Aston Villa 3-1 Man Utd: Unai Emery off to a flyer as Erik Ten Hag rues 'stupid' decisions

Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard arsenic Aston Villa brag past month

For years, determination has been a consciousness of inevitability astir the sojourn of Manchester United to Villa Park. But successful his archetypal 90 minutes arsenic Aston Villa boss, Unai Emery changed each that.

It was their archetypal Premier League triumph against Manchester United astatine Villa Park since 1995 - the lucifer that prompted Alan Hansen to famously accidental astir United's up-and-coming side: "You can't triumph thing with kids."

Those kids person agelong since grown up, had illustrious careers and retired, underlining conscionable however agelong the location fans person waited for this.

Sunday's 3-1 victory has been agelong overdue for Villa, but Emery has made a large interaction successful a abbreviated abstraction of time.

"Good times could beryllium coming backmost for Aston Villa," said erstwhile Premier League striker Clinton Morrison, who was watching the crippled for BBC Radio 5 Live.

"You ever get the bounce, but this feels different."

Emery hails 'special day'

Emery was a changeless animated beingness connected the touchline for his archetypal Aston Villa game

There was surely thing antithetic successful the aerial successful the build-up to this match.

While the upwind was miserable, the temper was buoyant, contempt Villa starting the time lone extracurricular the relegation portion connected extremity difference.

The assignment of Emery had intelligibly been welcomed by astir Villa fans, and erstwhile helium made his mode to the dugout earlier footwear disconnected helium was greeted by large applause.

There whitethorn person been an constituent of caller manager bounce arsenic Villa raced into an unthinkable two-goal lead, but aft that determination were inactive 80 minutes to navigate and they did truthful superbly, with Emery adjusting his tactics to forestall the visitors from getting a foothold connected the game.

"Huge recognition to Emery and the players, they adapted truthful well," added Morrison. "Emery tactically got it spot on. Aston Villa's signifier was brilliant."

Afterwards, the erstwhile Arsenal and Villarreal brag said: "I americium truthful happy. We person players with energy, with speedy skills, and we wanted to beryllium disciplined, and I deliberation being unneurotic with our gameplan the players did it. It was a peculiar time today."

It is precise aboriginal into Emery's reign, but the triumph moved Villa 3 points supra the relegation portion and the speech from immoderate of the fans coming retired of the crushed was not of avoiding the drop.

"We could get into Europe," said 1 optimistic supporter, portion different added: "Bring connected Thursday" - looking up to erstwhile Villa marque the travel northbound to play Manchester United again, this clip successful the League Cup.

• Emery's 'dream' is to triumph a trophy with Villa

'Unacceptable' Man Utd made 'stupid' decisions - Ten Hag

Cristiano Ronaldo's archetypal crippled arsenic Manchester United skipper nether Erik 10 Hag was a frustrating one

Thursday's cupful crippled provides United with a speedy accidental to marque amends, with a disappointed Erik 10 Hag intelligibly expecting overmuch much from his side.

There has been capable betterment nether Ten Hag to suggest this was astir apt conscionable an disconnected day, but adjacent having that was not acceptable for the Dutchman.

"They are humans, not robots, and sometimes it is the mode it is, but it is not acceptable," helium said. "We person to beryllium acceptable for each crippled and not springiness a crippled away."

One of the large talking points earlier the crippled was Ten Hag's determination to springiness Cristiano Ronaldo the captaincy little than 3 weeks aft the guardant walked retired of Old Trafford aft refusing to spell connected arsenic a precocious substitute against Tottenham.

After initially being dropped from the squad, the Portugal planetary has been gradually reintegrated, culminating successful him taking the armband for the archetypal clip nether Ten Hag connected Sunday.

It was hard to justice Ronaldo's show fixed the full squad were disconnected the boil, and Ten Hag would not beryllium drawn into assessing however the 37-year-old superstar did successful immoderate important detail.

Instead, helium was captious of continuous attempts to find Ronaldo with crosses, thing helium said was not portion of the gameplan.

"I deliberation it was anserine to bash that," Ten Hag said. "We delivered immoderate crosses successful for excessively far. We person to bring successful crosses successful the close moment."

He added: "It was collectively a atrocious performance."

Manchester United person been producing immoderate bully performances of late, and Ten Hag volition beryllium hoping that signifier returns erstwhile they swiftly renew acquaintances with Aston Villa connected Thursday.