Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz performed a shimmy celebration in front of Manchester United’s players after scoring the equaliser in a Premier League clash on Sunday. This action prompted a reaction from United defender Raphael Varane and referee Rob Jones had to intervene. Luiz subsequently hit back at Rio Ferdinand, who had laughed at his celebration.
The match saw Villa conceding the lead to an in-form Rasmus Hojlund and eventually losing to a late goal by Scott McTominay. United’s coach, Erik ten Hag, suggested that Luiz’s celebration might have “fuelled” his team’s performance. When asked about the incident and Varane’s reaction, Ten Hag declined to give his opinion, emphasizing the importance of focusing on their own game rather than the opposition.
The victory for United marked an unbeaten start in 2024 for Ten Hag’s side, who had a challenging start to the season. The win also brought them closer to the top four in the Premier League, as they are now only six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham. Additionally, it narrowed the gap on Aston Villa, who are currently fifth in the league.