THERE was a bloke wearing a whoopee cushion costume, a girl done up like Wonder Woman and a cavalcade of comic characters as Villa’s previously unhappy travellers marked their last away day of the season with a fancy dress party.

But the best, most novel, fun-filled disguise to excite and entertain the long-suffering claret and blue faithful at the Emirates was the one sported by Gary McAllister’s players who – get this – came as a competitive Premier League team.

Hopefully, now Villa have finally guaranteed their invitation to English football’s biggest party again next season, they can keep yesterday’s clobber and return the dodgy outfit that has been on hire for most of the season.

Having said that, the fella who generated the biggest cheers of the afternoon, Darren Bent, could have made more of an effort!

Once again the prolific goalscorer came as himself – a prolific goalscorer – taking his tally to nine goals in 15 games with two of the finest finishes (although with his stunning strikerate and trademark wristband he continues to do an uncanny impression of Peter Withe).

Actually, that’s doing Darren’s disguise a disservice. For a boyhood Gooner, Bent also cloaked his allegiances brilliantly beneath his Villa shirt.

Bent’s first on 11 minutes would have been a contender for Villa’s goal of the season, had the award not been handed out a week ago, rivalling the assist and execution of the winner – Marc Albrighton’s beauty at Fulham. From near the centre circle, Kyle Walker picked out Bent who, from just inside the Gunners box, controlled the ball on his chest before directing a volley over Wojciech Szczesny and into the top right corner of the net.

His second strike four minutes later was just as impressive, losing his marker and slotting a neat shot inside the right-hand post after Ashley Young threaded him through following James Collins’ low free-kick.

For a player who has been caught offside more than any of his Premier peers this season it was telling that Bent timed both of his runs to perfection to break the Arsenal offside trap, albeit one which is hardly of Tony Adams- style efficiency nowadays.

At times in the first half it seemed as if Villa had come as Arsenal, particularly when Walker successfully showboated in his own area, by dummying Andrey Arshavin in his own box and back-heeling the ball to a team-mate.

One Villa fan even wore a referee’s kit. Oh, sorry, that was Michael Oliver.