Fans are astonished as clip of Sir Alex Ferguson’s INCREDIBLE foresight resurfaces, with legendary Man United boss making bold claim – that fans had mocked him for – on first day of the season

Sir Alex Ferguson has silenced detractors who mocked him for his praise of Aston Villa after the 5-1 opening day defeat to Newcastle as the Villans moved into the top three of the Premier League on Wednesday evening.

Unai Emery's side ousted Manchester City in the table after a dominant 1-0 win, thanks to a deflected Leon Bailey goal.

It was their fourteenth home win in a row and one that firmly entrenched the Midland side among the contenders for the top-flight crown this season.

Villa have made good progress since their humiliation at St James' Park in August, prompting many observers to re-evaluate their predictions for the season.

Not Ferguson. The legendary United boss's praise for Emery's side after that defeat was mocked on social media but now seems incredibly prescient.

Ferguson raised eyebrows when he said Aston Villa had impressed him more than any other team on the opening weekend

Some viewers took to social media to insult the 81-year-old after his comments

'To be honest, I watched Aston Villa and I can't believe the score.' The 81-year-old told NBC Sports ahead of the Red Devils' first match. 'Honestly, Aston Villa played fantastic football and just lost because of bad goals.

“Newcastle will be very difficult to beat, especially on home turf, and their manager has done a great job there. It's a surprising game, football. You can outplay teams off the pitch without scoring, that's what Aston Villa did.'

Fans were quick to storm Ferguson, expressing their surprise at the view on social media.

“What game was he watching?” Wrote one viewer on X, formerly Twitter. Another wrote: 'Someone needs to tell him to stop playing mind games.'

A third commented: 'Bless him! clearly lost his sight! Villa were awful, but don't take anything away from Newcastle!'

Leon Bailey's late goal sealed victory for Aston Villa against Manchester City on Wednesday

United fans rallied around their former boss in light of Villa's position in the table after their victory over Pep Guardiola's side

One viewer noticed the response from ex-Man United keeper Tim Howard, who wrote: 'Look at Howard, he agrees when he thinks he's talking about us, and when he says villa he looks embarrassed !'

While one Newcastle fan's account accompanied their post about the quotes with the words: 'Come again??!'

Not even halfway through the season, Ferguson can confidently take a victory lap as Villa look good to challenge for at least a Champions League place.

Ferguson supporters have used that same energy to praise their former boss, with several suggesting his foresight strengthens his claim as the greatest manager of all time.

Emery's side welcome Arsenal to Villa Park on Saturday in what will be another test of their credentials.