If this was Aston Villa after three training sessions with Unai Emery, then supporters could be forgiven for departing with a giddy excitement about what the next few years might bring. Emery applauded all four sides of this ground after being welcomed over the speakers before kick-off and offered fans a thumbs-up at full time as he shuffled down the touchline after a comprehensive destruction of Manchester United, who succumbed to a second league defeat since August.
If anything summed up the shift in mood it was the midfielder Douglas Luiz joining in with Villa’s take on Hi Ho Silver Lining as he headed down the tunnel. His compatriot, Philippe Coutinho, will not be feeling so jovial, with the Brazilian, who was absent from the squad here, almost certain to miss the World Cup with a quad muscle injury.
