Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa: Casemiro 53, Cunha 71, Sesko 81; Barkley 64
Michael Carrick tasted defeat as Manchester United boss for the first time last week, and if that sowed any doubts about his ability to guide the team to a top-five finish, this here was an excellent response.
Not that the result could have been predicted in a sluggish first half that offered supporters the footballing equivalent of a group of old men chewing at a manky old boot. But the match exploded into life in a breathtaking second-half spell that saw four goals, one from United and a quick response from Aston Villa, before Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko banged more goals in to secure victory for the home side.
At the centre of it all was Bruno Fernandes, United’s captain delivering two vital assists here when his team desperately needed invention. It takes him up to 16 this term, breaking David Beckham’s record of 15 in a Premier League season for the club. It also means he has now delivered 100 assists in his time at Old Trafford.
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First was a corner, the set-piece from which the Portuguese has made much of his wealth of assists this season. The impressive Casemiro rose to head beyond Emiliano Martinez for his seventh league goal of the season.
The lead, however, lasted only six minutes, Villa also demonstrating signs of life. A scramble in the United box saw the ball fall to Ross Barkley. The Villa man swivelled and struck past Senne Lammens. A VAR check confirmed Amadou Onana may have been offside but was not interfering with play.
Then Fernandes happened again, United’s fulcrum operating on its axis and pinging the ball through the inside-left channel to Matheus Cunha. Cunha latched onto the ball and then hit a trademark curling shot that nestled inside the far net.
Villa were determined to give their response but substitute Benjamin Sesko spoke first for United. A Cunha delivery took a deflection, spinning into the path of the Slovenian striker. Sesko, a man in form, capitalised and Villa’s race was run.
