Villa's play their first League game over a month after their first Intertoto outing but there is little sign that the early start has helped form build as they are held at lowly Leicester.

Turkey international centre back Alpay Özalan, 27, made his debut in a Villa shirt and so the fun begins. Özalan had joined from Fenerbahçe S.K. for a fee of £8,100,000 in July 2000 to become the 747th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football but no-one could have imagined the chaos that he would bring to the club. 

Someone who would prove to be equally disruptive was his fellow debutant and former french international winger David Ginola, 33, who makes his debut after being acquired by the Chairman from Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £3,000,000 in July 2000 to become the 747th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football 

Paul Merson makes his 75th appearance in a Villa shirt (60 Starts) to make it W31 D21 L23, 10 Goals, 11 Assists, 6 Bookings and 1 Red Card at a goal involvement rate of one for every 3.57 games played so far in his Villa career.

Steve Stone makes his 50th appearance in a Villa shirt (29 Starts) to make it W21 D14 L15, 3 Goal, 9 Assists and 3 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Former Villa centre forward, Stan Collymore, lines up against his old club for the first time.

Villa make it 2 goals and 2 points from a potential 9 as they fall 0-3 behind in just over half an hour to continue their poor start to the campaign under John Gregory. 

Villa sit 19th in the early Premier League table having finished 6th last season. 

Ian Taylor makes his 225th appearance in a Villa shirt (205 Starts) to make it W99 D56 L70, 32 Goals, 13 Assists, 44 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Steve Stone contributes his 10th goal involvement on his 52nd appearance in a Villa shirt (31 Starts) to make it W21 D15 L16, 4 Goals, 6 Assists and 3 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa win for the first time in four Premier League games this season to climb to 14th in the table under John Gregory.

Forward Luc Nilis, 33, makes his final appearance in a Villa shirt after just 5 games having suffered a sickening and career ending injury in the 7th minute of the game at Portman Road. Nilis who had impressed so greatly already retired with a record of W2 D1 L2 and 2 Goals.

In his short time with the club Nilis had shown skill and touch to add a new dimension to John Gregory’s Villa and his loss was felt keenly as those characteristics proved difficult to replace. 

Centre back Ugo Ehiogu, 27, makes his 303rd and final appearance in a Villa shirt (286 Starts) to make it W140 D72 L91, 15 Goals, 8 Assists, 39 Bookings and 2 Red Cards across his 9 years in the first team.

Ehiogu’s choice to move to mid-table also rans Middlesbrough raised eye-brows at the time and unsurprisingly his career was never to again reach the heights he had seen at Villa. 

Ehiogu’s premature departure was surrounded by innuendo but it is believed that he did not see eye to eye with Gregory and the player opted for a lucrative Middlesbrough contract as a way out with hopes that a move to another club of Villa’s stature would result. It didn’t. 

Although Villa received £8,000,000 in the deal, a handsome profit on the £40,000 they paid West Bromwich Albion for the then 19 year old, most fans’ preference would have been to have kept the man and foregone the money but the player’s head was turned by a squad full of disruptive influences from the likes of David James, Gareth Southgate, George Boateng, Alpay Özalan, Julian Joachim and David Ginola, all of whom would eventually move on to lesser clubs and careers.

Ehiogu’s agitation for a move stood in stark contrast to the behaviour of model professionals such as Dion Dublin, Gareth Barry, Alan Wright and Ian Taylor and illustrated just how haphazardly John Gregory had built a talented, but underperforming squad.

Dion Dublin secures his 25th win in a Villa shirt on his 63rd appearance (59 Starts) to make it W25 D17 L21, 28 Goals, 7 Assists and 5 Bookings at a goal involvement rate of one for every 1.80 games played so far in his Villa career.

Villa make it successive Premier League wins to climb to seventh in the table under John Gregory.

Villa’s hero of their 1999-00 FA Cup run, Benito Carbone, lined up for Bradford City after his summer of discontent but despite his mercurial presence Villa record a second successive win to rise to 7th in the table under John Gregory.

Ian Taylor secures his 100th win in a Villa shirt on his 226th appearance (205 Starts) to make it W100 D56 L70, 32 Goals, 13 Assists, 44 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

George Boateng makes his 50th start in a Villa shirt (53 Appearances) to make it W24 D16 L12, 3 Goals and 13 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Lee Hendrie contributes his 21st goal involvement in a Villa shirt on his 117th appearance (83 Starts) to make it W53 D27 L37, 11 Goals, 10 Assists, 22 Bookings and 1 Red Card at a goal involvement rate of one for every 5.85 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Despite being unbeaten in 3 Premier League games under John Gregory a Villa squad wracked with discontent concede an 89' Alpay own goal to hand Boro an undeserved draw to fall back to 9th in the table 

Alan Wright makes his 250th appearance in a Villa shirt (247 Starts) to make it W113 D63 L74, 4 Goals, 21 Assists and 14 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa make it 3 wins in 4 unbeaten games under John Gregory to rise to 5th in the early Premier League table.

