As we say, it was memorable night. A 1-0 Champions League win against Bayern Munich in front of a heaving Villa Park perhaps the best the club has seen this century. And the winner, so spectacular from Jhon Duran, owed much to the club's manager and it's owners over how they see the status of Aston Villa.
Another ownership. Another manager. And they would've caved. Whether it was 20-odd million quid from West Ham. Or 25 from Chelsea. In another time, Villa would've taken the money and sold Duran last summer.
But not this lot. Not Wes Edens and Nassif Sawiris. Nor Unai Emery. They see bigger things for Villa. Indeed, given the rich history of the club and the size of the fanbase. The three men know this club deserve to be thinking and believing in bigger things. Sell to West Ham their young breakout striker? To a flailing Chelsea? No chance. Not this Aston Villa. And the reward for such loyalty to the history of this club was Wednesday night at Villa Park.
Of course, they have one in Duran. Six goals in nine games says as much. But it isn't just the Colombian. Ollie Watkins could've been cashed in over the summer. Jacob Ramsey, so admired by Newcastle and Tottenham, where former Villa chief Johan Lange is now in charge of transfers, could easily have been another.
But Edens and Sawiris held firm. Indeed, they did even more than that. Not only resisting pressure to sell their best young players, Villa's board green lit a £55m outlay to bring in Amadou Onana from Everton. And what an impact the Belgian has made since the season's start...
Yes, Douglas Luiz was sold to Juventus. Moussa Diaby to Al-Ittihad. But that's brought over £100m into the coffers. And it was done in consultation with Emery. There was no public push-back from the manager when Luiz's departure was confirmed. Not with Onana through the doors. And there was clearly a confidence in what was seen from January arrival Morgan Rogers that had the sale of Diaby making sense. Indeed, that Emery had enough belief in young Jaden Philogene to start him in midweek is a great endorsement to those behind the decision to bring back the tricky midfielder after his time with Hull City.
But this night wasn't just about the kids. A world class Emi Martinez between the posts. Two battle-hardened centre-halves in Diego Carlos and Pau Torres ahead of him. Ezri Konsa on the right of that back four. Lucas Digne on the left. It was a platform to build from. To absorb pressure and give a midfield, sans John McGinn, the time to produce and create. When you consider the youth ahead of that defensive line, this win surely wouldn't have happened without those veterans at the back.
As it also wouldn't have happened without the influence of the home support. As we say, Villa Park was heaving on the night. As it should on such occasions. It was a throwback to the days of Big Ron, Deano and Dalian.
Regulars of this column know we like to talk about teams. Eras. And Villa had one of the best in the early '90s under Ron Atkinson. It only lasted three years. It earned the club just one trophy - the League Cup. But what a team that was. Shaun Teale and Paul McGrath at the back. Graham Richardson and Ray Houghton in midfield. Dean Saunders and Dalian Atkinson up front. And not to forget the magic of Tony Daley. Power. Pace. Sheer attacking entertainment. As we say, what a team that was...
Cycle through to today and we could be getting close to those times again. Certainly, Edens and Sawaris have that chance - if they continue to support the manager as they have.
"He is a tactical genius," so says Thierry Henry of Emery. "He always goes out and makes sure his team has an advantage tactically because that's how he works.
"We all know what he did in Spain (won the Europa League four times with Sevilla and Villarreal)... I just thought that if we kept him a little longer he would have been successful at Arsenal."
With Emery now in the Villa dugout, that's the level the club is aspiring to. The decision to keep hold of Duran over the summer is proof enough of that.
Wednesday night at Villa Park was all about belief. Belief in the potential of the club. The potential of the team. And the respect for what has been achieved before them. Victory over Bayern Munich was a surprise - but for today's Aston Villa, it was also thoroughly deserved.