Villa beat leaders Bradford 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 to climb back to third in the division two table after 21 games.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa have now 🟥 lost just once in fifteen Division Two games, 🟩 winning nine as Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and Stuart Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 make their debuts. 

Midfielder Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 23 makes his debut in a Villa shirt after arriving from Crystal Palace 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 earlier this month for a fee of £150,000 to become the 651st player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Midfielder Stuart Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 27 makes a ⚽ goalscoring debut in a Villa shirt after joining from Barnsley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 earlier this month for a fee of £175,000 to become the 652nd player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa have now 🟥 lost just once in sixteen Division Two games, 🟩 winning ten.

Garry Thompson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 scores his fourth in three games as he benefits from the burgeoning relationship being built between new signing Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and Warren Aspinall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, as the former's forward thinking passing enables the winger to make angled runs into the penalty area of panicked opposition.

Centre forward Garry Thompson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽ scores his 10th goal in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 42nd appearance (41 Starts) to makes it 🟩 W11 🟨 D12  🟥 L19, ⚽ 11 Goals and 🔥 5 Assists so far in his Villa career at a Game per Goal rate of 3.82.

Villa are held for the third consecutive game but climb back to third in the second division, three points off the top, as a notoriously poor referee, Paul Danson, loses control.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa end 1987 with three successive draws but had now lost just once in twenty Division Two games, winning eleven. 

Winger Mark Walters 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 23 makes his 225th & final appearance in a Villa shirt before moving on to Glasgow Rangers later this month for a fee of £615,000. Having graduated from the Youth Team, Walters played for Villa between 1982 and 1987 leaving with a record of 🟩 W86 🟨 D56 🟥 L83, ⚽ 48 Goals and 🔥 7 Assists across his Villa career.

Villa break a run of 🟨 three draws to hammer Hull into submission on New Years' Day 1988 as Nigel Spink 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 foils old boy Pat Heard's penalty before a second half four goal onslaught sends Villa joint top of the second division.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa start 1988 with the biggest win under his leadership to date and have now 🟥 lost just once in twenty one Division Two games, 🟩 winning twelve.

Midfielder Paul Birch 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 150th start in a Villa shirt (159 Appearances).

Centre forward Garry Thompson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🔥 creates Andy Gray’s 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽ goal to contribute his 20th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 47th appearance doing so at a rate of one goal involvement for every 2.35 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Midfielder Mark Lillis 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 25th appearance in a Villa shirt.

Games on successive days prove no problem for Villa as they triumph in a tightly fought game thanks to a thrilling chip over the goalkeeper by Paul Birch 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 before the midfielder sets up Alan McInally's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 volley to secure Villa's 10th away victory of the season and take the outright lead in the table, three points clear.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa have now lost just once in twenty two Division Two games, winning thirteen.

Full back Kevin Gage 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 creates Warren Aspinall’s ⚽ goal to contribute his 10th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 33rd appearance.

Defender David Norton 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 first appearance in a Villa shirt in 10 months and first under Graham Taylor 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

Midfielder Warren Aspinall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽ scores his 15th goal in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 43rd appearance (40 Starts).

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa beat Leeds in the FA Cup to leave them unbeaten in nine with 🟩 six wins in all competitions.

Villa 🟩 win for the twelfth time away from home this season as they survive a bizarre refereeing decision to allow Leeds a goal despite the scorer elbowing Nigel Spink 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

Centre back Martin Keown 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 75th appearance in a Villa shirt (74 Starts).

An early Martin Keown 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 strike is enough to secure Villa the points as a strong rearguard action and a Gary Shaw 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 cameo on his final appearance keeps Villa clear at the top of the table.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa have now 🟥 lost just once in twenty three Division Two games, 🟩 winning fourteen. 

League and European Cup winning Villa forward Gary Shaw 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 26 makes his 212th & final appearance in a Villa shirt before moving on to BK Frem Copenhagen in May 1988. Shaw played for Villa between 1978 and 1988 leaving with a record of 🟩 W98 🟨 D46 🟥 L68, ⚽ 79 Goals & 🔥 22 Assists. Sadly injuries had stalled Shaw's career however as he made just 18 appearances over his final four seasons with the club. 

