Villa have had plenty of proof of the progress they have made under Unai Emery. Yet as the Spaniard approaches the second anniversary of his appointment, the standings provide some of the most startling.

It was not so long ago that Villa decided to sign Alex Moreno, now on loan at Nottingham Forest, because he was regarded as the ideal profile for an Emery-style left-back; a sharp burst of acceleration was vital to his one-v-one and ball-carrying abilities.

After wins against Young Boys and Bayern Munich, Aston Villa can put one foot in the Champions League knockout stages by beating Bologna - but Unai Emery doesn't want to stop there