It's a cold Friday evening and Sky are here to televise our second home game under new manager, Dean Smith. The opponents tonight are Bolton Wanderers. Whilst they may be languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship they've still managed to secure creditable wins against West Brom and Derby, two of the early season front-runners.
The Villa team-sheet is announced to favourable applause. Much to the relief of supporters Steve Bruce's early season experiment of playing team members out of position has been dropped.
Representatives of the armed forces lead out the teams in a remembrance tribute. The minute's silence is all the more poignant this year as it follows in the wake of last weekend's tragic helicopter accident which claimed the lives of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner of Leicester City, and four others.
Silence duly observed the game kicks off and Villa make a flying start. A delightful through ball by Tammy Abraham wrong-foots the Bolton defence allowing Jack Grealish to round the keeper and score his first of the season.
Villa play reasonably well, though we hold our breath each time a cross is floated in toward our new Norwegian keeper, Ørjan Nyland. A headed goal by James Chester is disallowed for off-side but he's not to be denied again as he nets early in the second half to calm Villa nerves.
Add to this a wonderful goal-line clearance earlier in the game and it's Chester who emerges as man of the match. Not the best of performances, but it's a win and we can see some green shoots begin to emerge as Villa look to kick on up the table.
