Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United: Unai Emery’s side win seven league games in a row and 10 in all comps
In the end it was eight shots on goal for Aston Villa and nine for Manchester United, with four on target for the home side and six for the visitors. A perfect indication of how closely contested the game was. But it was always going to be difficult for a United side missing six first-team players and at least four would-be starters to halt the Villa juggernaut.
Unai Emery’s side have now won their last 10 games, seven in the league, to get talk of them being title contenders rolling. It is difficult to say where else to place a side who have also beaten second-placed Manchester City and leaders Arsenal.
Two of the Premier League’s most in-form players Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo were unavailable for United but Ruben Amorim’s side were determined to slay the dragon without them. The game was kickstarted with a flurry of chances and Ollie Watkins, John McGinn and the brilliant Morgan Rogers all went close for Villa. Benjamin Sesko had some very nice moments but did not look sharp and they went begging.
Villa found the breakthrough with 45 minutes played. Rogers cut inside, given too much freedom by Leny Yoro, and then curled a superb shot into the far corner. But only three minutes later, Patrick Dorgu had robbed Matty Cash and Matheus Cunha, who was almost at the epicentre of everything good United did on the night, pounced, sending the ball past Emiliano Martinez into the top corner.
Things started to turn grim for United when captain and main man Bruno Fernandes began to limp. He didn’t re-enter the pitch in the second half, making his way to the substitutes’ bench instead. In his absence, Lisandro Martinez came into the midfield alongside Manuel Ugarte, proving in fact that he is quite a natural for the role with his ball-winning skills and passing. Perhaps more selection ideas for Amorim in future.
Both sides continued to look sharp but it was Villa who struck again, Rogers again collecting from the inside-left pocket, drifting past a slow Yoro, and finding the far corner. Only a few minutes later Cunha had the chance to respond once more, getting on the end of a Dorgu cross but then failing to find the target.
Amorim brought on Joshua Zirkzee for Sesko but there were very few cards available to a depleted United. There might be positives in debutants Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey coming on in midfield and right wing respectively, but the night belonged to a triumphant Villa.