Villa now boasted just one player who had won the title seven years earlier - defender Allan Evans 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

Centre forward Garry Thompson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 50th appearance in a Villa shirt to make it 🟩 W16 🟨 D15  🟥 L19, ⚽ 14 Goals and 🔥 7 Assists at a rate of one goal involvement for every 2.38 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Villa make it 🟩 thirteen away wins as they open a six point gap at the top of the table after Tony Daley 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 - out with injury since August - makes one and scores one to make it eleven unbeaten.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa have now 🟥 lost just once in twenty four Division Two games, 🟩 winning fifteen.

Centre forward Alan McInally 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 sets up Tony Daley’s 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 opener to contribute his 10th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 22nd appearance.

Graham Taylor's Villa lose to runaway First Division leaders Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Tony Daley makes his 75th appearance in a Villa shirt (56 Starts) to make it W16 D23 L36, 8 Goals and 6 Assists so far in his Villa career.

Villa hit a three minute first half brace but don't capitalise but do enough to win and maintain their four point lead at the top of the table.

Graham Taylor's Villa have now lost just once in twenty five Division Two games, winning sixteen.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa 🟥 lose for only the second time in twenty six Division Two games.

Villa remain top but Blackburn 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, up next, are now just one point behind.

Centre forward Alan McInally 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 makes his 🕒 25th appearance in a Villa shirt (22 Starts).

Villa find themselves two goals down after 55' to twenty two game unbeaten Blackburn but pull back to equalise in the 83' before Barcelona's on-loan striker Steve Archibald scores a late winner to leapfrog Villa to the top of the table.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa lose for the second successive League match having lost just once in the previous twenty five Division Two games. 

David Platt 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 21 makes a ⚽ goalscoring debut in a Villa shirt after moving from Crewe Alexandra earlier this month for a fee of £200,000  to become the 653rd player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa return to winning ways and have now 🟥 lost three in twenty eight Division Two games, 🟩 winning seventeen.

Villa hit three in six first half minutes and a brace in two second half minutes to sweep aside Plymouth after successive defeats and retake top spot on goal difference from Blackburn.

Centre forward Garry Thompson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽ scores to contribute his 25th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 56th appearance doing so at a rate of one goal involvement for every 2.24 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Villa make it consecutive victories to open a three point outright lead at the top of the table once again as Tony Daley continues to impress.

Villa have now lost just three in twenty nine Division Two games, winning eighteen under Graham Taylor.

Tony Daley scores his 10th goal in a Villa shirt on his 80th appearance (60 Starts) to make it W19 D23 L38, 10 Goals and 10 Assists at a goal involvement rate of one for every 4.00 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Villa suffer a "soccer mugging" but remain top of the table on goal difference from Blackburn, both of whom are six points clear of the chasing pack with eight to play.

Graham Taylor's Villa lose for the third time in five League games having lost just once in the previous twenty five Division Two matches.

An Alan McInally inspired Villa beat Reading to retake the outright lead at the top of the table, two points clear of Blackburn.

Graham Taylor's Villa return to winning ways and have now lost four in thirty one Division Two games, winning nineteen.

Despite a second defeat in three games Villa remain two clear at the top of Division Two with six games left to play.

Graham Taylor's Villa continue their indifferent late season form as they lost for the fourth time in seven League games having lost just once in the previous twenty five. As a result odds on automatic promotion hangs in the balance.

Despite stopping a run of three consecutive defeats Villa drop to fourth in the table, two points off the top and behind Millwall, Boro and Blackburn after the returning Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 gifts Palace a late equaliser from the penalty spot.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa end a run of three defeats with a draw as they fight to hold onto their automatic promotion spot having now lost seven in thirty five League games but six in the last ten.

Midfielder Paul Birch 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 175th appearance in a Villa shirt (166 Starts).

Midfielder Gareth Williams 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his debut in a Villa shirt after graduating from the youth set up to become the 654th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa win for the first time in five and have now won 20 of their last thirty six League games losing 7.

The victory is enough to propel Villa back to second, two points behind Millwall with two to play with third placed Bradford up next.

The margin could have been bigger however but Warren Aspinall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 controversially takes and misses a penalty ahead of appointed specialist Stuart Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿.

Midfielder Warren Aspinall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚽ scores to contribute his 20th goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 48th appearance (43 Starts).

Villa win successive games, beating third placed Bradford but as games in hand settle, Villa drop to third, one point and one place of the automatic promotion places and four points behind surprise champions Millwall.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa win successive games and have now lost seven in thirty seven League games winning twenty one with automatic promotion just one result away with one game to play.

Midfielder David Platt 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 scores his ⚽ 5th goal on his 🕒 10th appearance in a Villa shirt.

