The prospect of final day drama had just been introduced to the conversation when John McGinn’s eyebrows suddenly raised and he started to smile.
Aston Villa’s well-earned point at Anfield had ensured that if they beat Brighton on Sunday, Unai Emery will have completed the unthinkable and secured his team a place in Europe.
Still, funny things can happen on the final day, when nerves and emotions take hold, but McGinn’s reaction when asked what he expected from Emery over the course of this week at their Bodymoor Heath base was revealing.