Manchester United 1-0 Aston Villa: Fernandes' Strike Clinches Three Points for Red Devils at Old Trafford

Manchester United's 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford this afternoon helped the Red Devils in their pursuit of Champions League football.

Over the course of the first half, the game was largely dominated by Man United as their relentless pressing in the middle of the park and final third allowed Rashford to go through on goal and, despite having his shot saved by Emiliano Martinez, was able to be finished off by Bruno Fernandes to give Man United the lead.

Although the second half proved to be very different, as Aston Villa played with much more confidence and positivity to their game and came close to levelling the score through Jacob Ramsey, had it not been for Victor Lindelof's crucial block. Positivity sparked more positivity for the visitor's as Ollie Watkins was able to create a brilliant goalscoring opportunity for Douglas Luiz, but met the same fate as Ramsey as his effort was blocked by Lindelof, this time off the line.

The travelling side put up a fight but ultimately, it was the hosts who came away with all three points.

Story of the Match:

Man United made just two changes from their draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, with Tyrell Malacia being brought in for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in defence, meaning that Diogo Dalot could revert to his more comfortable position at right back. Marcel Sabitzer was the other change made as he came in for Antony in the midfield, which pushed Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes to the right and left wings.

Unai Emery's side was unchanged from the one that won against Fulham on Tuesday as they continue their pursuit for European football for the first time in over a decade. This marks the fourth consecutive game where Aston Villa gave gone unchanged in their lineup.

The opening ten minutes began to show that both teams were looking to press high up the pitch in order to win the ball in dangerous situations, and this approach produced a chance for the hosts. Casemiro won the ball and sent Rashford one on one with Martinez, but the play was called back for a foul and Rashford missed the shot.

In the early stages of the game, Man United appeared to be the dominant team, exhibiting their attacking prowess through their creation of several goal-scoring opportunities, while Unai Emery's side struggled to maintain possession and mount a significant offensive threat.

Alex Moreno had the first promising chance for Aston Villa when the ball landed inside the box and he attempted a volley, but De Gea made a crucial save to deny the visitors an early lead.

After some impressive play by Sancho on the left flank, Casemiro was set up with a prime scoring opportunity. However, despite his best efforts, the Brazilian midfielder struck the ball against the crossbar, leaving the hosts to rue the missed chance as it remained the best opportunity of the game for them up to that point.

The hosts open the scoring

After a sustained period of pressure, Man United finally broke the deadlock with a goal from Bruno Fernandes. Rashford initiated the attack with a driven shot from outside the box, which was deflected by the goalkeeper, causing Martinez to scramble in an attempt to make the save. However, Fernandes displayed his sharpness and alertness by pouncing on the rebound and slotting the ball into the back of the net, therefore registering his 100th career goal and giving the hosts a crucial advantage in the match.

The opening minutes of the second half were end-to-end, but Aston Villa proved to have the best chance as a spectacular move from the visitors was nearly finished by Jacob Ramsey, if not for Victor Lindelof's crucial block. Villa had begun to play with more positivity, as opposed to their cautious approach in the first half.

Rashford was able to demonstrate his attacking threat once again as he made a skillful run down the left flank and drew a challenge from Callum Chambers, with the home fans loudly appealing for a penalty. However, after a thorough review by the VAR, the decision was made not to award a penalty to the hosts.

Shortly thereafter, the ball found its way to Casemiro, who was positioned on the edge of the box. Despite being on his weaker foot, the Brazilian midfielder struck the ball and almost caught Martinez off-guard, but the shot ultimately missed the target, leaving United still in search of their second goal.

The first substitutions of the game occurred with 15 minutes left of play, as both teams decided to make changes. Lucas Digne and Jhon Duran replaced Moreno and Emiliano Buendia for Aston Villa in an attempt to add some fresh impetus to their attack, whilst Fred and Antony replaced Christian Eriksen and Sancho for Man United.

As the clock ticked towards the end of the second half, Man United found themselves under pressure as Aston Villa's Watkins made a dangerous run down the left flank. The resulting cross into the box was partially cleared, only to land at the feet of Douglas Luiz, whose powerful shot was on course to find the back of the net. However, with sheer determination and composure, Man United's Lindelof cleared the ball off the goal line, showcasing exceptional defensive skills and preventing the visitors from finding the equaliser they so desperately sought after.

Ten Hag opted for more substitutions in order to see the game out for his side, as Rashford and Sabitzer were replaced by Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire, as it looked as if Man United were changing to a more defensive approach in the closing minutes.

Even despite the 4 minutes injury time, Aston Villa were not able to level the scoring and it was Man United who took all 3 points and increased pressure on Spurs below them in the Champions League race.