Another season, another team, another opportunity to lay down a few markers for parent club Chelsea.
Tammy Abraham has been here before and this time it is Aston Villa who look like benefiting from the 20-year-old's further education.
Loan striker Abraham marked his home debut by scoring, which ticks one box nice and early rather as it did at Bristol City and Swansea.
Then another new boy, Yannick Bolasie, came off the bench to get off the mark too and ease the pressure on Steve Bruce.
Abraham's pace is hardly a state secret but his first goal in claret and blue was as much as about quick thinking as quick feet. A through ball perfectly weighted by Jack Grealish, a millisecond to process and there was Abraham running clear to score.
It should be mentioned that the youngster had already missed several chances yet he did not allow his head to drop and was duly rewarded. Bruce stood and applauded the goal which paved the way to ending a five-match run without a win.
Bolasie, on loan from Everton, then made an instant impact as he got on to the end of Ahmed Elmohamady's cross to double the lead in front of England assistant coach Steve Holland, who was at Villa Park to cast an eye over Abraham and possibly Grealish.
Nothing is ever simple when it comes to Villa and Bruce. The love-hate relationship only stretches as far as winning matches. At the first sign of wobbles, up pop the Bruce-out brigade.
Bruce praised his team for their performance and hit out at the 'stupid' criticism that Villa have received.
He said: 'I'm pleased for them because with all the nonsense that's been written the way to respond is to win and play well.
'The players need a chance to settle in and when they do I know we will be there or there abouts again.
'The most intelligent people will see through the nonsense and think we've got the makings of a decent team again in difficult circumstances.'
On Saturday it took a 90th minute equaliser from Conor Hourihane to silence the critics and buy the under-pressure manager some time. Exactly how much depends on results.
The run of five without a win coming into the Rotherham clash was deemed unacceptable, especially as it included an EFL Cup defeat at League One Burton and a thrashing by Sheffield United.
Bruce insists that his record provides proof that he knows what he is doing.
He said: 'I've got four promotions, which is more than anybody in the division, last year I nearly made it a fifth and yet I don't know what I'm doing! 'Unfortunately it filters through to the mad few. The vast majority of supporters are right behind what we're trying to do.
'We had a bloody awful performance at Sheffield. It happens. 'Thankfully we're back on the road and in sixth and hopefully it shuts a few of them up for a while but I doubt it.'
The visit of Rotherham – Villa's first home game since the end of August – could have been viewed either as an opportunity or a potential hazard. The Yorkshiremen do not travel well. Three away games, three defeats, scored one, conceded eight, before the trip to Birmingham.
The malaise is not new, either. Rotherham had lost 25 out of their last 28 Championship fixtures. What Villa needed was an early statement of intent to get the fans going, two great chances in the first five minutes was a decent start.
Predictably Jonathan Kodjia was at the centre of the moves. His cross met by Hourihane, whose low shot was partially blocked to allow Marek Rodak an easy scoop. Then it was John McGinn's turn to shine as he teed up Kodjia with a deflected cross only for Rodak in the Rotherham goal to deal with it.
A team sheet with the names of Grealish, Abraham, Kodjia, and McGinn hinted at an attack-minded approach and all four have the capacity to use the wide-open spaces of the Championship to great effect.
Home favourite Grealish, having eased himself into the match, squared only to see Abraham inches away from getting a proper connection. The pressure was building and finally the breakthrough came with all four of Villa's attackers involved. McGinn to Kodjia to Grealish, a slipped through ball and there was Abraham who timed his run perfectly to beat Rodak.
Rotherham had displayed decent spirit and could even have scored first when Ryan Williams led a breakaway down the right, crossed to Michael Smith, who was denied by a James Chester block.
While the score remained 1-0, Rotherham had the incentive of knowing one counter-attack and things could be level again. They were forced to soak up some pressure in the meantime.
Sub Jon Taylor should have equalised from Will Vauks's cross but headed into the side netting while Villa let chances go begging until Bolasie struck.