Villa comes from behind to score opening win
Aston Villa capitalised on a host of errors to win its opening EFL Championship game of the season 3-1 at Hull City, with Ahmed El Mohamady on the scoresheet against his old club.
Steve Bruce had an uneasy close-season with strong rumours he was set to be replaced by Thierry Henry by Villa's new owners, who saved the club from financial ruin.
The takeover has allowed Villa to keep Jack Grealish, although he continues to be linked with Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Friday's (AEST) transfer deadline, and the playmaker helped Bruce's side come from behind at KCOM Stadium on Tuesday (AEST).
Australia hero Mile Jedinak, also rumoured to be possibly moving away from Villa, was conspicuously missing from the teamsheet and it was unclear if that was related to an imminent transfer or an injury,
Evandro gave Hull a seventh-minute lead, turning a looping effort home from 20 yards after goalkeeper Jed Steer flapped at a corner, although the midfielder did not seem to be going for goal.
But Villa levelled within seven minutes, Tommy Elphick making the most of slack marking to glance in a deft header from a perfect left-wing Grealish corner.
Both sides were wasteful in possession, but Hull's mistakes handed Villa two goals in the space of five second half-minutes to wrap up the points.
David Marshall's poor kick out from his own goal allowed El Mohamady to swap passes with Conor Hourihane and the Egypt international picked out the bottom-left corner with a shot the goalkeeper should have saved.
Then when Hull gave away possession in their own half again, El Mohamady teed up Alan Hutton for an incisive run, Hull's defence backing off and allowing the full-back to drill home past fellow Scotland international Marshall, who was again slow to react.
