Villa make perfect start on Champions League return after 41-year absence

Arsenal’s Spanish head coach Unai Emery reacts during their UEFA Europa league Group F football match between Arsenal and Vitoria Guimaraes at the Emirates stadium in London on October 24, 2019. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)[/caption]

Aston Villa made a stylish return to the Champions League with a 3-0 win at Swiss side Young Boys on Tuesday in their first game in the tournament for 41 years.

Villa boss Unai Emery had urged his team to take three points in Bern as a tribute to the club’s former striker Gary Shaw, who died on Monday aged 63 after being injured in a fall.

Shaw’s tragic death carried extra poignancy as he was a key member of the Villa side that shocked Bayern Munich in the 1982 European Cup final.

A picture of Shaw celebrating Peter Withe’s winner against Bayern adorns Villa’s training ground and the players wore black armbands during their Champions League opener in memory of the local hero.

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Clad in the number eight shirt that Shaw made his own at Villa, it was fitting that Youri Tielemans opened the scoring against Young Boys and celebrated by pointing to his jersey.

Jacob Ramsey bagged Villa’s second goal before the interval and Amadou Onana added the third in the closing stages as Emery’s men eased to a victory four decades in the making.

Villa are back in the Champions League after surprisingly finishing fourth in the Premier League last term.

Clashes with Bayern Munich and Juventus await among their remaining seven fixtures in the revamped league stage of the competition.

But this cathartic victory will forever hold a special place for Villa fans given their remarkable return to relevance since Emery was hired to replace the sacked Steven