There was never a dull moment in Aston Villa’s 2010/11 season. An internationally renowned manager took over the reins, the club broke their transfer record to sign one of the most natural goalscorers the Premier League has ever seen, and the young lions roared onto the top flight stage. It started and finished with an excellent home win, and there was lots off drama in between both on and off the pitch. The arrival of Gerard Houllier saw some changes at the club and, as the new manager took the reins; introducing new players and a new strategy, Villa ended the season strongly; in free-scoring form and with a solid team performaces on which to build. Darren Bent’s record £24 million transfer quickly proved to be a shrewd move, delivering an air of excitement and providing welcome support up front as the forward quickly became the clubs leading goalscorer of the campaign. Closing the season with victories over Liverpool and Arsenal, Villa also picked up vital points from clashes with Manchester City, Chelsea, and Manchester United as the likes of Bent, Downing and Young combined to lead Villa’s resurgence back up the table, building firm foundations on which to mount a serious challenge in the years ahead.
