Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Bournemouth was arguably Villa’s most complete performance under Unai Emery. As with the Crystal Palace home game before it, Villa were measured, patient, and controlled the game, this time adding the cushion our dominance deserved.

In truth, despite a bright start, the game and atmosphere around Villa Park turned quite flat in the first half. A team’s style of play is always going to influence its home crowd to some extent – it’s the difference between the hush around the Etihad as Manchester City stroke the ball around waiting for an opening and the partisan frenzy a high-pressing counter-attacking Liverpool team can (now only occasionally) whip up at Anfield.

We’ve seen plenty of examples of it at Villa Park this season too. The fast starts against Manchester United and Brentford created electric noise which helped blow both teams away, and there were similar periods in the defeats to Leicester and Arsenal.

It was those two matches that caused Emery to rethink the approach to home fixtures. After again scoring early in both games, he felt the players lost their emotional control as they became caught up in the raucous energy of the crowd, taking unnecessary risks which presented openings to the opposition. It’s been evident that away from home where there isn’t such an urge from the supporters to get the ball forward quickly, the players have been far more comfortable in executing the slower build up from the back. 

It makes sense then that Emery wanted to slow things down at home and give us that same control we’ve had in away matches. You can tell it’s a conscious decision when you see players and manager alike urging Emi Martinez not to hurl the ball out to try and launch a counter attack after claiming a cross in his penalty area at 1-0 up. With two wins and two clean sheets in the last two home games, it’s hard to argue with the approach so far.

The crowd are playing their part too. There’s been some criticism of the atmosphere at home in recent weeks but this new style of play is an adjustment for supporters as well as players, and the groans as the ball gets casually knocked between the centre backs and goalkeeper are getting quieter every week.

Villa fans are by and large a knowledgeable bunch and they are quickly recognising how patient possession can help this team be successful. That will only help the atmosphere and you can be sure that if there’s even a sniff of European qualification between now and the end of the season, you’ll see B6 bouncing more often than not.