Erik ten Hag was shocked when Villa overpowered Manchester United, claiming, "This isn't right."

The Man United jinx of Aston Villa Stadium is broken, and the Unai Emery reign has begun, 27 years after that famous quote from Alan Hansen.

After United's last league loss at this magnificent old stadium in August 1995, Hansen famously declared, "You can't win anything with youngsters," and here came a stunning declaration of intent from the new head coach of Aston Villa.

Emery will enjoy reflecting on this team effectiveness, which was bursting with vigor, tempo, and genuine threat. Emery once watched United 17 times in preparation for a game.

Erik ten Hag's five-match winning streak in the Premier League came to an abrupt end as United was completely destroyed by a Villa team that was obviously out to leave an immediate impression.

This was a challenging afternoon for Manchester United, who were missing suspended player Bruno Fernandes and were captained by Cristiano Ronaldo. Many of their fans had already left the stadium before the game was over.

When United plays Villa in the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, they will have an immediate chance to avenge themselves, but Ten Hag found this to be unsettling.

The head coach of United claimed, "We didn't win our duels or defend according to the standards." "I have been involved in football for a very long time. Players are people, and sometimes psychological issues arise, but it is not appropriate. Don't expose too much very early in the game.

"We could win this game if we play by the rules and fundamentals of football. It was a poor performance all around. Although I'm unhappy, I know there will be setbacks along the way, and we must cope with them.

In the other relevant field, Emery, who has faced United four times in English football, was enthusiastic the entire day.

The Villa team put on a number of standout performances, with Ollie Watkins, Jacob Ramsey, and Leon Bailey all being superb.

Philippe Coutinho's absence due to a thigh injury encountered in practice was the only disappointing development for Villa, raising questions about the striker's availability for Brazil at the World Cup.

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"It was a significant day, and my current goal is to maintain consistency. Today was ideal, but I'm going to remain composed because we've only taken the first step, Emery added.

"Given how we played, we can be positive, but we still have a long way to go to keep getting better. The guys did a fantastic job of adhering to the game strategy.

We sought to begin with vigor, and we received it from the fans, he continued.

It only took seven minutes for the Emery revolutionary to get underway.

Racing on to Ramsey's pass, Bailey made a fantastic goal by beating David de Gea with a low shot into the far corner.

Since moving from Bayer Leverkusen for £25 million (€28 million), Bailey has shown signs of potential, but he now has a manager who can maximize his undeniable skill.

The noise exploded once more at Villa Park four minutes later. Lucas Digne scored this time by curling a beautiful free kick from 25 yards out into the net. Later, Ten Hag said that the free-kick could be "stoppable" and criticized the United defense.

The ferocity and quickness of the home squad appeared to have taken United off guard as they were all over the place.

It was a strange United XI without Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, or Anthony, and Donny van de Beek made his first league start for the team since last November.

The first United reaction didn't come until the 34th minute, when Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper for Villa, made two excellent saves in a span of 20 seconds.

After the ball was recirculated into the Villa penalty area, Ronaldo attempted to take a shot, but he first rushed to his right to block it.

Villa appeared to be in control, but United unexpectedly came back in the waning seconds of the first half. Luke Shaw's half-volley cannoned off Ramsey's back after a United attempt was partially cleared, giving Martinez little chance.

Four minutes into the second half, any United aspirations of changing the outcome of the game vanished. Watkins cut back the ball to Ramsey, who emphatically finished into the roof of the net after moving past the halfway line and into the United area.

Ronaldo had a difficult afternoon and got into a nasty argument with Tyrone Mings. No more action was necessary, according to a VAR evaluation.

Ronaldo had an opportunity to win it late on from a free kick, but his shot failed to clear the wall, which pretty much sums it all up.

Emery should keep in mind this as an introduction so that the magic can ultimately be revived.

Please comment below your opinion on this weekend packed action 


David Paul

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