George Boateng secures his 25th win in a Villa shirt on his 55th appearance (51 Starts) to make it W25 D17 L13, 3 Goals and 13 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Lee Hendrie contributes his 11th assist in a Villa shirt on his 119th appearance (84 Starts) to make it W54 D28 L37, 11 Goals, 11 Assists, 22 Bookings and 1 Red Card at a goal involvement rate of one for every 5.66 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Villa win for the second successive game to make it 3 consecutive Premier League victories and 2 defeats in 12 under John Gregory as they remain in 5th place.

David James secures his 25th win in a Villa shirt on his 55th appearance to make it W25 D16 L14, 47 Goals Conceded at a rate of 0.85 goals per game and 22 Clean Sheets (40%) so far in his Villa career.

Two goals in two minutes sink Villa and end their run of three league wins.

Villa lose for the first time in six and only the third time in thirteen as acrimony continues to build behind the scenes as Doug Ellis again refuses to spend.

Villa draw successive games as they fall back to seventh in the table without a win in three Premier League games under John Gregory.

David Ginola contributes his first assist in a Villa shirt on his 9th appearance (5 Starts) to make it W4 D3 L2, 1 Assist and 2 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Paul Merson makes his 75th start in a Villa shirt (90 Appearances) to make it W37 D26 L27, 13 Goals, 13 Assists, 6 Bookings and 1 Red Card at a goal involvement rate of one for every 3.46 games played so far in his Villa career.

Lee Hendrie collects his 25th booking in a Villa shirt on his 125th appearance (88 Starts) to make it W54 D31 L40, 11 Goals, 11 Assists, 25 Bookings and 2 Red Cards at a rate of a card every 4.6 games so far in his Villa career.

Future Villa winger Nolberto Solano scores a late equaliser as future Villa players Shay Given and Aaron Hughes also line up for Newcastle.

Villa without a win in 4 under John Gregory draw a 3rd successive game and drop to 8th in the table with no sign of the much needed and much demanded new recruits. 

Dion Dublin makes his 75th appearance in a Villa shirt (71 Starts) to make it W29 D22 L24, 31 Goals, 9 Assists and 5 Bookings at a goal involvement rate of one for every 1.88 games played so far in his Villa career.

David Ginola makes his 10th appearance in a Villa shirt (6 Starts) to make it W4 D4 L2, 0 Goals, 2 Assists and 3 Bookings  at a goal involvement rate of one for every 5.00 games played so far in his Villa career.

Villa draw for the fourth game in a row under John Gregory as the greed and disloyalty of senior internationals in the dressing room is laid bare by a manager not given to excusing his players' poor judgement.

Lee Hendrie is sent off for the second time this season as the David Ginola melodrama continues, on the pitch however three assists in three games shows the veteran still can produce if he puts his mind to it.

David Ginola scores his 1st goal in a Villa shirt on his 11th appearance (7 Starts) to make it W4 D5 L2, 1 Goal, 3 Assists and 4 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Lee Hendrie collects his 3rd red card in a Villa shirt on his 127th appearance (90 Starts) to make it W54 D33 L40, 12 Goal, 11 Assists, 25 Bookings and 3 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.

Villa win for the first time in six after four consecutive draws as they beat Leeds to move back up to 7th in the Premier League under John Gregory.

In a season where late goals have proved a prominent feature in Villa's games, another last minute goal, itself following an 88' winner, is not enough to stop Villa recording their first win in 6.

Darius Vassell secures his 20th win in a Villa shirt on his 39th appearance (37 Starts) but is now without a goal in 36 appearances to make it W20 D5 L14, 2 Goals, 4 Assists and 4 Bookings at a goal involvement rate of one for every 6.50 games played so far in his Villa career.

Another game, another late goal, this time at Villa's expense and in runaway leaders Manchester United's favour.

Villa lose for the first time in six games under John Gregory to fall back to ninth in the Premier League table.

Villa are held at St James' in the third round of the FA Cup ahead of a Villa Park replay.

Steve Stone scores his 5th goal on his 50th start in a Villa shirt (71 Appearances) to make it W28 D22 L21, 5 Goals, 7 Assists and 7 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Midfielder Gavin Melaugh, 19, makes his sole squad appearance for Villa as an unused substitute before moving on to Glentoran on a free transfer in August 2003.

Winger Nolberto Solano scores a late equaliser for Newcastle against his future club for the second game in succession.

Villa are hammered at Villa Park to make it three consecutive Premier League defeats to Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to fall to 13th in the Premier League.

Villa lose 3rd Premier League game in a row under John Gregory.

Midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, 18, makes his debut in a Villa shirt after his promotion from the youth set up following his move from FC Bayern in July 2000 to become the 751st player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Dion Dublin makes his 75th start in a Villa shirt (80 Appearances) to make it W29 D24 L27, 32 Goals, 9 Assists and 5 Bookings at a goal involvement rate of one for every 1.95 games played so far in his Villa career.

Meanwhile, David James and Alpay Özalan do their best however to drag the reputation of the squad deeper into the mire.