The last game of the regular season is at home to Norwich. With a play-off spot already secured, manager Dean Smith chooses to rest Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham, Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Ahmed Elmohamady.
Elmo makes way for Alan Hutton who is given the captain's armband in recognition of his service and dedication to the cause. In all likelihood it will be his final match in a Villa shirt.
Norwich draw first blood with a well-worked goal in the seventh minute by Finnish forward, Teemu Pukki, the Championship's leading scorer this season. Villa strike back with an equally well-worked equaliser by Jonathan Kodjia his third in four games. And so the teams go in level at half-time.
The second half proves equally entertaining with both teams going for the winner. Fittingly, it's Norwich who score with just a few minutes left to play, the goal coming from a low shot by Mario Vrancic. It secures the Championship title deservedly for the Canaries, who have had a marvelous season. Let's just hope we can join them in the Premiership via the forthcoming play-offs!
It could all have ended so differently. Bristol City are just below us in the table - one point behind, but with a game in hand. It's yet another crucial match for the Villa and to make matters worse we're missing a number of key players.
Tyrone Mings, the lynch-pin of our new found defensive wall of steel, is suspended following a dubious red card on his last outing. Kortney Hause, his fellow centre-half, is injured. Both Jack Grealish and Jonathan Kodjia have succumbed to illness. The side should be thread-bare, but all across the field fresh players step up to the mark.
Axel Tuanzebe and Mile Jedinak perform wonders in defence whilst John McGinn yet again bosses the midfield with another show of prodigious talent and energy. In attack Anwar el Ghazi is a revelation. His twists and turns tie the Bristol City defence in knots. And Tammy Abraham mans up brilliantly to put away a penalty for the first goal of the game despite missing from the spot a few days ago against Rotherham. Another goal from Conor Hourihane a few minutes later and Villa have Bristol City on the ropes.
But for the efforts of Max O'Leary, Bristol's young goalkeeper, Villa could have netted three or four more. He puts in a blinder, saving time and again. Bristol pull one back through an overhead kick from Famara Diedhiou but the Villa defence remains strong. After five minutes of extra time we see out the win, our eighth on the trot.
Happy days at Villa Park!
We come with little by way of hope or expectation, our season effectively at an end following a run of miserable results. But then the rumours start. Jack Grealish might get a seat on the substitutes' bench after three months out with a shin injury. And then the shock revelation - not only is Super Jack starting, he's our captain!
The cheers are long and loud as the teams are announced and so to kick-off. Derby are a few places above us, but have lost their last three games. This could be a tight one.
We start well, pressing high up the pitch and putting together a string of well-placed passes. It comes as no surprise when we take the lead after just nine minutes. A beautifully flighted ball over the top from our newly installed captain is pounced on by Tammy Abraham. Scott Carson, former Villa keeper now in goal for Derby gets a hand on the ball, but it's not enough to prevent Conor Hourihane from scoring at close range.
Tammy Abraham is next on the score-sheet. That man, Hourihane, sends a delightful diagonal ball across the field to Ahmed Elmohamady. His super cross finds our star striker who nets his twenty first of the season.
The goal deluge continues. Hourihane nets his second courtesy of a pass from Abraham and then the pièce de résistance, two minutes into first half stoppage time. Glen Whelan sends in a great cross to Super Jack on the edge of the Derby penalty area. A sweetly hit volley into the top corner of the Derby goal and the crowd erupts in rapture!! Undoubtedly the finest first half performance this season for the Villa.
Whilst the second half lacks a goal Villa are relentless in attack. By the time the referee blows the final whistle the score could have been six or seven nil. An afternoon to remember at Villa Park, marred only by an injury to Tommy Elphick.
