First Time in 2,562 Days: Bayern Munich Suffer New UEFA Champions League Low Under Vincent Kompany

Bayern Munich had not lost a Champions League group game since 2017 until a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Wednesday that hinted at a new era of European glory for the English side. Villa relived the club's greatest ever night, when they beat Bayern to lift the European Cup in 1982, in their first home match at the continent's elite level for 41 years. The Birmingham club's fortunes have been transformed in less than two years since Unai Emery took charge, catapulting Villa from battling relegation at the bottom of the Premier League to finishing in the top four last season.

Now two games into their first ever experience since the European Cup was rebranded to the Champions League, they are one of just seven sides with maximum points.

Bayern's previous group stage defeat, 41 games ago, also came at the hands of Emery when in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.

The Spaniard's time in France and as Arsene Wenger's successor at Arsenal did not end well.

However, he has a track record of lifting up European football's middleweights to trade blows with the continent's giants.

Emery won three consecutive Europa Leagues at Sevilla and lifted the competition for a fourth time with Villarreal in 2021 to deliver the club's first ever major trophy.

The next season Villarreal reached the Champions League semi-finals, knocking out Juventus and Bayern along the way.

Villa are now reaping the rewards of Emery's shrewd tactical mind and ability to polish rough diamonds.

- 'Moving forward' -

Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham were among the sides with bigger budgets that were beaten into fourth place by Villa in the Premier League last season.

In doing so, Emery's men beat both title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal 1-0 at Villa