Quite what Terry Venables would have made of it all is hard to fathom. Venables as a coach worked hard on defensive shape and yet will always be remembered for producing teams that played with freedom, fluency and adventure.
There was certainly no shortage of that on display from both teams on a day when tributes were paid to a man who won the FA Cup winner as a player and a manager with Tottenham, and whose death at the age of 80 was confirmed before kick-off.
What followed was a breathless commitment to flair and creativity, an intense contest won by Aston Villa, the winning goal scored by Ollie Watkins.