Manchester United beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League at Villa Park on Sunday, February 11.
Manchester United started the game well and were rewarded for their early dominance as Rasmus Hojlund gave them the lead in the 17th minute. The 21-year-old volleyed one in after Harry Maguire towered above Boubacar Kamara to get on the end of a corner-kick from Bruno Fernandes.
Aston Villa grew stronger after conceding the opener and continued their hunt, but went into the break trailing. The hosts started the second half on similar lines and dominated proceedings. Their resilience proved fruitful as Douglas Luiz equalized in the 67th minute post some shoddy clearance work by United at the back.
Both sides were looking for the winner but kept wasting chances one after the other. The hosts looked more dangerous, but Manchester United hung on and grabbed the winner through substitute Scott McTominay in the 86th minute. The Scottish midfielder headed the ball past Emiliano Martinez following some great work by Diogo Dalot to secure all three points.
On that note, let’s take a look at Manchester United player ratings.
Manchester United Player Ratings
Andre Onana – 7.5/10
Andre Onana had a good game between the sticks for the Red Devils. The 27-year-old made eight saves throughout the game and two important ones to deny John McGinn and Ollie Watkins proved to be crucial.
Luke Shaw – 6/10
Luke Shaw could not provide much in attack but was reliable at the back. The Englishman was taken off at half-time due to an injury.
Raphael Varane – 7.5/10
Raphael Varane was solid at the back and thwarted everything that came his way. He made some vital blocks in the second half to keep his side in the hunt for all three points. The former Real Madrid star won six duels, made two recoveries, cleared the ball seven times, and made two blocks in the game.
Harry Maguire – 7.5/10
Harry Maguire did have some troubles reading the opposition’s moves, but partnered decently with Varane. He was a constant threat from set pieces and bagged an assist for Hojlund.
Diogo Dalot – 8.5/10
Diogo Dalot put in an impressive performance against Aston Villa. The Portuguese international bagged the assist for the winner as he set up McTominay with a delightful cross. He won three duels, made three recoveries, intercepted the ball twice, made five clearances, and won two tackles throughout the game. Dalot’s link up play was commendable as well.
Casemiro – 7.5/10
Casemiro put in a massive shift for Manchester United in the center of the park. He won 13 duels, won five tackles, made seven recoveries, and cleared the ball thrice. The Brazilian made some clever passes down the center.
Kobbie Mainoo – 6.5/10
Kobbie Mainoo did not have the best of times on the pitch as he was unable to effectively compliment Casemiro. However, he still created four chances and did well in the build-up to United’s winner.
Marcus Rashford – 6.5/10
Marcus Rashford did find his moments but could not produce the goods for Manchester United. He was flashy down the wing as he completed four dribbles and won six duels, but nothing came out of it in the end and he was taken off in the 73rd minute of the game.
Bruno Fernandes – 7/10
Fernandes had a decent outing but could’ve been better in possession as a lot of attacks came to a halt due to his hasty decision making. He was the best creator for the Red Devils though, setting up eight chances in the match. Apart from that, he won three duels, made five recoveries, won one tackle and cleared the ball twice.
Alejandro Garnacho – 6.5/10
Alejandro Garnacho looked like a threat every time he got hold of the ball. He made some good runs and kept the pressure on with his high intensity pressing. His finishing was a let-down, else the performance would be the best amongst United’s attackers.
Rasmus Hojlund – 7.5/10
Rasmus Hojlund is in red hot form at the moment as he scored his fifth consecutive goal for Manchester United. He took a while to get going in the Premier League but now is performing consistently. He worked hard to create trouble for the hosts with and without the ball. His runs in behind created spaces for others to exploit.
Substitutes
Victor Lindelof – 5/10
Victor Lindelof looked shaky at the back covering in for Luke Shaw.
Scott McTominay – 7.5/10
Scott McTominay produced the goods as a power sub as he scored the winning goal to grab all three points.
Jonny Evans – N/A
Came in too late to earn a rating.
Sofyan Amrabat – N/A
Did not have any impact on the game.
Thank You!