When Leander Dendoncker found a pocket of space inside the six-yard box, surrounded by six frazzled Manchester United players, to poke Aston Villa into a 2-0 lead, all eyes turned to one man at Old Trafford.
Fixed on the Manchester United technical area, glued to an expressionless Erik ten Hag, who, with hands buried in his coat, was left to wonder whether fading hopes of a top four finish were being extinguished in front of his very eyes.
Villa pitched up at Old Trafford on Boxing Day sitting third in the Premier League with an 11-point cushion on a United side that had been turned over by West Ham just three days prior.