Dean Smith took a moment, as he left the pitch after his first relegation as a manager, to return the applause coming from all four corners of Villa Park. The moment came just after Norwich’s sixth demotion from the Premier League, a record, was confirmed.
As Burnley mounted their late comeback to win at Watford and move away from Norwich, goals from Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings helped Aston Villa to their first victory in six matches. It left Villa on 40 points, all but securing their own status.
