A seven-minute hat-trick from Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Young the chief alchemist, John Carew imperious, Gareth Barry pushing the ball around in midfield and a constant menace at every set piece.
All the talk at Aston Villa at the moment may be about a new team chasing new ambitions but Manchester City were dismantled by some very familiar qualities, giving Martin O’Neill a start which made light of his taxing summer.
This was Villa’s best opening day experience since the defeat of Manchester United signalled the arrival of Southgate, Milosevic, Draper and co 13 years ago.
A packed Holte throbbed with the same excitement which greeted that famous defeat of a Ferguson team which would go on to do the double.
Villa closed in fourth place that year and were identified by an impressed Old Trafford boss as the team he feared could challenge United’s domination.
It didn’t happen and five managers on, O’Neill is chasing the same finish, but in a monstrously more difficult era.
The signings he has added so far have really only replaced players who have moved on, plus the stricken Wilfred Bouma. Villa fans await further “in-coming” before the end of the month in the hope that they will not be caught short.
Here at least was confirmation that in the elements of the team already established, Villa have the goal threat that will enable them to once more enjoy a decent harvest from the field beneath the Premier League’s four-team cartel at the top.
Confidence shaken by a shock UEFA Cup defeat to Danish side FC Midtjylland, City arrived with only one fit first-team striker and lost him before kick-off, Valeri Bojinov snapping an Achilles in the warm-up.
Hughes’ side gave a good account of themselves and at 1-1 midway through the second-half, appeared to be right in it.
This is a Villa team which has the pace, strength and craft to score at any moment. The Agbonlahor hat-trick which then put City to the sword was testament to this exciting potency.
It included a finely-weighted header and then a superbly-controlled clip around the advancing Joe Hart, inevitably bringing him the Man of the Match awards.
A 1994 hat-trick by Robbie Fowler against Arsenal remains the Premiership’s quickest at just over four and a half minutes but the Brummie didn’t need an Italian interpreter to translate his message to Fabio Capello, after his omission from the England squad.
O’Neill was less surprised by that than Young’s non-selection and you could see why. He now possesses such a devilish service from open play and dead-ball opportunities. It is difficult to understand why Capello does not see him as a player who could make a serious impact.
City reached the half-time break content with the goalless scorelin,e even if their survival from Villa’s first three set-piece opportunities was by the skin of their teeth.
Barry missed the best of the other opportunities which came Villa’s way but they needed a fresh injection of tempo for the second half and it was Young who provided it, beginning a grilling of Vedran Corluka after pouncing on a Kelvin Etuhu error to dart into crossing position on the left.
His delivery to the far post was perfect and Carew could not miss with the header. Less than two minutes played and Villa were off and running. City’s response was to their credit, even if it needed a jumble of wasted chances to clear by Nicky Shorey, Stiliyan Petrov and Luke Young to gift the visitors a penalty, when Michael Johnson was tripped in the 64th minute.
Elano stroked home the spot-kick but O’Neill’s anguish was transformed by what happened next. Corluka conceded a corner five minutes later and Young’s cross to the far post once more found Carew.
His header back across the area was side-footed home by Agbonlahor. It triggered the most fruitful seven minutes of his career.
Young quickly set up Barry and the midfielder echoed his colleague’s precision of service with a chip Agbonlahor glanced perfectly over the leaping Hart.
Agbonlahor then intelligently held his run to avoid an offside call and accept Barry’s pass beyond the last line of defence.
He had the pace and strength to hold off Micah Richards and then defeat Hart with such composure, he was happy to take the chance with his less-reliable left foot.
It is possible to admire City for refusing to cave in any further and even added a consolation from Corluka as the match went into added time, Villa lapsing into the sloppiness of a team which believes prematurely it has crossed the finishing line.
This will remind them that they are far from a finished article, just as the personnel on the subs bench informs O’Neill that he needs further recruits, to ensure an improved challenge this season.
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