“We’re on our way, to the Champions League, we’re on our way,” sang the Aston Villa supporters housed in a pocket of this blue bowl, fresh from the dates of their European adventure being finalised. There was a buoyant mood among the Villa contingent long before they recorded a victory courtesy of Amadou Onana, who profited from some invention at a first-half free-kick and a fine header by the substitute Jhon Durán in the second. At the end Onana and Durán danced before the fans, displaying some nifty footwork, the former playing conductor to those singing his name as he left the pitch.
Leicester, by contrast, were in no such mood. Steve Cooper was already aggrieved with the referee, David Coote, before he waved away appeals for a penalty three minutes into second-half stoppage time, Youri Tielemans pinching the ball from Jamie Vardy. Cooper offered some words to Coote as the referee and his assistants headed for the tunnel flanked by stewards.
