Paul Lambert’s Villa lose a second successive game but given the relative strength of their first three opponents - each of whom were expected to be challenging for the top 4 - there were signs for optimism in stark contrast to the previous campaign.

Nicklas Helenius makes his debut in a Villa shirt after joining from Aalborg for £1,350,000 in July 2013 to become the 860th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Villa see off newly promoted League One side Rotherham in the 2nd round of the League Cup.

Following the giant killings suffered at the hands of League Two Doncaster and Championship side Millwall in 2012-13, Paul Lambert's Villa make short work of League One Rotherham in more signs that the season could prove far better than the last.

Jed Steer makes his debut in a Villa shirt after his move from Norwich in July to become the 861st player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Joe Bennett secures his 10th win in a Villa shirt on his 31st appearance (27 Starts) to make it W10 D7 L14, 3 Assists, 5 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Villa record their first Premier League win since the opening day of the season after three consecutive losses under Paul Lambert.

Villa keep their first clean sheet in 26 Premier League matches under Paul Lambert.

Libor Kozák scores his first goal in a Villa shirt on his 2nd appearance (0 Starts) to make it W1 D0 L1 and 1 Goal so far in his Villa career.

Ciaran Clark makes his 75th start in a Villa shirt on his 84th appearance to make it W28 D21 L35, 7 Goals, 3 Assists and 20 Bookings. Clark has now picked up a booking every 4.20 games he has played so far in his Villa career.

Brad Guzan keeps his first clean sheet in a Villa shirt since December 2012 - 27 appearances previously - to make it W28 D15 L29, 106 Goals Conceded, 15 Clean Sheets, 1.63 Goals per League Game and 5 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa suffer a chastening and worrying defeat as they are hammered at home by Spurs in the League Cup to leave them with four defeats in seven games in all competitions under Paul Lambert.

Yet it was the decision making of the notorious referee Jonathan Moss that grabbed the headlines. 

That aside there was much to concern about Villa's second half capitulation of Lambert's much changed side.

Joe Bennett suffers his 15th defeat in a Villa shirt on his 32nd appearance (28 Starts) to make it W10 D7 L15, 3 Assists, 5 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Callum Robinson makes his Villa debut after coming through the youth team to become the 863rd player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Villa lose their 5th Premier League game in 9 under Paul Lambert.

Villa lose at home for the fourth time in five Premier League games under Paul Lambert as their season once again unravels under the uncommunicative Villa boss.

Villa fail to score for a third consecutive game under Paul Lambert. 

Villa have failed to score in 6 of their 11 fixtures this season under Paul Lambert. 

Paul Lambert's New Years' Resolution to make himself even more unpopular gets off to a great start as he throws away a Cup run to leave Villa with eleven defeats in twenty three games including losses to two League One sides including one only just promoted from the fourth tier of English football.

Paul Lambert’s Villa lose for the seventh time in ten home games to crash out of the FA Cup to League One Sheffield United. 

Hardly helping Lambert’s cause was his Houllier-esque idiotic comments about the value of the FA Cup that he had to speedily backtrack.

Nicklas Helenius scores his first goal on his 6th and final appearance in a Villa shirt (0 Starts). Having only joined in July 2013 for £1,350,000 from Aalborg, like so many of Paul Lambert's signings, Helenius was completely out of this depth in the Premier League and would be released on a free to Aalborg in July 2015 with a record of W2 D0 L4, 0 Goals, 0 Assists

Ashley Westwood makes his 50th appearance in a Villa shirt (48 Starts) to make it W15 D13 L22, 1 Goal, 7 Assists and 8 Bookings so far in his Villa career.