Bruno Fernandes strike breaks Aston Villa resistance 

KNOCKOUT BLOW: Bruno Fernandes scores Manchester United's third goal against Aston Villa. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA 

Carabao Cup 

Man United 4 Aston Villa 2

Bruno Fernandes helped settle an eventually memorable Carabao Cup tie to ensure that Manchester United head into the World Cup break with fanbase, and players alike, believing that Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford revolution remains heading in the right direction.

After a goalless first half, United twice came from behind in an eventful second, reaching the fourth round of the competition which will take place within a couple of days of next month’s World Cup final.

And Fernandes, who will harbour ambitions of being involved in that Qatar final with Portugal, at least did his hopes of collecting club honours this season no harm when he scored United's crucial third goal after 78 minutes.

It followed a spell of United pressure and a panicked clearance from Villa keeper Robin Olsen that flew straight to United sub Alejandro Garnacho.

The youngster quickly moved the ball to Fernandes whose shot took a deflection as it flew past Olsen to continue United’s turnaround.

Scott McTominay ensured the scoreline had an unrealistically comfortable look with a neat finish from Garnacho’s deep cross in the 91st minute.

But, prior to that, goals from Ollie Watkins and a Diogo Dalot own goal had been equalised by Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as new Villa manager Unai Emery threatened to beat United for the second time this week.

A pedestrian first half had been quickly forgotten on the re-start, with the two teams exchanging goals inside the opening four minutes of the second; an explosion of activity that transformed the tie.

Villa drew first blood when Jacob Ramsey showed great composure in a packed midfield and timed his pass to Watkins to perfection, capitalising on some uncertain positional play from United defenders, Harry Maguire chief among them.

That allowed Watkins to race clear and place an unstoppable shot past United stand-in keeper Martin Dubravka.

It was a lead that had taken 48 minutes to come and which lasted for only another 19 seconds, once United kicked off.

With Villa still presumably congratulating themselves on an unexpected lead, a ball down the right from Dalot played Fernandes clear of the Villa back-line and his well-aimed cross into the centre found an unmarked Martial to convert.

Douglas Luiz and Fernandes were booked moments later, as they squared off in the latest incendiary moment of a tie which had offered nothing vaguely comparable during a turgid first period.

But Villa, buoyant under their new manager and on the back of their 3-1 league win over United on Sunday, did not take long to re-assert control.

Their second came on the hour, and again featured some poor defending as Ashley Young’s deep cross was headed into the six-yard box by Leon Bailey at the far-post and Dalot, with nobody around him, simply stuck out a leg and volleyed into his own net.

Finally, after a miserable first half, this had become a memorable cup tie - or, at least, half a one - and United struck back after 67 minutes through Rashford.

The England forward rose well to meet, and flick on, Tyrell Malacia’s long pass and, although Christian Eriksen failed to collect, the ball was turned back to Rashford, via a Villa leg.

Rashford showed great composure, and capitalised on a clumsy attempted tackle by Tyrone Mings, before burying the equaliser into the visitors’ goal.

It was all a far cry from a first half which had supported the argument that the closing days of this pre-World Cup schedule are inevitably bound to lead to lifeless, listless football as players focus on Qatar.

Cristiano Ronaldo, named earlier in the day to his fifth World Cup squad by Portugal, was absent from the United squad due to an illness, but the players who did make the tie could hardly be accused of showing reckless commitment to their teams’ respective causes in the opening exchanges.

The closest to a first half goal actually came from Villa, via a specialist corner taker Douglas Luiz, who has already scored directly from two such set-pieces this season.

He almost made it three, on 31 minutes, with a wicked in-swinging kick that Scott McTominay, astutely positioned on the line, was able to head clear.

MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): Dubravka 5; Dalot 6, Maguire 5, Lindelof 5 (L Martinez 86), Malacia 7; McTominay 7, Fred 6 (Eriksen 62, 6); Fernandes 9, van de Beek 5 (Garnacho 62, 8), Rashford 7 (Casemiro 81); Martial 7 (Elanga 61, 5).

ASTON VILLA (4-3-1-2): Olsen 4; Young 7 (Cash 73, 5), Konsa 6 (Mings 58, 5), Chambers 5, Augustinsson 6 (Digne 79, 5); Luiz 6, Kamara 6, J Ramsey 7 (Bailey 58, 6); McGinn 7; Watkins 7, Ings 6 (Buendia 58, 5). 

Referee: D Coote 7.