Top five 2019/20 moments with fans at Villa Park

As Aston Villa’s season ticket renewals break records, the prospect of having a full crowd inside Villa Park moves ever closer.

Supporters who held a 2019/20 season ticket can renew now for the forthcoming Premier League campaign - all you need to know can be found here.

You have to go back to February 16, 2020 for the last match in B6 that saw a packed house, with the remainder of that season and almost a full 2020/21 played behind closed doors.

So with the optimism building around the return of fans, we take a look back at five of the best Villa Park moments from our first season back in the Premier League in 2019/20...

That first win feeling

After defeats in the opening two league games of the season, Villa welcomed Everton to Villa Park for a Friday night game.

With the floodlights beaming, a special atmosphere had been created long before Wesley fired us ahead after 21 minutes.

And by the time Anwar El Ghazi wrapped up a first top-flight win since 2016 in injury time, the home faithful could be heard serenading the triumph from miles away.

On Targett

Looking for back-to-back wins following a 5-1 drubbing of Norwich, Dean Smith’s men looked like they would be made to settle for a 1-1 draw against 10-man Brighton as the game moved into the 94^th minute.

Step forward, Matt Targett. Tyrone Mings launched one last attack, feeding John McGinn in midfield, who then quickly swept the ball out wide to Jack Grealish.

A jink inside drew two defenders and freed up Targett, who lashed the ball home with the final kick of the game and sparked jubilant scenes inside the stadium.

A Boxing Day present

A four-match losing streak left the Villans with little to cheer over the festive period, but the supporters turned out in their numbers once again for the visit of Norwich City on Boxing Day.

A nervy encounter ensued, with bottom-of-the-table City enjoying more possession and more shots on target.

However, backed by a vocal home support, it was Villa who took the points thanks to Conor Hourihane’s 64^th-minute strike.

Drama at the death

Locked in a battle at the bottom as a home game against fellow strugglers Watford rolled around in January, it seemed things were about to get worse when Troy Deeney put the Hornets ahead.

Douglas Luiz pulled the home side level and the Villans pushed unsuccessfully for a winner until the ball fell Ezri Konsa’s way after 95 minutes.

The defender’s shot flicked off Mings before beating Ben Foster and securing a vital three points on another dramatic night at Villa Park.

Wembley bound

A 1-1 draw in the first leg at the King Power Stadium set the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final up nicely, and the game didn’t disappoint.

Kelechi Iheanacho cancelled out Matt Targett’s early strike as the match drifted towards the lottery of penalty kicks.

But as the game creeped into stoppage time, Ahmed Elmohamady picked out Trezeguet at the back post with an inch-perfect cross, leaving his countryman to fire Villa to Wembley.

The roar from the crowd was deafening as the ball hit the back of the net and then again when the full-time whistle went, with fans quickly streaming onto the pitch to celebrate.