The Unai Emery era started with a bang as Aston Villa secured an emphatic first home league win over Manchester United since 1995.
This result was a real statement of intent from the former Arsenal boss, whose side ushered in the new regime in style.
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Jacob Ramsey’s own goal was the only blot on an otherwise perfectly written script as Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Ramsey all got on the scoresheet at Villa Park.
Villa have looked like relegation fodder at times this season and have been in a slump over the past 18 months. They have been consistently inconsistent.
But their faithful fans will be hoping Emery can inspire this talented squad in a way Steven Gerrard struggled to do towards the end of his underwhelming 11-month tenure.
And if the early signs are anything to go by then Villa can start looking up the table instead of glancing over their shoulder at the Premier League trap door.
This superb victory secured Villa their first back-to-back home league wins for the first time since January 2021.
For Erik Ten Hag’s disappointing United, it was their first defeat since September as their nine-game unbeaten run came to a tame end.
Cristiano Ronaldo was handed the captaincy armband in a show of unity from the United boss, but the Red Devils disappeared quicker than the Portuguese legend down the tunnel against Spurs.
Just when everything begins to look rosey in the United garden, something goes wrong. The fact Ronaldo’s biggest contribution was clashing with Tyrone Mings says all you need to know about his latest sorry showing.
This was another one of those shock, frustrating defeats which has plagued the club since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Often they have shown shoots of the recovery their loyal fanbase have been yearning for, but optimism always comes to a shuddering halt with results out of the blue like this one.
United headed to Villa Park having not lost there in the league for 27 years, but they were easily turned over. It was the latest in a long line of such like stats which have been regularly ended as the woeful visitors mustered very little.
Jacob Ramsey makes it 3-1 at Villa Park! âš¡
Villa made a fast start and were 2-0 up inside the first 11 minutes as United were stunned early and never recovered.
Bailey got the party started with his second goal in as many home games before Digne’s fine free-kick.
United eventually worked their way into the game, but Villa stopper Emi Martinez showed why he amassed 15 clean sheets in his debut season in 2020/21 when the Argentine number one kept out rising prospect Alejandro Garnacho, who got his maiden goal in Thursday’s Europa League win, and Ronaldo.
Ten Hag’s charges were fortunate to half the deficit on the stroke of half time as Luke Shaw’s strike, which was flying well wide, beat Martinez after a wicked deflection off Ramsey’s back.
But the academy graduate got his redemption mere minutes into the second period to kill the game off.
Many pundits have criticised centre-back Lisandro Martinez and questioned how effective the big-money signing can be in the physical Premier League due to his height.
But the Argentinian has been a huge part of turning the failing fortunes of the United defence around in recent months.
With Harry Maguire now firmly jettisoned to the substitutes’ bench, the Red Devils had kept six clean sheets in seven games before capitulating at Villa Park.
However, this defensive display was a huge step backwards and Ten Hag will be hopeful Raphael Varane’s hamstring injury — which saw him leave Stamford Bridge in tears — isn’t as serious as first feared.
Meanwhile, in the other mid-afternoon games Newcastle United continued their fine form as they ran riot in a 4-1 romp at struggling Southampton.
Miguel Almiron started the rout with his seventh goal in eight games whilst Chris Wood, Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes made it four wins on the spin during their fine nine-game unbeaten run.
The Magpies’ fans were singing “sacked in the morning” at under-pressure boss Ralph Hasenhuttl after just one win in nine.
Michael Olise scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner as Crystal Palace denied West Ham a sixth straight home win in all competitions.
Said Benrahma’s stunner had earlier put the Hammers ahead before Wilfried Zaha scored his first away goal since August.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
