Aston Villa full back Alan Hutton wrapped up a 3-1 come-from-behind win at Hull City with a mazy dribble and clinical finish to seal the points in their Championship opener on Monday.
Hutton ran through the home defence and fired in the third goal -- his first since December 2014 -- to delight manager Steve Bruce after a tough period off the pitch at the Midlands club.
Villa fell behind after seven minutes through Evandro but Tommy Elphick equalised with a header in the 14th before Ahmed Elmohamady scored against his old club with 20 minutes to go.
That left the stage for Scottish defender Hutton to grab a rare goal and ensure that Villa, who lost to Fulham in last season's playoff final, enjoyed the perfect start to the season.
Villa's finances have improved since NSWE, a company jointly owned by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, came forward last month with a "significant investment."
Before NSWE's involvement, Bruce said Villa would probably have to sell several of their best players, including midfielder Jack Grealish, to meet Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
