Aston Villa have endured a tumultuous campaign thus far, but new boss Unai Emery's instant impact has led them to finally attaining some degree of comfort as they enter the run-in.
Swanning into a club in crisis, the Spaniard kept a cool head and comfortably guided the Midlands outfit to safety, with an 11-point gap separating them from the rest of the league battling it out for survival.
They too were once firmly entrenched in that relegation scrap, with Steven Gerrard's struggling side seemingly destined for a season of peril.
Whilst the short tenure of the Liverpool legend was largely disappointing, there were admittedly particular facets of his reign that could be deemed a success, particularly in the transfer window where he did add some talent to the squad.
However, last summer it was actually his work in retaining one of his prized assets that was most important, as he fought off numerous advances to retain Douglas Luiz.
Did Douglas Luiz nearly leave Aston Villa?
The Brazilian boasted many suitors throughout a summer of vast change at Villa Park, as Gerrard was backed wholeheartedly to lead the club into a brighter future.
It was clear that Luiz was to play a huge role in any future success though, yet Liverpool, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid all showed interest.
However, it was on deadline day that they endured the toughest battle, rejecting no less than three bids from Arsenal who sought to take the former Manchester City man to the Emirates. With just 12 months left on his contract at the time, this refusal to sell marked a huge show of faith, which the 24-year-old would repay by signing a new long-term deal, estimated at £75k-per-week, in October.
It arguably marked Gerrard's most impressive feat, and whilst he ultimately failed in his task to return Villa to the top he did lay the foundation for future success by retaining one of their most impressive performers.
He has since gone on to feature in all but one of their Premier League games this season, most recently opening the scoring in their 3-0 rout of AFC Bournemouth, and maintaining an average Sofascore rating of 7.05.
This campaign has already marked a creative best for Luiz too, as his three goals and five assists have surpassed any of his previous tallies in the league.
It seems that the midfielder is building upon his good form from around this time last year, where Gabby Agbonlahor praised his attacking impetus: "He’s flying forward and getting into the box. He’s been outstanding and transformed."
Emery has been quick to praise him too, as he recently hailed the silky enforcer: "I am very happy with Douglas Luiz. His skill, characteristic in the squad is very important. He’s important in terms of taking our time with our centre-backs and midfielders and his characteristic is necessary in this team.
“Saturday was the match, I think, overall, his performance was the best with us since I arrived here.”
It is clear that he is now a favourite of the new regime too, with his role playing a huge part in their new way of playing. Should their new boss seek to continue their blistering form and thrive in the future, he will hope to have this midfield magician at the core of it.
