Jonty Banks

Sun 8 January 2023 17:24, UK

For Aston Villa Football Club, Monday 27 May 2019 was the day the club propelled themselves back into the big time.

After tasting relegation from the Premier League for the first time in almost two decades in 2016, Villa were in the doldrums and in dire need of change.

Champions League winner Roberto Di Matteo came and went. As did promotion specialist Steve Bruce. Dr Tony Xia’s cryptic transfer tweets were a shortlived hobby, and it instead fell to lifelong Aston Villa supporter Dean Smith to lead the march to the promotion play-off final against Derby County at Wembley.

The encounter between the two historic sides was dubbed the “richest game in football”, with the winner pocketing at least £170 million for the win, including a cash boost of £95 million for playing in the Premier League and two year’s worth of parachute payments amounting to £75 million. [Sky Sports]

It turned out to be a day to remember for Villa, who were released from the demons that had tormented them ever since their play-off final defeat to Fulham 12 months earlier.

With so much at stake, it was always going to be a game of fine margins, and a nailbiting 2-1 victory over Frank Lampard’s side would await friendship-bound Prince William and John Carew in the stands of Wembley.

Villa started the brighter of the two and seemed to handle the nerves of the occasion far better than the rather passive Rams side, who failed to impress their gameplan on Villa until they were two goals behind.

The opening goal came at a crucial stage of the match, as Anwar El Ghazi came in on the blindside of static defender Jayden Bogle and diverted a cross into the back of the net with his back on the stroke of half-time.

With Smith’s side a goal to the good, Jack Grealish, John McGinn and Co. started to exude the Premier League quality they so clearly possessed, with the latter popping up in the right place at the right time to double Villa’s lead shortly before the hour mark.

The mistake made by Derby goalkeeper Kelle Roos was one of those that signified where the day was going, and following his failure to catch a routine cross, the now-Villa captain was their first to head the ball over the line.

Lampard responded by chucking Jack Marriott into the mix after scoring a quick-fire double in the play-off semi-final victory over Leeds, and the striker made an immediate impact on proceedings as his drilled low shot deflected off Martyn Waghorn into the back of the net.

The nine minutes of added time that awaited must have felt like slow-motion to the players as the Rams launched attack after attack and bombarded the Villa back four with cross after cross.

However, nothing was going to spoil Villa’s day. Prince William and Carew were pictured hugging one and other in the stands, Grealish led the animated celebrations in front of the claret and blue faithful, but the biggest smile came from the down-to-earth lifelong Villa fan who had masterminded this miraculous return to the Premier League.

In other Aston Villa news, Dan Bardell has had his say on the investment in the facilities at the club.