Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United: What Were The Key Talking Points As United Snatch A Crucial Late Victory At Villa Park?

In what could prove to be a season-defining victory on Sunday afternoon, Manchester United snatched a late 2-1 win away at Aston Villa.

Appearing to have turned a recent corner, Erik ten Hag’s side opened the scoring after just 17 minutes as the red-hot Rasmus Hojlund notched his fifth strike in as many domestic appearances.

Although the former Premier League champions might have entered the half-time break with a deserved 1-0 lead, Villa certainly put in an improved performance after returning from the interval.

Creating a string of chances and watching Andre Onana make a host of eye-catching stops, Douglas Luiz finished from close range midway through the second half and handed Unai Emery’s men a platform to build on.

However, although Sunday’s hosts might have been minutes away from clinching a crucial point, it was Scott McTominay who proved to be United’s hero as the Scotland international powered home in the 87th minute.

Keeping their Champions League dreams alive this weekend and collecting a real scalp away from Old Trafford, the Reds will take away plenty of positives from a gritty performance in the Midlands.

Although Villa might still be dreaming of the chance to punch their own top-four finish come May, Emery’s men have collected just a single victory from their previous six appearances.

In a showdown that saw chances fall at both ends of the Villa Park pitch, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Sunday’s showdown.

United riding a wave of momentum

Although Manchester United might have come under plenty of scrutiny this season, ten Hag’s side have certainly turned a real corner over the past month.

Making a statement last weekend as they stormed their way to a 3-0 romp at home against West Ham, the former Ajax boss has eased plenty of the pressure that has been mounting on his shoulders.

Extending on their FA Cup adventure on January 28th as they grabbed an action-packed 4-2 victory away at League Two outfit Newport, United have won all of their previous four domestic appearances on the spin.

Although the Premier League giants might still be facing an uphill battle in their bid to punch an essential top-four finish this season, the mood in ten Hag’s camp should be at a red-hot high.

Yet to suffer a single defeat since opening the New Year and clearly finding a clinical edge in the final third, Sunday’s guests have created a real platform to build on during the second half of the campaign.

Hojlund extends on his domestic romp

While Hojlund might have initially struggled to find any kind of Premier League stability after completing his £73million move from Atalanta last summer, the 21-year-old is now enjoying a real domestic purple patch.

Cementing his spot as a fan favourite around Old Trafford and endearing himself through a relentless work ethic, the Norwegian international is clearly relishing his role as United’s leading man.

Receiving a host of plaudits from ten Hag following another impressive performance on Sunday afternoon, Hojlund has found the net in all of his previous five appearances on the bounce.

Clearly paying back the gigantic transfer free that United invested in him last summer, the 10-cap international has a leading role to play in United’s bid to clinch another top-four finish in 2024.

Forming what has been a blossoming relationship with Alejandro Garnacho and causing Villa plenty of issues here, Hojlund appears to be a perfect fit for ten Hag’s approach.

Villa enduring a recent wobble

While Aston Villa might have continued to receive a string of plaudits following their stunning rise under Emery, Sunday’s hosts do have the feel of a squad seeking a recent boost.

Crashing out of the FA Cup last week and missing out on what they had billed as a golden opportunity as they slumped to a 3-1 loss against Chelsea, the one-time Arsenal boss cut a frustrated figure here.

Although Villa might have opened February with a routine 5-0 romp against leading relegation contenders Sheffield United, that is the only victory that Villa have collected from their previous six appearances against Premier League opposition.

However, while Emery’s men might still sit just a single point adrift of breaking back into the Champions League spots, the Villains are shown some extended struggles on home soil.

In fact, Villa have lost all of their last three domestic showdowns in front of their own supporters by an aggregate score of 8-3.

Match Report

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno, Kamara, Luiz, Bailey, McGinn, Ramsey, Watkins

Subs: Diaby, Tielemans, Zaniolo, Digne

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund

Subs: Amrabat, McTominay, Evans, Lindelof

Goals: Aston Villa: Luiz (67’) – Manchester United: Hojlund (17’), McTominay (86’)

Yellow Cards: Aston Villa: Lenglet, Diaby, Cash – Manchester United: Mainoo, Casemiro

Red Cards: N/A

Referee: Robert Jones