For fans of a certain vintage, seeing an entire stand of a Premier League end closed for construction will spark memories of a bygone era.
For slightly younger viewers, their only exposure to closed stands will have been watching the early editions of Sky Sports' Premier League Years.
Those watching Aston Villa v Arsenal on Monday night were treated to a real Premier League throwback with Villa Park's entire North Stand closed for renovation.
Villa Park's usual capacity of just over 43,000 has been reduced to around 37,000, and will remain that way for the entirety of the 2026/27 campaign.
Once the redevelopment is complete, the capacity is expected to be over 50,000, with the works planned now ahead of Euro 2028, where Villa Park will be used as one of the host stadiums.
It's not the only work going on at Villa Park, however. The Trinity Road Stand, opposite the broadcast cameras, has had virtually all of its seating replaced to change the seating layout, with a new player tunnel set to be built in the corner of the of the Trinity Road Stand and the North Stand.
Aston Villa are the latest Premier League club to upgrade their stadium. Anfield has been expanded twice in recent years, with the Main Stand redeveloped before the Anfield Road End was expanded in 2024. The Etihad has also undergone more than one expansion, with its North Stand expanded. Fulham's Craven Cottage had its capacity expanded by 4,000 in 2024, while Everton moved to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium, leaving Goodison Park.
