With top flight clubs afforded a two-day buffer either side of the their Champions League commitments by the division, the EDL march has presented the Premier League, and Sky Sports, with an opportunity to test run their new early weekend billing. Villa more so, following the huge transformation at the club pre-season.

Mostyn remembers: “We’ve come a long way since 2008”. Given that more than half their team had never played together, Villa were impressive for the speed in which they found their rhythm, particularly in the second half.

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“I might just dip back into the transfer market”. United will obviously be one of the favourites for the title and they have some world-class players.

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Odion Ighalo thought he had won it for the visitors, only for Arouna Kone to equalise with four minutes remaining. “We created some good chances and really should have taken them”. Jay Fulton and Matt Grimes are two youngsters that Monk is keen to bring through into the first team, which is one of the reasons why club legend Leon Britton has considered his future after being told he’s unlikely to be playing much football next year.

“If we are honest, we have to recognise that this result is OK”.

The temptation, then, is to paint Aston Villa as the paragons of continuity and Bournemouth as the unknown quantity.

But referee Simon Hooper said the former Stoke forward’s boot was dangerously high to Joel Ward’s head and ruled out the effort.

Ayew and Amavi look potentially good signings but as a whole there is a lot of new blood without Premier League experience and it will take time for this group to get used to the rigours of English football.

Norwich, meanwhile, are back in the Premier League after only one season away but they too suffered disappointment on the opening day as goals from Wilfried Zaha and Damien Delaney either side of half-time saw Crystal Palace to victory. His return was slightly better in the Europa League-although that ended with elimination at the hands of Dynamo Kiev-where he played seven times, of which three were starts.