ten Hag: 'He is a super sub but he can also start'
SCORING RUN: Manchester United's Scott McTominay (right) celebrates with team-mate Rasmus Hojlund after scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at Villa Park. Pic: Paige Young
A SEASON that for so long spelled disaster for Manchester United could yet end in the most unlikely of successes, thanks to goalscorers Rasmus Hojliund and Scott McTominay, two players whose seasons sum up the vast inconsistencies shown by Erik ten Hag’s team.
The winner came from McTominay four minutes from time, his seventh of a season in which he was not even expected to be at the club, with ten Hag prepared to let him leave Old Trafford last summer.
Those seven goals leave the midfielder atop the United league goalscoring charts, with all having come in wins, although Hojlund is fast approaching him after his opening goal at Villa Park made it five consecutive league outings with a goal.
The net result was a win that left Villa out of the top-four places and dragged United to within five points of Unai Emery’s side. Tottenham stand one point ahead of Villa, currently in fourth, but with three straight league wins behind them, a United place in the top four, and in next season’s Champions League, somehow seems possible.
"It is a massive win for us,” said ten Hag. “We've got closer and that was the aim for today. That was absolutely our target and we've done it.
"I never think about negative situations. I'm thinking positive, we have to catch up but we are not there yet.
“We are in a good mood and we have to keep this process going but there is so much space for improvement. There are many games left to play and we'll see what happens."
The win was sealed four minutes from time when Kobbie Mainoo fed Diogo Dalot in space and the full-back’s lethal cross had enough hang time for McTominay to ghost in front of Matty Cash and head home.
"He is a super sub but he can also start,” said ten Hag. “You have to credit a player like Scott. He is an example for many players these days.
“There are not many players any more who are ready for every minute they can be on the pitch. Today we have seen another example. He is always ready to come on and make a difference."
The very fact the midfielder had been brought on to replace Marcus Rashford had hinted at United being happy to settle for a point, after Douglas Luiz had cancelled out Hojlund’s opening goal.
An evenly-matched first half was broken open by Hojlund’s confident strike, although the opening goal owed as much to United defender Harry Maguire.
He repeatedly exploited his mis-match with marker Boubacar Kamara at corners and had threatened even before he rose to connect with Bruno Fernandes’s 17th minute flag kick.
His goalbound header dropped for the alert Hojlund who swung and converted with a clinical six-yard strike that gave Emiliano Martinez no chance in the Villa goal.
But the remainder of the best openings in the first period fell for Villa only for the hosts to find United’s defender well organised and the reactions of keeper Andre Onana nigh on unbeatable.
Four times in around six minutes midway through the half, Villa carved out strong chances, with Onana making two fine stops, the first when John McGinn launched a terrific shot from the edge of the area which the keeper turned away with a flying stop.
Then McGinn played a superb thorough ball to Ollie Watkins whose split-second hesitation allowed Onana the chance to make a well-timed block at his feet.
That United defence was unsettled at the interval when the injured Shaw had to be replaced by Victor Lindelof, with the visitors almost immediately paying for the enforced change.
An aimless punt upfield by Lindelof, playing out of position at left-back, was collected by Matty Cash and his cross to Watkins ended with a shot directly Onana who made another good “save,” this time without realising much about it.
It was the start of an entertaining second half, with the ball flowing end to end, although Villa looked the more threatening, especially with Leon Bailey torturing Lindelof down the right.
Bailey almost played in Jacob Ramsey on 59 minutes, with his team-mate just failing to control the ball, and the pair combined moments later, with Ramsey’s shot being cleared off the line by Dalot.
The equaliser was coming and duly arrived on 66 minutes after a ferocious passage of play following a corner, sparked when Onana blocked Clement Lenglet’s effort on his line.
Raphael Varane hooked the ball away, but only as far as Bailey whose driven ball was turned in from six yards by Luiz.
Villa Park was electrified by the goal, although Alejandro Garnacho almost had the perfect response when he rolled his right-footed shot just wide soon after, and Enery’s decision to replace the lively Bailey was strange.
Luiz should still have sent the home crowd into ecstasy on 77 minutes but his shot was straight at Onana while Moussa Diaby curled a great chance wide as his formerly high-flying team recorded a third straight home defeat.
“Manchester United are more of a contender to be where we are than us and we have a gap to them,” said Emery.
“We have to be strong in the mind and not lose our focus and focus on how we are trying to build the team and be stronger. The performance today was how we are trying to build.”
Martinez 6; Cash 6, Carlos 5, Lenglet 6, Moreno 6 (Digne 87); Kamara 5 (Diaby 65, 7), Luiz 7; Bailey 8 (Tielemans 73, 6), J Ramsey 7, McGinn 7 (Zaniolo 87); Watkins 5. Substitutes (not used) Digne, Torres, Zaniolo, Olsen, Rogers, Kesler-Hayden, Iroegbunam.
Onana 7; Dalot 8, Maguire 7, Varane 6, Shaw 7 (Lindelof 45, 4); Casemiro 5, Mainoo 7 (Amrabat 90); Garnacho 6, Fernandes 6, Rashford 6 (McTominay 73, 5); Hojlund 7 (Evans 90). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Eriksen, Diallo, Antony, Forson.
: R Jones 7
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