Premier League: Man United move closer to Champions League places

-

 Aston Villa 1 - 2 Manchester United

Manchester United gained a valuable 2-1 away win at Aston Villa to earn a long-awaited victory away against top-nine opposition.

The Red Devils started the match at Villa Park, hoping to extend their recent game streak across all competitions.

More Premier League news here: Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)

Villa 1 - 2 MUFC

Villa made a good start to the game and looked to keep possession of the ball for long spells to draw Manchester United onto them. However, the visitors had other plans as they sat back and looked to hit on the counter. Rasmus Hojlund gave them the perfect start as he fired the Red Devils 1-0 up after 17 minutes following an assist by Harry Maguire.

United had 42% of the ball in the first half and attempted seven shots, but hit the target just once for Hojlund’s goal. Villa had 10 attempts with three on target but neither side managed to alter the scoreline as the visitors led 1-0 at the break.

Unfortunately for Ten Hag's side, United suffered another injury. Ahead of the second half, Victor Lindelof came on for Luke Shaw. who was forced with an injury.

Aston Villa made a better start to the second half as they desperately looked for a way back into the contest. Two minutes into the half, Watkins surged into the centre of the box, taking a snapshot that Onana was able to push away from danger. United would need to tighten up at the back to prevent the home side from levelling the scoreline.

Douglas Luiz then handed them a lifeline as he scored in the 67th minute to make it 1-1. The hosts had more of the ball in the second half as well but missed way too many chances. 

Diogo Dalot provided the perfect cross into the box and Scott McTominay rose highest to nod it home after 86 minutes. Ten Hag then made a couple of defensive changes at the death as Manchester United did well to hold onto their lead and secure the win.

Super Scott wins it for United

This interesting stat provided by SkySports show the impact that McTominay has had for Manchester United this season.

Maguire and Dalot star for Manchester United

Dalot had a great game and even provided the assist for Manchester United’s late winner. He won three duels, making five clearances, two blocks, two tackles and two interceptions. He wasn't the only United defender who provided an assist. 

Maguire was also superb in defence and set up Hojlund for his team’s opening goal. He won a remarkable eleven of his twelve duels, making five clearances and four tackles. He also played one key pass.

Villa fans give their reaction

Frances Bentley, an Aston Villa fan, told us: "Yesterday was a bit of a challenge. However, it was a much better performance. It was certainly an improvement from the Chelsea defeat in the FA Cup. We're still holding onto fifth place in the League, just a point behind Spurs in fourth. And let's not forget, this is the best performance we've seen at Villa Park in a generation."

More Aston Villa news and stories can be found: View from the Holte End: Villa news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)

Lana, another Villa, added: "We've got a couple of matches on the horizon that we should fancy our chances in. Sure, teams like Spurs and Manchester United might have similar opportunities, but at the end of the day, we all need to clinch those wins. I reckon having this week to regroup and get things sorted will do us some good."

Popular posts from this blog

Sliding Doors Moments: What if Scholes wasn’t offside?

-
Image
It's time to for another sliding doors moment in football  We travel back to 2004. Manchester United face Porto in the last-16 of the Champions League.  Author - Liam C What actually happened? A ontroversial offside call against Paul Scholes became a pivotal moment in European football history. The disallowed goal cost United a place in the quarter-finals, while Porto, managed by the up and coming manager José Mourinho, went on to win the competition and launch Mourinho into the managerial elite. But what if Scholes hadn’t been ruled offside? How might this alternative scenario have changed the landscape of world and European football? Scholes wasn’t offside: United progress Had the linesman not flagged Scholes for offside, Manchester United would have progressed to the next round of the Champions League. Scholes' goal was legitimate, and had it stood, United would have won the tie on aggregate, knocking out Porto and ending their European dreams. With the Red Devils moving
Read more

PL News: Ten Hag sacked by Man United

-
Image
There has been a managerial change at Old Trafford. Manchester United have sacked manager Erik ten Hag due to the club's disappointing start to the season. Author - Olivia T Ten Hag's last match ended in a 2-1 defeat against West Ham , leaving the club in 14th place in the Premier League with only three wins from their first nine matches. The Red Devils are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League league stage, having drawn their three opening matches. Club sources from the club have reportedly suggested that this was a difficult decision but a unanimous one among all the key decision makers.  The club exercised a one-year extension in Ten Hag's contract after their FA Cup final win against Manchester City in May . However, just over three months later, he has been dismissed. United currently sit on 11 points after nine games, marking their second-lowest tally in the Premier League at this stage (only slightly better than the 10 points they had in the 2019-20 season)
Read more

Scotland: Kilmarnock stun Rangers with late winner

-
Image
Kilmarnock 1 - 0 Rangers Rangers remain six points behind the Premiership leaders after suffering a late defeat against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. Author - Mark Lee In a lacklustre match, Rangers wasted several opportunities to secure three points. A combination of poor finishing and solid defending from Kilmarnock made it another frustrating afternoon for the Belgian manager. As the game was heading for a draw, David Watson's lob found Marley Watkins, who beat the offside trap and bundled the ball past Jack Butland. The Gers need to regroup quickly ahead of their Europa League match against FCSB on Thursday. Meanwhile, Derek McInnes' team has now moved to seventh place and are just outside the top six on goal difference. A closer look at how Kilmarnock stunned this Rangers side Home form has traditionally been a strength for Kilmarnock , but they had recorded five draws and one defeat in all competitions on their own pitch leading up to this game. ⚽️ Goal of the day: Mar
Read more