“The best moment in Emery’s brilliant Villa conversion”

Unai Emery paid respect to Aston Villa's glorious past while offering the tantalizing prospect of a golden future on one of Villa Park's greatest nights.

The 1982 European Cup final victory over Bayern was relived by Villa's legends ahead of this Champions League clash with the Bundesliga giants. Emery was more than happy to accept the burden of history he carried into the club's first game in the competition for 41 years.

And while nothing can match the 1-0 win that Peter Withe's goal gave Villa all those years ago in Rotterdam, that famous victory, which re-established Villa in Europe's elite group, will forever be remembered by all who witnessed it Be remembered as this score was repeated – an evening full of drama and gripping tension.

The headlines were made by substitute Jhon Duran, who scored the winning goal in the 79th minute with his fifth goal of the season without being substituted, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who amazingly parried a last-second header from Harry Kane.

But the true architect of this victory and this stunning Villa renaissance made a sharp exit with a beaming smile, pumping his fists through an ecstatic Villa park surrounded by a wall of noise.

Villa's victory is the finest moment in Emery's brilliant rebuild, this European specialist in the field he is relishing after leading his team to the top four last season.

An indication of how far this club has come is that six years ago, after a draw against Preston North End, a disgruntled Villa fan threw a cabbage at then manager Steve Bruce in disgust.

Emery is only thrown bouquets of flowers, his hero status confirmed by his face at the center of a huge flag lowered from the Holte End just before kick-off.

Villa were just three points clear of the relegation zone when Emery sacked Steven Gerrard in October 2022. The change was remarkable.

When Villa looked for Gerrard's replacement, Emery was on a list of four along with Ruben Amorim, now hot at Sporting Lisbon, Mauricio Pochettino and Julen Lopetegui.

Emery, who rejected Newcastle United in the 11th hour of the game, was particularly favored by owner Nassef Sawiris, who was unfazed by his sacking from Arsenal. He was more impressed by the fact that Emery won three Europa Leagues with Sevilla and a fourth with Villarreal, and that he was able to form formidable teams. The Spaniard even reached the final in what was supposed to be his only season at Arsenal.

There was a feeling that Emery might have been put in a difficult situation as Arsene Wenger's successor at the Emirates Stadium and that, in hindsight, his record wasn't as bad as others thought.

At this point it was unlikely that Pochettino would play football with Villa again, but there were no doubts about Emery's pedigree and his suitability for Villa.

He is the driving force behind Villa's renewal and shaped the entire win against Bayern, from the strong defensive organization to the pressing in midfield to a winning goal on the counter-attack, with Duran guiding Pau Torres' long pass over the stranded Manuel Neuer.

Emery's clever strategy also unsettled Bayern, making a more direct attack on defender Dayot Upamecano with Ollie Watkins running behind. He was also aware of Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer's habit of playing as a sweeper keeper, which directly led to Duran's goal. The trick worked perfectly.

Mention what Emery brings to the table and a Villa insider told BBC Sport: “Attention to detail. An incredible work ethic. There is no downtime for Unai. He is incredible and gets the rewards the work ethic deserves. He too is respectful of everyone in the club and very popular.”

Emery arrives at Villa's training headquarters in Bodymoor Heath at around 8am and the staff who use the gym at the center are used to the sight of the manager arriving at 8.30pm, having finished at his desk and on the exercise bike Collects details on his iPad before even taking notes while using the rowing machine.

Once the formalities of a game are completed, he turns to his laptop, sits in front of Villa's coach and immediately focuses on the next game, the next opponent.

He has brought 23 Spanish coaches to Bodymoor Heath, a sign of Villa's confidence and investment in Emery, but he has ensured they have fully integrated with the coaches already there in a calm and welcoming atmosphere. There is mutual respect at Bodymoor Heath, an environment fostered by Emery, whose English is said to be much better than some might expect.

Emery became president of football operations alongside long-time collaborator Monchi, who was with him at Sevilla, while appointing the experienced Pako Ayestaran as his right-hand man was an ideal choice.

Ayestaran was Rafael Benitez's assistant as Liverpool won the Champions League and FA Cup early on. Things have never been the same at Anfield after his departure, perhaps no coincidence as the 61-year-old is a likeable and highly-respected figure with a great knowledge of the Premier League and the game in general.

Emery, who also has the trusted Damian Vidagany at his side, has not been afraid to retain Gerrard staff, such as the outstanding set-piece coach Austin MacPhee, a workaholic in the spirit of his manager.

He recognizes and encourages quality, particularly in players who are helped by continuous and specific video analysis, with Ollie Watkins a particular beneficiary.

Emery also gets the best out of the unpredictable underdog Duran, albeit as a substitute. He needs to be handled carefully and the manager has proven himself to be adept in this area.

Since his first weekend in charge on November 5, 2022, Villa have the fifth-most wins and fifth-most home wins in the Premier League, ahead of only Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Bayern certainly know all about Emery's European expertise. They had not lost a game in the group stage since September 2017, when they lost 3-0 to Paris St. Germain. Your trainer? Unai Emery.

Emery and Villa now have six points from their opening two Champions League games against Young Boys of Switzerland and now Bayern – and under his expert guidance, few will enjoy this environment under this coach.

Aston Villa has the fifth-most wins and fifth-most home wins of any Premier League team since the weekend of his first game in charge.

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 10pm on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on Wednesday from 10:40pm to 12:00am on BBC One.