Unai Emery paid his respects to Aston Villa's glorious past while offering up the enticing prospect of a golden future on one of Villa Park's greatest nights. The 1982 European Cup Final victory over Bayern was relived by Villa's legends in the build-up to this Champions League meeting with the Bundesliga giants, Emery more than happy to accept the weight of history he carried into the club's first game in this competition for 41 years. And while nothing can touch the 1-0 win Peter Withe's goal gave Villa in Rotterdam all those years ago, this famous win that re-established Villa in Europe's elite group will make memories forever for all those who witnessed it as that scoreline was repeated on a night rich in drama and gripping tension.
The headlines will be grabbed by substitute Jhon Duran, scoring the 79th-minute winner with his fifth goal off the bench this season, and keeper Emiliano Martinez for a stunning last-second save from Harry Kane’s header. But the true architect of this victory, and this stunning Villa renaissance made a sharp exit with a beaming smile pumping his fists around an ecstatic Villa Park surrounded by a wall of noise. Villa’s win is the finest moment in Emery’s brilliant rebuild, this European specialist on the sort of territory he enjoys after taking his team into the top four last season.
The sign of how far this club has come can be illustrated by the fact it was six years ago that an angry Villa fan threw a cabbage at then manager Steve Bru.