Roberto Di Matteo’s leads Villa for the first time.

This is Villa’s first game in the second tier of English football for 29 years.

Goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini, 21, drops a clanger on his Villa debut to gift Wednesday the win after joining from Hellas Verona for a fee of £4,500,000 in July 2016 to become the 889th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Centre Tommy Elphick makes his Villa debut aged 28 after joining from AFC Bournemouth for a fee of £3,510,000 in July 2016 to become the 890th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Midfielder Aaron Tshibola makes his Villa debut aged 21 as a 70’ substitute after his inexplicable signing from Reading for a fee of £5,310,000 in July 2016 to become the 891st player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football. Tshibola's arrival had strong echoes of that of Michael Boulding in 2002 where a player of clearly insufficient quality was brought into the club, unlike Boulding however, Tshibola cost big money. The idiocy of the previous regime was clearly not completely over.

Forward Ross McCormack makes his Villa debut aged 29 after joining from Fulham for a fee of £12,870,000 earlier this month to become the 892nd player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Alan Hutton makes his 100th appearance in a Villa shirt (93 Starts) to make it W18 D25 L57, 1 Goal, 4 Assists, 25 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Leandro Bacuna makes his 100th appearance in a Villa shirt (78 Starts) to make it W27 D20 L53, 6 Goals, 6 Assists and 17 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Ashley Westwood loses for the 75th time in a Villa shirt on his 140th appearance (134 Starts) to make it W37 D28 L75, 5 Goals, 12 Assists and 24 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Former Villa midfielder Barry Bannan lines up for Wednesday.

Villa make it two defeats from two in all competitions as questions are asked once again and suspicion abounds.

Villa’s earliest entry into the League Cup ever and consequently their earliest ever exit from the competition since its inauguration in 1960.

Mark Bunn concedes his 25th goal in a Villa shirt on his 13th appearance to make it W3 D4 L6, 25 Goals Conceded, 4 Clean Sheets and 4 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Ross McCormack collects his first booking in a Villa shirt on his 2nd appearance to make it W0 D0 L2, 0 Goals, 0 Assists and 1 Booking so far in his Villa career.

Despite having refused to play for Villa again just 5 months earlier, troublesome centre back Jores Okore makes his 47th and final appearance for Villa (43 Starts) aged 24 before moving on to FC Copenhagen on a free transfer later this month. Villa had paid FC Nordsjaelland £4,230,000 for Okore’s services in July 2013 and following a controversy and injury ravaged spell across his 3 seasons with the club left with a record of W13 D11 L23, 1 Goal, 8 Bookings and 1 Own Goal. Okore's own goal came on what would prove to be his final appearance, with an easily avoidable error, that led to incredulity from his teammates during the match amd that attracted comment during and after the game as Villa fell to lower league opposition seemingly without a fight. Okore would later be accused of match fixing at Aalborg Boldspilklub.

Jordan Ayew suffers his 25th defeat in a Villa shirt on his 38th appearance (32 Starts) to make it W5 D8 L25, 8 Goals, 8 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Villa secure their first second tier win since beating Bradford City 1-0 on Monday, 2 May 1988.

Centre back James Chester makes his debut for Villa aged 27 after joining from West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £8,370,000 earlier his month to become the 893rd player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Jack Grealish scores his 2nd goal in a Villa shirt on his 49th appearance (24 Starts) to make it W16 D4 L29, 2 Goals, 5 Assists, 4 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Pierluigi Gollini keeps his first clean sheet in a Villa shirt on his 2nd appearance to make it W1 D0 L1, 1 Goal Conceded, 1 Clean Sheet so far in his Villa career.

Winger Adama Traoré made his final appearance for Villa aged 20 before moving on to Middlesbrough for a fee of £7,430,000 later this month. Traoré made 1 start, 11 substitute appearances and scored once. Villa had paid Barcelona a scarcely believable £9,000,000 for Traoré’s services a year earlier in August 2015. Villa wouldn’t be the last club to spend big on this most ineffective and disruptive of players who left with a record of W2 D1 L9, 1 Goal, 1 Assist and 1 Booking.

Ross McCormack’s first three games following his £12,870,000 move have now contributed no goals, one assist, two bookings and a half time hook to leave a record of W1 D0 L2 so far in his Villa career.

Aly Cissokho contributes his 1st assist in a Villa shirt on his 48th appearance (47 Starts) to make it W10 D9 L29, 1 Assist, 4 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Villa make it one defeat, a win and a draw in Roberto Di Matteo's first three Championship games.

The game is overshadowed by the news that legendary Villa centre forward Dalian Atkinson has been murdered by police officers outside his father's house. 

Jack Grealish makes his 50th appearance in a Villa shirt (25 Starts) to make it W16 D5 L29, 2 Goals, 6 Assists, 4 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Ross McCormack scores his first goal in a Villa shirt on his 4th appearance to make it W1 D1 L2, 1 Goal, 1 Assist and 2 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Former Villa midfielder Jonathan Hogg lined up for Huddersfield.

Villa draw a fourth successive game to extend their winless run to seven Championship matches as the Roberto Di Matteo regime already seems to be spiralling out of control on and off the pitch.

Off the pitch Jack Grealish is in trouble again after allegations of an all-night party leading to a hefty fine and a period of ostracism from first team selecion under Roberto Di Matteo.

Di Matteo's decision to suspend Jack Grealish further robs Villa of desperately needed creativity as a sixth draw in seven games makes it just one win in nine for Villa's new boss. 

