Premier League highlights: Manchester United beats Aston Villa 3-0

Here are the highlights, score and commentary from the 2019-20 Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa on Thursday.

Updated : Jul 10, 2020 03:36 IST

Manchester United takes on Aston Villa away at the Villa Park in the Premier League on Thursday.
Manchester United takes on Aston Villa away at the Villa Park in the Premier League on Thursday.
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Manchester United takes on Aston Villa away at the Villa Park in the Premier League on Thursday.

 

That's it for today. Thanks for tuning in!

With this win, Manchester United stays at fifth place with 58 points from 34 games. It is now a point behind Leicester City and two behind Chelsea. All teams in the league have played the same number of games. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side is a favourite to finish in the top-four.

MATCH REPORT |

Meanwhile, Aston Villa stays in the relegation zone with just 27 points. It is four points below 17th-placed Watford and is only above Norwich City in the 2019-20 Premier League standings. The Jack Grealish-led team has to win at least two of the remaining four to avoid relegation.

AND IT'S FULL-TIME!!!

90+3' WHAT A SAVE!!! Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford twisted and turned and got himself into a good position. He had enough space and time to convert it into a goal. However, Aston Villa keeper Pepe Reina pulled off a brilliant save to deny Rashford.

90' Three minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the second half. Another Luke Shaw move on the left wing and another corner for the Red Devils. Marcus Rashford will take it once again. But the Aston Villa defence clears the ball away with ease.

86' SUBSTITUTION!!! Aston Villa manager Dean Smith makes a change now. Indiana Vassilev comes on for Douglas Luiz. ANOTHER YELLOW CARD! Man United midfielder Fred goes into the referee's book for a pathetic foul.

81' ANOTHER DOUBLE CHANGE BY SOLSKJAER! Odion Ighalo and Daniel James replace Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood in the middle. YELLOW CARD! Marvelous Nakamba gets booked for a very silly tackle on Paul Pogba.

76' CORNER FOR MANCHESTER UNITED! Luke Shaw executed another pacy move on the left flank. But his cross was deflected off Kortney Hause for a corner. Marcus Rashford took the set-piece in Bruno Fernandes' absence and he put too much power on the ball as it went out for a Villa throw-in.

71' The players are taking a drinks break now! Manchester United has completely dominated the second half. The Red Devils will make another substitution now. CHANGE! Bruno Fernandes will make way for fellow midfielder Fred in the middle.

67' DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION FOR MANCHESTER UNITED!!! The Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brings in Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams for Nemanja Matic and Aaron Wan-Bissaka respectively.

63' SAVE! Suddenly, Aston Villa was moving forward with numbers and skipper Jack Grealish received a pass inside the box. This was a long pass into the box. However, Grealish's header fell straight into United custodian David de Gea's hands.

58' GGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!! MANCHESTER UNITED 3 - 0 ASTON VILLA!!! PAUL POGBA SCORES!!!! And it was a Bruno Fernandes assist. United won a corner. Bruno took it. He passed it straight to Pogba outside the box. And the French star scored with a stunner.

53' CORNER FOR UNITED! Bruno Fernandes will take the set-piece. He hits the ball straight to Villa shot-stopper Pepe Reina, who throws the ball away to initiate a counter for his side. YELLOW CARD! Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa makes a bad challenge and is booked by the referee.

49' WHAT A MISS!!! Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford evaded several Aston Villa players on the left flank and delivered an inch-perfect cross into the box. However, his teammate Aaron Wan-Bissaka who had the goal at his disposal fired a header wide.

THE SECOND-HALF IS UNDERWAY!

Forty-five minutes to go. Stay tuned!

AND IT'S HALF-TIME!!!

45+4' GGGGOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!! MANCHESTER UNITED 2 - 0 ASTON VILLA!!!!!!!!! MASON GREENWOOD SCORES AGAIN!! The youngster just can't stop scoring at the moment. This was a team move. Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings lost the ball to Anthony Martial in midfield. From there, it was Martial to Bruno Fernandes to Greenwood to Martial and finally to Greenwood, who came up with a brilliant finish with his right.

45' Four minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the first half. Another United player is booked. YELLOW CARD! This was an easy decision for the referee. Nemanja Matic completes a bad tackle and he immediately goes into the referee's book.

