Villa cannot survive an eccentric refereeing performance that sees three Villa players sent off over the two games including two at the Hawthorns as Celta secure an aggregate victory.

Villa’s insanely early start to the season comes to a pointless, fruitless and demoralising end. Four sending offs, a raft of bookings, suspensions and injuries were all Villa had to show for playing four games by the 2nd August. 

Midfielder Stephen Cooke, 17, makes his debut in a Villa shirt after signing professional forms with the club in July 2000 to become the 746th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Midfielder Alan Thompson, 26, is sent off on his 58th and final appearance in a Villa shirt (45 Starts) before joining Celtic for a fee of £3,960,000 in September 2000. Thompson joined from Bolton Wanderers in June 1998 for £6,480,000 and left with W23 D13 L22, 5 Goals, 6 Assists, 17 Bookings and 1 Red Card having collected cards at a rate of one every 3.22 games in his Villa career.

Ian Taylor is sent off on his 223rd appearance in a Villa shirt (204 Starts) to make it W99 D55 L69, 32 Goals, 13 Assists, 43 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Julian Joachim makes his 150th appearance in a Villa shirt (101 Starts) to make it W63 D33 L54, 38 Goals, 12 Assists and 2 Booking at a goal involvement rate of one for every 3.00 games played so far in his Villa career.

Villa concede an 89' Calamity James inspired goal to leave them trailing ahead of the home leg against Celta de Vigo in the Intertoto semi final.

Despite their away win in the first leg, Villa suffer their second successive Cup defeat as they are beaten by Celta de Vigo at Villa Park in their Second Round Second Leg to dump John Gregory's side out of the UEFA Cup.

Villa secure an outstanding away win in Spain in the second round of the UEFA Cup to make it 9 wins in 12 unbeaten games under John Gregory.

Villa face RC Celta de Vigo for the first time in competitive football, Vigo become the 141st team that the Villa first team has played in League or Cup football, Villa’s 26th continental European opponents and their fifth from Spain following meetings with Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona, Deportivo La Coruña and Atlético Madrid in previous campaigns.

Julian Joachim scores the crucial away goal to make it 69 Appearances, 37 Starts, W30 D12 L27, 15 Goals, 4 Assists and 1 Booking at a Goal per Game rate of one for every 4.60 games played so far in his Villa career.

Lee Hendrie secures his 25th win in a Villa shirt on his 45th appearance (31 Starts) to make it W25 D6 L12, 4 Goal, 4 Assists, 5 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.