Man UTD 3-1 Aston Villa: The Red Devils beat their rivals for a Champions League spot at Old Trafford and currently sit third in the Premier League with the help of Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes is once again Casemiro’s provider (Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United further strengthened their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Casemiro put Michael Carrick’s side ahead with a stunning header from a Bruno Fernandes corner. Ross Barkley then made his long-awaited return to the Villa starting lineup with a stunning equalizer.
However, Villa did not equalize for long, as Matheus Cunha scored for the fourth game in a row against Villa. Substitute Benjamin Sesco secured the score with a deflected finish in the closing stages.
The win gives United a three-point lead over Villa ahead of next Friday’s match against Bournemouth.
Here are the talking points from Old Trafford.
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Watkins got annoyed and left.
English striker Ollie Watkins has not enjoyed his best season for Villa this season. Heading into the match at Old Trafford, he had scored nine goals, eight of which came in the Premier League.
It’s certainly a far cry from the dynamic form he’s shown in recent campaigns. Then we had another quiet afternoon against United.
His only meaningful contribution was a stupid booking he picked up for kicking the ball away. Villa manager and England national team manager Thomas Tuchel will be hoping for further success in the lead-up to the World Cup.
Casemiro attacks again
And while Watkins has endured a difficult season in front of goal, the same cannot be said for Brazilian midfielder Casemiro. Although he announced his departure from the club at the end of the season, it looks like he has reached an even higher level.
He gave his all against Villa, getting to Fernandes’ corner and nodding it out of Emi Martinez’s reach. This was Casemiro’s seventh Premier League goal of the season.
At the end of the day, the Red Devils will wonder if they wanted him to stay.
Fernandes is once again Casemiro’s provider (Image: Getty Images)
Fernandes breaks record
Casemiro is rightly praised for his goalscoring, but captain Fernandes also deserves praise. The Portuguese playmaker regularly contributes to his team-mates and has a string of impressive achievements under his belt.
And as expected, he was brilliant against Villa. Fernandes recorded his 15th assist in the Premier League this season.
By giving Cunha his second goal, he broke the record set by David Beckham in the 1999/2000 season.
Villa level through Berkeley
Just 11 minutes after the Red Devils took the lead, they equalized again with a spectacular curling finish from Barkley. The midfielder was given room to equalize in his first Premier League start of the season.
There was some controversy over the goal, with United appealing for handball, but VAR checked for offside and the ball appeared to go past Amadou Onana on its way to goal. But in the end it was given.
Cunha celebrating his goal against Aston Villa (Image: Getty Images)
Cunha vs Villa again
Cunha has scored in each of the last three games against Aston Villa and will be confident of scoring again. And that’s exactly what he did.
Fernandes was once again at the heart of the game, playing a well-placed pass behind Villa’s backline. Cunha capitalized on this and calmly finished ahead of Martinez to give his team the lead again.
Super Sub Sesco
Sesco is slowly gaining a reputation as something of a super sub. The Slovenian forward has scored nine goals in the Premier League this season, most of them from the bench.
He was introduced against Villa and, with some help from a deflection, lived to spin the ball and fire home.
And while Sesco may not be completely happy with his role as a substitute, as long as the goals keep coming, not many will care.
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