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.

Three victories and three clean sheets into Aston Villa's first Champions League campaign in 41 years, the momentum continues to build for the Midlands club but when asked if fans can start to dream big,

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.