Unai Emery could not have wished for a better start to his career as Aston Villa manager.

The former Arsenal boss was hired as Steven Gerrard’s replacement and his first Premier League game pitted him against Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag’s side have been in decent form of late, but looked lost against a spirited Villa on Sunday afternoon.

Emery’s men secured an emphatic 3-1 victory on home soil, goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey sealing the deal.

United were second-best for much of the game and also incredibly lucky to finish with 11 men on the pitch.

In the second half, Lisandro Martinez appeared to clearly elbow Bailey not once, but TWICE, in the stomach.

But despite the fact VAR was in operation, Martinez somehow avoided a red card, despite the fact footage of the incident is rather damning.

Read more: Lisandro Martinez appeared to land double elbow on Aston Villa opponent

Aston Villa's Leon Bailey goes down with an injury

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 06: Leon Bailey of Aston Villa goes down with an injury during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester United at Villa Park on November 06, 2022 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by James Gill/Getty Images)

Bailey has not held back with his response

The incident wasn't really discussed at length in the aftermath of the game, which is perhaps due to the fact United and Cristiano Ronaldo were made to look bang average by Villa.

However, Bailey is certainly not letting it slide.

The Jamaica international has tweeted his side of the story, a version in which he doesn't exactly speak glowingly about the team of officials at Villa Park - or at Stockley Park.

Check out the post, which has gone viral on the social media platform...

Bailey's tweet about clash with Martinez

Bailey wrote: "Very disappointed in the referees today, I couldn’t breath for a second after getting elbowed twice in my rib. The linesman went on to say I shouldn’t be saying anything because I was doing just the same thing to Martinez. Sometimes I don’t understand why we got VAR. SMH."

Wow, you don't often see a player speak in such a manner publicly with regards to the officials.

Bailey's tweet may land him in a spot of bother with the Football Association, even though most football fans will agree with what he's said.

Let's hope common sense prevails.

Is Bailey's performance vs Man Utd a sign of things to come?

Bailey's display will be one of many positives for Emery to take from his Villa debut. The winger was electric throughout, as you can see from his individual highlights below.

Do exciting times lie ahead for Villa fans?

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