In the seconds after John McGinn gave Aston Villa the lead, the scoreboards in opposite corners malfunctioned, flickering and displaying a 3-0 scoreline over Bologna courtesy of a hat-trick in double-quick time from their captain. For a moment it was pure fantasy but Unai Emery’s side really are top of the reformed Champions League, the only team with a 100% record so far having played three matches.

McGinn inadvertently scored the first directly from a free-kick before Jhon Durán, handed a rare start, added a second with his seventh goal of the season. Everybody of a Villa persuasion was on cloud nine, then?