The 1980–81 season was Aston Villa's 81st in the Football League and their sixth consecutive season in the top division. They finished as league champions for the seventh time in their history, using just 14 players over the course of the campaign, of whom no fewer than seven were ever-present (Jimmy Rimmer, Kenny Swain, Ken McNaught, Dennis Mortimer, Des Bremner, Gordon Cowans and Tony Morley). Gary Shaw made 40 starts, Allan Evans 39 and Peter Withe 36, with Gary Williams (21 starts) and Colin Gibson (19) contesting the remaining spot in the starting XI. David Geddis and Eamonn Deacy made eight and five starts respectively.