Meanwhile Dr Tony Xia continues to confirm he is the oddest owner in football. Whether that's a good or a bad thing isn't clear.

Aaron Tshibola scores his first goal in a Villa shirt on his 5th appearance (3 Starts) to make it W1 D2 L2, 1 Goal and 2 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Nathan Baker leaves the field with injury before the second half for the second successive game.

Villa's poor start to life in the second tier under Roberto Di Matteo continues as they draw for a 5th successive game and are now without a win in 8 Championship games to leave them with 1 win in 11 in all competitions.

1 win in 10 league games and a 7th draw in 8 leave Roberto Di Matteo's side floundering in 17th with little sign that the spark needed to kick start the season will be coming any time soon. 

Despite a raft of new signings - Pierluigi Gollini, Tommy Elphick, Aaron Tshibola, James Chester, Mile Jedinak, Jonathan Kodjia, Ritchie De Laet and Albert Adomah - the culture of under achievement that has become so ingrained in the club is preventing a fresh start. 

Although a failure to hold onto a lead is not a rare occurrence under Roberto Di Matteo, it is yet again the involvement of the old guard (as substitutes for the new guard) that sees Villa concede a late equaliser once again. 

Without significant further culling of the relegation infected squad inherited from 2015-16 there is little sign or expectation that Villa can turn a corner and look up the Championship table. 

Jack Grealish makes his 30th start for Villa (55 Appearances) to make it W16 D9 L30, 3 Goals, 6 Assists, 5 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Pierluigi Gollini concedes his 10th goal in a Villa shirt on his 10th appearance to make it W1 D7 L2, 10 Goals Conceded and 3 Clean Sheets so far in his Villa career.

Future Villa midfielder Conor Hourihane lined up for Barnsley with future Villa right back James Bree on the bench for the Tykes.

Five years previously the appointment of Steve Bruce would have caused riots in the streets however needs must and the experienced second tier specialist, parachuted in to a free-falling Villa, leads the team for the firs time -  whether popular or not, Villa had made their first astute managerial appointment in a decade.

Jonathan Kodjia scores his second goal of the season in Steve Bruce’s first game in charge but he can’t change the trend as Villa draw for the eighth time in ten games. 

Ross McCormack makes his 10th appearance in a Villa shirt (9 Starts) to make it W1 D5 L4, 2 Goals, 1 Assist and 4 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Future Villa centre back Kortney Hause lined up for Wolves.

Micah Richards makes his 31st and final appearance in a Villa shirt (29 Starts) to leave with a record of W4 D6 L21, 2 Goals, 1 Assist and 3 Bookings. Richards' wins had come in 2015-16 against newly promoted Bournemouth and lower League clubs Birmingham and Wycombe and fellow relegated side Norwich. Richards had proved an unmitigated disaster with poor performances combined with high wages and an almost permanent presence in the treatment room. Frustratingly, Richards would not leave the club until July 2019 having continued to receive his hefty remuneration whilst contributing nothing in a Villa shirt for over 3 years.

Villa open 2017 with a fourth defeat in fourteen under Steve Bruce as Neil Warnock's side take physicality to another level.

Ashley Westwood loses for the 80th time in a Villa shirt on his 150th start  (161 Appearances) to make it W42 D39 L80, 5 Goals, 12 Assists and 27 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Ross McCormack makes his 20th appearance in a Villa shirt (13 Starts) to make it W7 D7 L6, 3 Goals, 1 Assist and 5 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa lose in the 3rd round of the FA Cup against Premier League opposition as the reality of life in the second tier hits hard.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, 23, makes his Villa debut after joining on loan from Manchester United earlier this month. Johnstone becomes the 899th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Centre forward Keinan Davis, 18, makes his debut having signed from Biggleswade Town in December 2015) to become the 898th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

James Chester makes his 25th appearance in a Villa shirt to make it W8 D11 L6 and 6 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa suffer successive League defeats for the first time under Steve Bruce and the first time this season as 2017 starts in less positive fashion than 2016 ended.

Steve Bruce’s Villa lose for the third game in succession.

Villa lose to Wolves for the first time since May 1978 under Ron Saunders.

Scarcely believably, the Wolves manager is one Paul Lambert - the true architect of Villa's descent to the second tier. As was so familiar to Villa supporters, Lambert was already gaslighting his new club's fans and predictably end the season below Villa in the table - despite Bruce's men finishing in their lowest placing for over forty years.

André Green makes his 10th appearance in a Villa shirt (1 Start) to make it W1 D2 L7 so far in his Villa career.

Leandro Bacuna collects his 25th booking in a Villa shirt on his 117th appearance (93 Starts) to make it W33 D27 L57, 7 Goals, 7 Assists and 25 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Aaron Tshibola makes his 10th and final appearance in a Villa shirt (7 Starts) following his inexplicable £5,310,000 move from Reading in July. Tshibola would remain at the club until August 2019 before leaving with a record of W1 D4 L5, 1 Goal, 3 Bookings and being one of the most curious signings of all time.

Meanwhile it is reveled that two time Villa manager Graham Taylor had passed away aged 72. Taylor, a roaring success in his first spell as manager between 1987 and 1990 - taking Villa out of the second tier to Division One runners up with a record over 150 games of W69 D34 L47 at a rate of 1.61 points per game had a torrid and best forgotten second spell between 2001 and 2003. Taylor won just 19 of 60 games to make it W19 D14 L27 at a rate of 1.18 points per game - the worst performance of any Villa manager since Billy McNeill in 1986-87 - ironically the man Taylor would initially replace when arriving for his first spell in charge.