It was another unforgettable night for Villa fans under Emery as their team climbed to the top of the 36-team league, continuing their victorious start to the competition.

When Villa announced the Spaniard's appointment on October 24, 2022 following Steven Gerrard's sacking, they were struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table.

24 months later, Villa are enjoying their best start to a Premier League season in 26 years, beating everyone else in the Champions League.

But Villa didn't have everything he wanted against Bologna.

When Sam Beukema headed against the woodwork in the closing stages, Emery could be seen speaking strong words to his set-piece coach Austin MacPhee.

With nine points in the bank and five league games remaining – Club Brugge (away), Juventus (home), RB Leipzig (away), Monaco (away) and Celtic (home) – Villa can start thinking about the knockout phase.

They need two more wins to reach 15 points, which the Opta supercomputer believes is necessary to secure a place in the top eight and an automatic place in the last 16.

Villa managed 16 tries against Bologna, responding to the excellent atmosphere created by the home fans.

At kick-off, Villa Park was a cauldron of noise, with fireworks and an eye-catching tifo featuring three lions greeting the players as they entered the pitch.

The home fans sang the Champions League anthem before their team brushed aside Bologna, who have one point from three games.

While Villa are yet to concede a goal in the competition, Bologna are yet to score.

There was applause from all four sides of the field when Samuel Iling-Junior, who is on loan at Bologna from Villa, came on for the Serie A club in the 77th minute – the 21-year-old winger's first appearance at Villa Park .