Though it would undoubtedly have been nice to win at the Emirates, many Villa fans would concede that the next game – against Liverpool at Villa Park – is a bit more important.
Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal are looking a good bet for the Premier League title, whilst Rafa’s Reds are having trouble winning games never mind trophies.
Villa are on the middle ground because, while they would not consider themselves championship challengers, they have been fairly consistent and have the pedigree to finally grace the top four.
Since the disappointment of last season, when Martin O’Neill’s men blew a good mid-February league position, the squad has been strengthened and now looks capable of sustaining a challenge.
The likes of Richard Dunne and Stephen Warnock have steadied the ship in problem areas and – for the first time since the Premiership began in 1992 – Villa look a better proposition than Liverpool.
The Claret and Blue saw off the Reds at Anfield in late August and many would fancy them to do the same again on their own turf tomorrow night.
A win would put Villa eight points clear of their rivals and add another dent to the battered Benitez bandwagon.
A defeat for O’Neill’s side, however, could give the men from Merseyside a renewed impetus which might just send them on a long winning run. The certainly possess the potential of putting to do that and Villa must show that they can match Steven Gerrard and co once again.
The result at VP will have huge repercussions both mentally and physically on both sides and for that reason it is probably the biggest game of the season so far.
Pressure
Liverpool go into it on the back of a morale boosting win against Wolves whereas Villa must bounce back quickly from the 3-0 rout in north-London.
O’Neill’s men will need to show character and this is a big test of their Champions League credentials. Can they cope with the pressure?
With Ashley Young missing through suspension, a change in personnel will be required and it could actually work in Villa’s favour. They now have the sort of squad which can cover for the absence of key men and the likes of Nigel Reo-Coker or Steve Sidwell would relish the chance to stake their claim for a first team place.
O’Neill will have to be his canny self to conjure up a plan to cope with the reinvigorated Gerrard, who scored his first goal from open play in 13 games on Saturday.
Fernando Torres, who has netted 49 goals in 71 Premier League appearances, will also need to be dealt with but, in his fellow Spaniard Carlos Cuellar and Dunne, Villa have the men for the task.
A look at the two benches will be interesting and should provide grounds for a clear assessment of how close these two teams now are in terms of squad strength.
Villa arguably have the better back-up boys if you use the weekend encounters of both sides as an example. Benitez, despite spending more than a few million on his squad over the years, had players like Jay Spearing, Stephen Darby and Daniel Pacheco on his subs list.
And, although you could say he is giving youth a chance, it has to be observed that he has no other real option.
Favourites
O’Neill, on the other hand, was able to call upon experienced internationals such as John Carew and James Collins as well as hot prospects Brad Guzan and Fabian Delph. Therein should lie the difference.
The Claret and Blue have turned the table on their established rivals, who have won six of their last 11 games at Villa Park.
The bench now makes good viewing for fans of the Claret and Blue and they will be hoping to see their side beat the men from Anfield at Villa Park for the first time since a 2-1 win in February 1998.
Villa may actually be considered favourites for the clash against Liverpool, so are they now the best bet to reach to top four or at least overhaul their opponents at the end of the campaign?
Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, especially after the shambolic end to last season, but rejoice that O’Neill now has a squad capable of being considered favourites.
They may not have received a lot of backing at the Emirates, but most Villans will tell you that this is the one that matters and this is the one that they expect to win.