Full back Kevin Gage 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 50th appearance in a Villa shirt.

Full back Bernie Gallacher 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 makes his 50th appearance in a Villa shirt.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa secure a 🟨 goal-less draw at the County Ground to earn promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt.

The Second Division Championship was however beyond them as a run of 🟥 one defeat in twenty five was followed by 🟥 six defeats in thirteen that let the title slip.

Having been first with four games to play and consistently top since January, Villa sneak through by the narrowest of margins.

Villa take second place level on points and goal difference with Boro but having scored more goals. 

Midfielder Warren Aspinall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 20 makes his 🕒 50th & final appearance for Villa before moving on to recently relegated Portsmouth in August 1988 for a fee of £350,000. Aspinall played for Villa in 1986-87 and 1987-88 after joining from Everton in February 1987 for a fee of £350,000 and left with a record of 🟩 W20 🟨 D15 🟥 L15, ⚽ 16 Goals and 🔥 4 Assists at a rate of one goal involvement every 2.50 games he had played across his Villa career.

Last season's second division promotion winners face off against each other at Villa Park as Villa recover from a two minute Tony Cascarino brace to earn a share of the points on the opening day.

Graham Taylor's Villa open the season with a draw against their rivals for promotion in the previous campaign and it finishes all square as future Villa record signing Tony Cascarino scores a brace in two minutes to shock Villa into a response. 

Right back Chris Price, 28, makes his Villa debut after joining from Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £125,000 in May 1988 to become the 655th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football. Price would go on to be a widely celebrated cult hero for the club over the coming seasons. 

Midfielder Gordon ’Sid’ Cowans, 29, makes his first appearance for Villa of his second spell with the club after returning from Bari in July 1988 for a fee of £250,000. Chairman Doug Ellis had sold Cowans, then aged 25, to Bari for £500,000 at the end of the 1984-85 season as part of his nonsensical dismantling of Villa’s League and European Cup winning squad.

A Tony Daley inspired Villa see Alan McInally score a brace to shock Arsenal at Highbury and climb to 5th in the early first division table under Graham Taylor.

Graham Taylor's Villa beat Arsenal at Highbury in only their second game since returning after a season out of the top flight. 

Alan McInally scores his third goal in two games as unbeaten Villa climb to 5th in the early table.

Alan McInally scores his fourth goal in three as Villa take the game to the reigning champions but are held at Villa Park after an atrocious piece of refereeing gifts Liverpool an equaliser.

Graham Taylor's Villa draw with reigning Champions Liverpool after taking a first half lead through Alan McInally as Villa remain unbeaten and in 8th position on the table.

Villa draw for the third time in four games to remain unbeaten on their return to the top flight. 

Alan McInally 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 makes it six goals in four games with a five minute brace to put Villa two up at Upton Park before Derek Mountfield 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 scores an own goal on debut to help West Ham 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 to a draw.

Centre back Derek Mountfield 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 25 makes his debut appearance in a Villa shirt joining from Everton 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 in June 1988 for a fee of £450,000 to become the 656th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Midfielder Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 25th appearance in a Villa shirt.

Villa extend their unbeaten run to five but are held to a draw for the fourth time to sit 9th in the first division table on their return to the top flight.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa have now taken the lead in five successive games only to be pegged back on four occasions. 

As a result, from winning positions Villa now have accumulated seven points from a possible fifteen.

Midfielder Stuart Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 makes his 🕒 25th appearance in a Villa shirt (24 Starts) and makes it 🟩 W10 🟨 D9 🟥 L6, ⚽ 6 Goals and 🔥 0 Assists so far in his Villa career.

Villa see off their neighbours on their own patch with a fine brace of first half goals before second half complacency prevents the tie being put beyond all doubt.

Graham Taylor's Villa beat neighbours Birmingham in the first leg of the second round of the League Cup.

Graham Taylor's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Villa 🟥 lose and fail to score for the first time this season and fall back to 11th place in the table with seven points from six games.

Villa 🟥 lose for the first time in 1988-89 as they concede early, miss a second half penalty and have Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 sent off for striking anger magnet Gary Megson to let an uncultured Wednesday 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 side claim all three points.

The penalty comes after Kevin Pressman 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 brings Chris Price 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 down with a professional foul with the goal gaping but such were the laws that the 'keeper stayed on to come up with an excellent save to Stuart Gray's 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 penalty.

Midfielder Andy Gray 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 is 🟥 sent off for the first time in a Villa shirt on his 🕒 28th appearance.