The Reds needed victory desperately at Villa Park, with the Midlanders eight points ahead of us before Sunday's game, but there was a wider context to the 2-1 success.
United had a positive season in 2022/23, but one of the criticisms of Erik's team was that we were still waiting for a seismic win at Anfield, the Etihad or one of the Premier League's other more daunting citadels.
Villa Park is one such venue, these days. Unai Emery's outfit had taken 28 points from the last 34 available at their home stadium, but Scott McTominay's late winner put a dent in that record, and offered United fans some hope that we've made a breakthrough when it comes to our away form.