40' YELLOW CARD! Manchester United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka gets booked by Jon Moss for a terrible foul. This is the first booking of the match. A few moments ago, Villa midfielder John McGinn executed a near perfect volley from close range which was blocked by the United defenders.

36' WHAT A CHANCE! Man United forward Mason Greenwood produces a good strike that sails to the bottom right corner, but the Villa keeper Pepe Reina shows great reflexes and dives to keep the effort from hitting the net. It was very close!

33' CORNER FOR MANCHESTER UNITED!!! Luke Shaw came up with a brilliant move on the left wing. But his cross was cleared away by the Aston Villa defence. Bruno Fernandes will take the set-piece. His delivery isn't too convincing as the host regains possession.

27' GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!! MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 0 ASTON VILLA!! BRUNO FERNANDES SCORES!!!!! Aston Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina dived the wrong way but anyway it was a very powerful shot from the Portuguese star.

25' PENALTY FOR MANCHESTER UNITED!!! BUT THERE WILL BE A VAR CHECK! Bruno Fernandes was trying to dribble past Ezri Konsa and he went down inside the box. The Villa defender is extremely unlucky here. It was Bruno who collided with him actually. However, the penalty stands!

21' Manchester United has started dominating this game now. Bruno Fernandes is creating quite a few chances. Aston Villa should try to capitalise even on the half chances and then try to sit back and defend. Grealish and McGinn should do better with their set-piece delivery as well.

17' CORNER FOR ASTON VILLA! Skipper Jack Grealish will take it. Man United goalkeeper David de Gea comes off his lines to punch the ball away. John McGinn lets the ball go out for a Villa throw-in. VERY GOOD CHANCE! Grealish misses the target from close range.

12' CHANCE! Jack Grealish evades a few Manchester United players on the right flank and puts in a cross. But his ball fails to find one of his Aston Villa teammates. United makes a move forward now. Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cross attempt is blocked and the right-back is dispossessed.

8' CORNER FOR VILLA! John McGinn will take it. However, the Manchester United defence clears the ball away from the box. But Aston Villa regains possession. OFFSIDE! Trezeguet was just a little too eager to get to a pass there as the linesman lifts his flag.

5' CHANCE FOR UNITED! Mason Greenwood delivers a low pass into the box which is intercepted. Aston Villa goes on the counter now. Trezeguet fires the ball on goal, but his attempt at the other end goes well wide of the left post. The game has begun in aggressive fashion.

AND THE MATCH IS UNDERWAY!

The team line-ups are out!

MANCHESTER UNITED XI: David de Gea (G), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire (C), Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Mathony Martial.

COACH: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

ASTON VILLA XI: Pepe Reina (G), Neil Taylor, Tyrone Mings, Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa, Trezeguet, Anwar El-Ghazi, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Jack Grealish (C), Mbwana Samata.

COACH: Dean Smith.

MATCH PREVIEW:

Manchester United must be wary of the threat posed by Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish in Thursday’s Premier League clash at Villa Park, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said on Wednesday.

Grealish, 24, scored a sensational goal in the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in December and British media have strongly linked the English midfielder with a move to Old Trafford.

“I think the last game they caused us some problems, Grealish off the left and Anwar El Ghazi on the right,” Solskjaer said in a virtual news conference ahead of the trip to Villa.

United, which is fifth with 55 points, four behind fourth-placed Leicester with a game in hand, is on a 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions and Norwegian Solskjaer has challenged his players to continue improving.

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“The last 16 games gives us confidence but nowhere near what a Manchester United team should stride towards. If we focus on the next one and suddenly stood there with 16 that’s what we’ve done and hopefully we can continue,” the United boss added.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s points tally is not a fair reflection of recent performances but it will take heart from a gritty display in the defeat at Liverpool last weekend as it battles to avoid relegation, manager Dean Smith said.

Villa, which is third-bottom with 27 points, four adrift of the safety zone, has failed to win a Premier League game since January and has just two points from its last nine matches.

“Our form in terms of performance levels has been much better since the restart,” Smith told reporters in a virtual news conference ahead of Thursday’s game.

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