00:01It's been almost exactly 10 years since Aston Villa were relegated to English football's second tier for the first time
00:10since 1987.
00:12That happened after a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United and that loss had been their ninth consecutive defeat in
00:20the Premier League
00:20during a 13-game winless run, bringing a miserable end to the 2015-16 season
00:28and leaving the 1982 European Cup winners facing an uncertain future.
00:37The Midlands club then spent three seasons in the Championship before returning to top-flight football in the 2019-20
00:48campaign.
00:49However, a clear identity at the club was often seen to be amiss until the appointment of Unai Emery.
00:58Now, Aston Villa find themselves in the running for a top-three finish in the Premier League
01:04and are serious contenders to win the Europa League following a victory over FC Bologna
01:11to earn a place in the Europa League semi-final with ease at Villa Park.
01:16The achievement was treated almost routinely as an indication of the progress made under Unai Emery over recent seasons.
01:29The Spaniard has significantly raised expectations both within the squad itself and the fan base
01:36and now they find themselves in the semi-final of elite competition in Europe.
01:46Forward Oli Watkins, who scored three goals across the two legs against Bologna, both in Italy and at home,
01:55reflected that he would have eagerly accepted such a scenario had it been suggested a couple of years earlier
02:03when the team were now competing for Champions League places and reaching a Europa League semi-final.
02:13He added that the squad were focused on appreciating the moment that they find themselves in
02:21and enjoying their progress both domestically and in Europe as well.
02:26Villa also remained firmly in the Premier League's top-five race.
02:31Aston Villa's best positional finish in the Premier League came in around the early 90s when they finished second on
02:3774 points
02:39but the Villains have the chance to go third this season.
02:43It will be their best league finish in over 20 years
02:47and they'll be hoping that they can complete the season round off the campaign with a top three finish and
02:54Europa League success.
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