It was an incredible finish to the season from Aston Villa that nearly saw Unai Emery's men qualify for Champions League. While the final Matchday and earlier opportunities in which points were dropped can now be lamented in hindsight, it should highlight one aspect.
The Premier League as a whole is increasing in quality. It is doubtful that there will be an assumed reign like what fans witnessed with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. As spectators are witnessing now, it is difficult for any club to retain its best players.
Between PSR and lucrative offers from Real Madrid and abroad, there will always be a sizable chance of a top player leaving England altogether for their career.
Then add that more teams that were toward the middle of the standings in most years are getting better, and there is a lot of excitement within the EPL.
Villa are in an important time in terms of how they will fit into all of this. Sides like Nottingham Forest are showing what is possible, but they also come with the warning of what happens if there are even the slightest setbacks.
In general, systems are meant to preserve the established order. That has become only that much more true with the invention of PSR. For a club that is well run and has someone like Emery in charge, there is a lot of upward opportunity.
By the same token, avoidable, self-inflicted errors make the ceiling that much lower among teams that have the built-in advantage. While there is plenty of space to see Villa achieve throughout the season, finishing the result will take an extra bit of effort compared to everyone else to breach what is mostly a protected space in the sport.
Even so, AVFC is closer than what the most negative naysayers choose to believe. Watching Newcastle and Crystal Palace win a trophy can be frustrating, but it also shows that silverware goals are well within reach for any side that has its act together.
Why there is room for optimism for Aston Villa
Despite the doom that some are projecting, Villa did manage to be within three points of Chelsea and four of City, for example. Clubs are adjusting and looking for ways to improve and gain an edge. Villa is right there in the middle of the excitement.
The difference between now and past years in more recent memory is that Villa is well-positioned to not only remain in these types of conversations but also achieve their more ambitious goal of unseating the big six.