Manchester United clip Aston Villa to go level with Liverpool

Photo: Bruno Fernandes scored from the penalty spot to seal a 2-1 win for Manchester United over Aston Villa. United have gone ten games unbeaten and level on points with leaders Liverpool. (Getty Images)

Bruno Fernandes was the hero as Manchester United edged Aston Villa 2-1 to move level on points with defending champions Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. The midfielder’s penalty proved to be the winner after Bertand Traore cancelled out Anthony Martial’s first half effort. Aston Villa’s five match unbeaten run came to a grinding halt despite putting Manchester United under severe pressure in the last 5 minutes of regulation time. Villa will look to bounce back against Liverpool next weekend in a FA Cup clash, while Manchester United will face Manchester City in another Manchester derby.

Ole Gunner Solskjaer made three changes to the side that earned a last gasp win over Wolves last time out. The recall for Fred, Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial was welcomed. Edinson Cavani missed out through suspension, while Victor Lindelof was ruled out with a back problem. As for Aston Villa, Dean Smith made just one alteration from the draw at Chelsea. Tyrone Mings returned from suspension to partner Ezri Konsa in the heart of defense, with Kortney Hause dropping to the bench. Ross Barkley missed out as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Manchester United got the game going kicking to the Stratford End. As early as the 2nd minute Emiliano Martinez was called into action to push away Bruno Fernandes drilled cross. The visitors however stood firm to snuff out their opponents’ threat. Manchester United signaling their intent, with Fernandes in the thick of things who has been directly involved in 17 of their 31 Premier League goals, scoring 10 for himself and assisting 7 this season. It is widely touted as “Ole at the wheels”, but it was Fernandes who set the wheels in motion as he drove forward before finding Martial in the 11th minute. The Frenchman looked to bend a shot into the top corner, but Martinez got across well to palm it away.

The visitors, as was expected to made the game a contest and came close in the 13th minute. Jack Grealish linked up with Matty Cash, who delivered a high ball to the far post. John McGinn arrived and struck it sweetly first time on the volley to force an impeccable save from David De Gae. Good link up play between Wan-Bassaka and Marcus Rashford saw the former whip the ball in for Paul Pogba, who cleverly dummied for the onrushing Fred who fired a cracker. There was plenty of power in the Brazilian’s effort, but it went just over the bar.

Villa had only conceded three goals away from home in the Premier League this season: fewer than any other team. They weathered the storm relatively well for the first quarter of the game. The visitors settled into their rhythm stroking the ball with alacrity across the lush green park at Old Trafford, unfortunately there were no fans to cheer on each pass.

The visitors turned up the pressure, in the 24th minute Grealish delivered a teasing cross to the ever-dangerous Anwar El-Ghazi but man of the match Eric Bailly was there to head clear in the nick of time. The Red Devils are unbeaten in their last 16 meetings against Villa, while losing to them just once in this millennium. The defeat came courtesy of a 1-0 reverse in December 2009; Gabriel Agbonlahor the scorer. The play swung from left to right a goal at any end would justify the intensity of the game. Five minutes before the break Pogba flicked the ball over the head of Cash much to the delight of the players sparsely seated in the stands and set Rashford on his way. Rashford combined well with Wan-Bissaka who raced down the flank to whip in an inviting delivery that was glanced home by the head of Martial.

Reliable Fernandes
Martial’s header gave United the edge following a keenly contested first half at Old Trafford. Both teams enjoyed spells in possession of quality. Although Villa trailed, Dean Smith was pleased with his team’s performance up to the break.

Aston Villa came out second half forcing the United’s defense on the backfoot. The high press and compact display of Dean Smith’s team paid off in the 58th minute a quick free kick caught Wan- Bissaka out of position and released Jack Grealish the impact player on the Villa’s team. Jack’s cross found an unmarked Traore at the far post, the former Chelsea man took a touch before calmly slotting home past a hopeless De Gae. With scores level 1-1 apiece Manchester United sprung back to life and restored the lead two minutes later, when Pogba went down in the box from a clumsy challenge from Douglas Luiz. United’s Talisman Fernandes stepped up to ram home ball in the bottom corner leaving Martinez with no chance. Villa was only level for three minutes at Old Trafford thanks to the reliability of Fernandes. This marked the 11th goal for the midfielder a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah this season.

With 20 minutes to go both Manchester United’s center backs on a yellow card Villa was encouraged to attack them. Both teams continued to trade bullets as Villa came close to restoring parity when El Ghazi looked for the bottom corner with a low driven shot but De Gea got down low to keep the effort out in minute 72. Should the Dutchman score he would become the first Villa player to do so in four straight Premier League since Christian Benteke in April 2013.

Martinez superbly denied Martial and De Gea got down to thwart El Ghazi before Pogba drove agonizingly wide and Watkins glanced a header off target. Martinez met a superb long-range Fernandes effort with an equally impressive save, but Villa kept going as Mings and substitute Davis headed wide. De Gea produced an exceptional stoppage-time save from Cash and Bally blocked Davis at the death. Villa pushed until the death in an entertaining, end-to-end encounter but left Old Trafford pointless.

Ole’s response
“Of course, we knew how difficult it was going to be and we needed to be playing well,” Solskjaer said. “We needed some margins towards the end. It should not have been that way. We should have scored because we created some opportunities, especially second half, a few counterattacks and we did have the chance to be more clinical and finish the game off. “Then towards the end David makes a good save, Eric does a fantastic block and we saw it out in one way or another. “Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to win. We could have managed the game in the last 10 minutes better, but we got it over the line.”

Smith’s response
“I was very disappointed with our performance in the first half,” manager Smith said. “I didn’t think we were anywhere near our levels that we have been. I thought both teams started slow – the first 10 minutes almost had a testimonial feel about it. “They injected the tempo that they needed to and deservedly took the lead and went in at half-time a goal to the good. “I had to rally them at half-time and talk to them about the levels we needed to be at, and I thought second half was a lot better performance from ourselves. “Good goal, created some really good opportunities as well, but unfortunately we lost to a dubious penalty.”