Questions have followed Aston Villa's resurgence at every stage. After the first top-seven finish under Emery, the response was: 'Let's see if they can sustain it.' After the first European quarter-final: 'Can they do it again?' After the Champions League season: 'Was that a one-off?' 2025-26 has answered every question. Top four maintained from November through to April. A second Europa League quarter-final in two seasons. A £17m profit while investing in infrastructure. A new North Stand under construction. A second successive season at Europe's sharp end. The evidence is overwhelming: Aston Villa's rise under Unai Emery and Ramon Monchi is not a fluke. It is the product of structural excellence, sustained over three full years. The most important number of the season is not goals scored or points accumulated. It is the profit figure. A club with Champions League ambitions posting a profit while investing in infrastructure is a club that has genuinely figured out how to grow. For supporters who watched the dark years — the Championship, the uncertainty, the managerial turmoil — this season is the proof. Not a flash of brilliance. A foundation. Forest on Sunday. Bologna next. The story continues. 📅 Sun 12 Apr, 05:00 UTC | The City Ground 🏆 GW30 | Villa: The Proof Is In