won by the same score. that season he also scored on 27 january in a 2–0 league cup semi-final second leg win over his future club bolton wanderers, who advanced 5–4 on aggregate.