A commanding 7-1 aggregate win over Bologna sealed Aston Villa's 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 Unai 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.
- Read Nick’s assessment of Villa’s progress as a club
