Credit: Imago

Cameron Smith

Fri 29 May 2026 13:00, UK

Birmingham City presented Aston Villa fans with an open goal in their latest social media post.

Following a recent trend, the Blues sent a message to supporters urging them to share their best football-related photos.

As you might expect, the comments were soon full of Villa fans showcasing their recent achievements.

On Sunday, Unai Emery’s side secured a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, just days after lifting the Europa League in Istanbul.

After the continued success under Emery, fans of the B6 outfit have even more ammunition to use against their neighbours, with Birmingham handing over a perfect opportunity that Villa supporters were always going to take.

Aston Villa fans take opportunity to highlight gulf in class

Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2019, Villa have continued to shift through the gears, with Emery’s appointment lifting them to unimaginable levels in 2022.

Birmingham on the other hand, are looking to catch up to their arch rivals, with sky-high ambitions under their current ownership group – though the bragging rights of the city remain in the hands of the Villans.

And after a chance was handed to them on a plate, the Villa fanbase jumped to showcase their recent success in front of their rivals.

pic.twitter.com/kco2MtsTiU

— (Fan) Connor (@AVFC_Connor_) May 28, 2026

Replying with photos from Istanbul, and even some older images from the recent Championship spell, the Villans were not going to miss the opportunity.

pic.twitter.com/8pxWSOGZGI

— Ace (@AVFC_Ace8) May 29, 2026

This one for me 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/npy9FSuNrd

— Rowley 🦁 (@RowleyVilla) May 28, 2026

The Europa League success would remain the common theme, though some supporters would even go as far as pointing out some of Birmingham’s recent mishaps.

This one for me 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/npy9FSuNrd

— Rowley 🦁 (@RowleyVilla) May 28, 2026

pic.twitter.com/wOIYJ6uAny

— B6_avfc (@B6_avfc) May 28, 2026

Villa are unbeaten in eight against their rivals, with the last league win for Blues coming in 2005.

Last time out, Dean Smith would guide the Villans to a 1-0 win at St Andrew’s, with Jack Grealish netting the winner in front of the claret and blue contingent.

One supporter took the time to remind fans of that moment.

So many to choose from… pic.twitter.com/0m2H3AbAEb

— Villa Underground (@avfc_vilr) May 29, 2026

With a return to the Champions League on the cards, while silverware has been added the cabinet, the B6 outfit have been operating on a different level to their rivals in recent years, and it is a strange thought to ponder on just how different things could have been.

Aston Villa fans will remember sliding door moment vs Birmingham

Earlier this week, Villa fans were reminded of their playoff success in 2019 – seven years on from the win against Derby County.

Securing promotion to the top flight that season was a necessity, with financial consequences on the cards due to a wage bill of £95million, while a £68.9m loss was reported – almost double the previous £36.1m.

Had it not been for the playoff win that year, the current predicament could have looked remarkably different at Villa Park.

Looking back on that year, Birmingham themselves were involved in the turning point of the season.

Heading into the season’s final months, Villa embarked on a sensational 10-match unbeaten run following the return of the aforementioned Grealish, who starred in a 4-0 win against Derby at the start of March.

Next up, was a trip across the city to face their arch rivals.

After being struck by a supporter in the first half, Grealish grabbed control in the second half, with his rolling effort sending the travelling contingent into raptures.

Had Blues won that day, the unbeaten run may never have been possible, with Smith’s side continuing to go from strength to strength as they surged to the playoffs.

That would end up being the final meeting between the pair for a rival, with Birmingham simply having to watch on as the Villans have continued to rise.