Manchester United vs Aston Villa. Premier League.
Old Trafford.
Report and free match highlights as Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes send Man Utd level with Liverpool at top of the Premier League; Bertrand Traore equaliser not enough as Aston Villa's five-game unbeaten run ends at Old Trafford
Saturday 2 January 2021 07:37, UK
Manchester United kicked off the New Year by underscoring their title credentials with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa that moved them level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
Anthony Martial's second league goal of the season and Bruno Fernandes' second-half penalty were enough to see off a spirited Villa, who equalised through Bertrand Traore and pushed United all the way in an entertaining contest at Old Trafford.
Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash and Keinan Davis squandered late chances to snatch a point but United stood firm to end Villa's five-game unbeaten run.
United are now 10 games unbeaten in the Premier League and level on points with champions Liverpool, who they trailed by nine points when they last tasted defeat against Arsenal on November 1.
United made the brighter start but were unable to find the early breakthrough as Fernandes, Martial and Harry Maguire were all denied by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Villa stood firm in the face of the early onslaught and then drew a line under it, with John McGinn's 12th-minute near-post drive forcing a save from David de Gea which sparked the visitors into life.
Villa displayed all of the hallmarks of a side on a five-game unbeaten run and limited United to shots from distance, as Fred and Paul Pogba both failed with attempts to grab the initiative.
But United's encouraging play was rewarded five minutes before the interval when Pogba released Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Martial stooped to head his second league goal of the season from the right-back's hopeful cross after Mings failed to clear.
Villa found the quality in the final third that eluded them in the first period as they hunted an equaliser early in the second half.
Ollie Watkins very nearly delivered it within seven minutes of the restart with a towering header back across goal, but De Gea produced a stunning save to claw it over the bar, before the in-form Anwar El Ghazi flashed a volley over the United bar.
The Villa pressure finally told just before the hour when a quick free-kick released Grealish in behind the advanced Wan-Bissaka. His cross found Traore unmarked at the back post and he took a touch to control before firing past De Gea and Maguire on the goal line.
It was no more than Villa deserved but parity lasted less than three minutes as Villa gifted United the chance to restore their lead. Douglas Luiz clumsily clipped Pogba's heels in the area, handing Fernandes a penalty which he clinically dispatched into the bottom corner.
Falling behind only invigorated Villa further and they could have drawn level for a second time, but a last-gasp clearance from Wan-Bissaka hooking the ball away just as El Ghazi stooped to head home at the back post, before De Gea palmed the Dutchman's strike from a tight angle away.
United responded and should have put daylight between themselves and Villa, but Pogba diverted Luke Shaw's driven cross inches wide and Rashford sent a rasping drive inches over either side of Martinez expertly tipping Fernandes' dipping shot onto the bar.
United nearly paid the price for their profligacy when Mings outmuscled Maguire to reach Cash's sumptuous cross from a free-kick, but the Villa captain's header curled agonisingly wide.
Cash's long-range drive was tipped around the post late on before Eric Bailly's crucial block prevented substitute Davis from snatching Villa a point in stoppage-time as United saw out the victory which sparked impassioned celebrations on the field at the full-time whistle.
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "It's two extra points, if we'd lost and conceded a goal towards the end, Eric makes a fantastic block.
"I didn't enjoy the last 10 minutes that much because we should have seen the game out in a better way. It seemed like a cup final or the last game of the season, so we need to learn how to play out games better when we're in the lead.
"We've shown that when we're chasing a goal, we're capable of doing that. We created chances, I think it's always going to be a physical game. They've improved massively and they've given us some challenges and there was a few times in that box that you were a bit worried.
"We didn't stop the crosses well enough because when they put crosses into the box, they're always dangerous but we made some fantastic blocks, some saves and delighted with the three points obviously."
Aston Villa manager Dean Smith: "First half we were miles off it. The first 15 minutes felt like a testimonial, then they injected some pace into it and deservedly went ahead. I asked for more at half-time and we deserved to get back in the game. Our goalkeeper has had to make some good saves, but they were all outside the box.
"I thought it was a penalty at the time, but I looked at it after the game and saw he tripped himself. I don't see why Michael [Oliver] couldn't have looked at it. That's what VAR is for isn't it? Pogba's tripped himself up. There are margins in football. I've seen it again, and I don't think it's a penalty.
"We know we're on a good journey at the moment. We believe we've got five key arrivals to go with the players who are Premier League ready now. This is only our second season in the division but competing here and against Liverpool and Arsenal shows our journey is going well so far."
Man Utd host rivals Man City in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday at 7.45pm - live on Sky Sports Football - before entertaining Watford in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday at 8pm.
Aston Villa host Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday at 7.45pm before entertaining Tottenham in the Premier League on January 13 at 8.15pm - live on Sky Sports.
