They say a week is a long time in football - never mind an entire decade. It is exactly 10 years since Aston Villa were relegated to English football's second tier for the first time since 1987 after a 1-0 loss at Manchester United. It was their ninth consecutive league defeat during a 13-game winless run that ended their miserable 2015-16 season, which left the 1982 European Cup winners facing a largely uncertain future under their American owner Randy Lerner.
They then spent three long seasons in the Championship before finally returning to the top flight for the 2019-20 campaign, but were still struggling for identity and direction until the arrival of Unai Emery. Fast forward to Thursday and you could argue that Villa are now back among Europe's elite. A commanding 7-1 aggregate win over Bologna sealed their place in the Europa League semi-final with minimum fuss at Villa Park.
And it barely registered as a momentous occasion - a marker of progress achieved under Emery, who has transformed the club and raised standards and expectations in recent seasons. This is Villa's second European semi-final in three seasons under the Spanish manager, following a Conference League run in 2023-24, and comes after a Champions League quarter-final appearance last season. "If someone told me we'd be fighting for the Champions League and in a semi-final of the Europa League a couple of years ago I'd have bitten their hand off," said Ollie Watkins, who scored three goals over two legs against Bologna.
"So we are just trying to take it all in and enjoy the process," Villa's latest member of the 100-goal club told TNT Sports. They are also firmly in the Premier League top-five race, sitting in fourth place with six games remaining and targeting a return to the Champions League via the league. A European semi-final against Nottingham Forest now awaits them, and 10 years on from the despair of relegation, this feels like the new normal for Villa under Emery.
"Villa was perfect tonight, every player played their part and they are deservedly going through to the semi-final," their former midfielder Stiliyan Petrov told TNT Sports. "They fully deserve to enjoy this moment as they worked really hard. It is about believing and I think these players do now believe that they can make it to that final." Emery replaced Steven Gerrard as Villa manager in October 2022 with the club hovering just above the relegation zone on goal difference.
The former Arsenal and Villarreal boss brought with him his own backroom staff, with many of the old guard departing. Former Sevilla goalkeeper Monchi also joined as Villa's president of football operations in June 2023 - having previously worked with Emery at Sevilla and winning three Europa League titles together. Emery immediately made an impact, imposing structure, clarity and belief on a Villa side that was once again flirting with relegation to guide them to a top‑seven finish and European qualification in his first season.
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