Unai Emery has made the unimaginable possible at Aston Villa – and Fenerbahçe could be just the beginning

I have been fortunate enough to experience some incredible nights at Villa Park over the years, but watching Aston Villa dismantle Fenerbahçe 6-0 in the Champions League was right up there with my favourite European experiences supporting this football club.

There was something about the whole evening that I absolutely loved, from hearing the Champions League music ringing around Villa Park again to watching a young, vibrant Villa team play with such confidence and attacking freedom. I went into the game expecting us to win, although my prediction of 2-1 was some way off what eventually unfolded, and I certainly wasn't anticipating watching Villa score six goals in Europe's biggest club competition.

I was at the game with my dad, which always makes these occasions that little bit more special for me, and I found myself thinking afterwards about how fortunate we are to be experiencing nights like this under Unai Emery, because I can remember a time when the prospect of watching Aston Villa compete in the Champions League seemed so far away that it was difficult to imagine it ever becoming a reality.

Ten years ago, these were the sort of occasions I dreamed about as a Villa supporter rather than something I genuinely expected to experience. Yet here we are, in our fourth consecutive season of European football, playing Champions League football at Villa Park for the second time in three years, and watching a team that has just scored six goals in the competition.

I don't think we should ever lose sight of how extraordinary that transformation has been, particularly when you consider where the football club was before Emery arrived and everything that has happened since.

There is something different about Aston Villa in Europe under this manager, and I have felt that for a long time. I struggle to put my finger on exactly what it is, but the concentration levels seem higher, there is an extra authority about the players and the whole team appears to approach these occasions with a particular level of belief.

You can see it in players like John McGinn, who seem to find another level when Villa are playing European football, and there is a sense that Emery has created an environment where these matches are something to embrace rather than fear.

Villa have developed an outstanding European record under Emery, particularly at home, and I think that comes from having a manager who understands these competitions so well and has given his players the belief that they belong at this level.

The Fenerbahçe performance was perhaps the most complete demonstration yet of what this particular Villa team could become, especially when you consider the scale of the changes made during the summer and the fact that so many players are still finding their feet in the side.

I know the opposition were missing players and that there will be much tougher tests ahead, but you can only beat what is in front of you, and Villa did that in emphatic fashion. There was a ruthlessness about the performance that I particularly enjoyed, especially given some of the frustrations we have experienced in the Premier League during the early stages of the season.

Getting the opening goal was important because Villa haven't always managed to put themselves ahead in matches this season, and you could almost sense a weight being lifted once we had established that advantage. From there, the players grew in confidence, the attacking combinations became increasingly effective and Fenerbahçe simply couldn't cope with what Villa were throwing at them.

What impressed me was that we didn't settle for the three-goal advantage we had established by half-time. There would have been a temptation to manage the second half, preserve energy and think about the Premier League game against Newcastle on Saturday, but Villa continued to attack and added another three goals.

That could prove important in the Champions League's league-phase format, where goal difference might ultimately play a major role in determining which teams finish in the top eight and avoid the additional knockout play-off round.

Two wins from two matches, six points on the board and sitting at the top of the Champions League table is an outstanding start, particularly when you consider how many players are still developing an understanding of one another.

There is still a long way to go in the competition, and I certainly wouldn't be making predictions about where Villa will finish just yet, but you couldn't have asked for a much better beginning. The upcoming home fixtures are exciting as well, with Viking next week followed by visits from Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain, and I am already looking forward to seeing how this team performs against increasingly demanding opposition.

The clean sheet was another important aspect of Wednesday's victory because that is something Villa haven't managed often enough this season. Zion Suzuki made some important interventions early in the match, Aaron Wan-Bissaka produced an excellent block in the first half and Victor Lindelöf continued to demonstrate the sort of understated reliability that has made him such a useful addition.

There were positive signs from Boubacar Kamara as well, and although I still think he is perhaps lacking a little of the sharpness and pace we saw from him last season, he looked much closer to the player we know he can be. Alongside Ross Barkley, who enjoyed an excellent evening and scored twice, Villa were able to establish control in midfield and give the attacking players the platform to express themselves.

That balance between control and directness was one of my favourite aspects of the performance, because Villa were happy to keep possession and move the ball patiently when required, but could also accelerate through the gears and attack Fenerbahçe with frightening speed.

There was a period of possession leading up to Barkley's second goal which reportedly involved more than 40 passes, and that was a good example of how Villa were able to dictate the tempo of the game while still carrying a real attacking threat.

It was encouraging to see Leon Goretzka get some minutes after his absence, while Alisson made another positive contribution from the bench, and there are still players to return or become more involved as the season progresses. It all contributes to the feeling that, despite the upheaval of the summer, Villa are developing a team with considerable potential.

Of course, the challenge now is to translate some of that confidence into the Premier League, where results haven't always reflected the quality I believe this squad possesses. Newcastle on Saturday is an important game, and Villa need to start putting more league wins on the board if they are going to achieve their domestic ambitions.

I saw a suggestion after the Fenerbahçe game that the result wouldn't mean much unless Villa followed it up with a win at the weekend, but I don't agree with that at all.

The Premier League is hugely important, and nobody understands the need to prepare for Newcastle more than Emery will, but the Champions League matters enormously to this football club as well. Every victory brings financial rewards, improves our position in the competition and adds another memorable occasion to a period of Villa's history that supporters should be enjoying as much as possible.

I don't want us to become so focused on what happens next that we forget to appreciate what we have just witnessed, because nights when your team scores six goals in the Champions League don't come around very often, regardless of how good you are.

There is a possibility that this performance could become an important moment in Villa's season, particularly if the confidence gained from such an emphatic victory helps the players build momentum domestically. We have seen encouraging signs from several of the new arrivals already, but Wednesday was the first occasion where so many of those positive individual performances came together in such a convincing collective display.

For me, that is perhaps the biggest thing Emery has changed at Aston Villa. He has made us believe that we can compete at this level, and he has made European football such a regular part of our lives that there is almost a danger of forgetting how much we wanted it in the first place.

I know how quickly things can change in football, and I am under no illusion that these occasions will continue indefinitely. The reality is that what Emery has brought to Aston Villa is exceptional, and there is no guarantee that we will continue enjoying this level of European football whenever his time at the club eventually comes to an end.

That is why I want to appreciate every single one of these nights while we have them, particularly when I get to share them with my dad and experience moments that I spent so many years hoping would eventually come around.

We have plenty of football ahead of us, and there will inevitably be difficult moments over the coming months, but Wednesday was an opportunity to enjoy everything that is good about supporting Aston Villa under Unai Emery.

Watching Villa score six goals in the Champions League, sitting at the top of the table and looking ahead to more European nights at Villa Park is something I could only have dreamed about a decade ago.

I absolutely loved it, and I feel incredibly fortunate that these are the experiences we are getting to share as Villa supporters.