Rasmus Hojlund fires United back to winning ways as the Red Devils claims all all 3points at Old Trafford 

Rasmus Hojlund fires United back to winning ways as the Red Devils claims all all 3points at Old Trafford

Rasmus Hojlund joined Manchester United for £64m last summer, a fee which could rise to £72m with add-ons

Rasmus Hojlund scored his first Premier League goal as Manchester United fought back from two goals down to record a sensational victory in a thrilling Boxing Day encounter with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

 

 

In United’s first game since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% purchase of the club, and with future director and current Ineos head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford in the directors’ box, Erik ten Hag’s side produced one of those ‘back-from-the-dead’ endings for which they are so famed.

 

After John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker had given Villa a deserved half-time advantage, United rallied after the interval and refused to let their heads drop even after Alejandro Garnacho had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside decision.

 

It was the 19-year-old Argentine who led the fightback, scoring twice in a game for the first time in his career to turn the game on its head.

 

 

Villa did their best to stem the wave of home attacks.

 

But, just as Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest discovered here in August, United retain some of the old doggedness from the Sir Alex Ferguson days.

 

And, for the home fans at least, there could be no more fitting scorer than Hojlund, who reacted quickest and rammed the ball home after Bruno Fernandes’ corner had struck McGinn and bounced free inside a packed penalty area.

 

The relief for Hojlund and his team-mates was clear to see, with goalkeeper Andre Onana racing the full length of the pitch to join in the celebrations as Ten Hag bounced in delight, his fists clenched in evident celebration.

 

Garnacho turns the game on its head

Alejandro Garnacho celebrates scoring against Aston Villa

Alejandro Garnacho’s goals came in the 59th and 71st minute, cancelling out Villa’s two-goal lead

 

Brailsford made his name with the theory of ‘marginal gains’ which brought him such success on the cycling front.

 

Small events also make big differences in football. With the game at 2-2 and Old Trafford in a frenzy, Villa launched a counter.

 

McGinn collected possession and took aim inside the penalty area. The shot was goalbound but veteran central defender Jonny Evans – who would not even be playing without the huge run of injuries that has decimated Ten Hag’s squad and cost him the services of international duo Luke Shaw and Sofyan Amrabat from the squad beaten at West Ham at the weekend – stuck out his left leg and turned the ball away.

 

 

It allowed the hosts to maximise their profit from Garnacho’s double, securing a win that leaves them just three points behind Manchester City, albeit the new world champions have two games in hand.

 

In a team that has found it hard to score goals, Garnacho picked exactly the right time to locate his shooting boots.

 

The youngster’s pace and movement has been a problem for many defences this term. Tonight, he also had an end product.

 

The first was a relative tap-in as Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford combined, just as they had done for his disallowed goal, to set Garnacho up.

 

The second required more involvement, as Garnacho initially fed Fernandes, whose low cross bounced back to the winger, whose shot struck a defender and looped in.

 

From delight to despair for Villa

Aston Villa players react to conceding three goals in the second half

Aston Villa would have gone level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table with victory

Whilst Brailsford was looking down on proceedings from the top row of the directors’ box, sat alongside interim chief executive Patrick Stewart, Ten Hag seemed like a man on his own as that torrid first half unfolded, his hands stuffed in his coat pocket, the Dutchman seemingly incapable of doing anything to change his side’s miserable fortunes.

 

Just in front of Brailsford sat former United keeper Edwin van der Sar, thankfully making a positive recovery from his recent brain haemorrhage.

 

Van der Sar knows Ten Hag and Andre Onana well from his time as Ajax chief executive. He has huge faith in Onana’s abilities.

 

One can only wonder what he must have made of Villa’s opener as McGinn’s free-kick was allowed to bounced into the six-yard area and into the far corner, Onana rooted to his position and none of his defenders stepping in to clear.

 

Five minutes later, Villa profited from more abysmal defending as Clement Lenglet was allowed to run unmarked to the far post to head McGinn’s corner back into the danger area, where Dendoncker flicked home the visitors’ second.

 

The boos were audible – and were repeated at the half-time whistle as Ten Hag strode down the touchline, a now familiar scowl on his face.

 

By that point, Emiliano Martinez had saved twice from Rashford and also denied Hojlund.

 

As United chased a way back into the game, Martinez looked like a composed figure. His crunching tackle on Rashford to win the ball epitomised the effort Villa were putting in to secure a rare Old Trafford win that would have taken them second.

 

But it was another, younger, Argentine, who was to have the last laugh, with Hojlund supplying the key moment at the end to start paying back that £64m transfer fee that has hung like a noose round his neck since his summer move from Atalanta.

 

help How to play

Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.

 

Rating range key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection

 

Manchester United

Starting XI

Squad number24Player nameOnana

 

Squad number29Player nameWan-Bissaka

 

Squad number19Player nameVarane

 

Squad number35Player nameEvans

 

Squad number 20 Player name Diogo Dalot

Squad number37Player nameMainoo

 

Squad number14Player nameEriksen

 

Squad number17Player nameGarnacho

 

Squad number8Player nameBruno Fernandes

 

Squad number 10 Player name Rashford

Squad number11Player nameHøjlund

 

Substitutes

Squad number21Player nameAntony

 

Squad number 39 Player name McTominay

Squad number44Player nameGore

 

Squad number46Player nameMejbri

 

Squad number53Player nameKambwala

 

Aston Villa

Starting XI

Squad number1Player nameE Martínez

 

Squad number4Player nameKonsa

 

Squad number3Player nameDiego Carlos

 

Squad number17Player nameLenglet

 

Squad number12Player nameDigne

 

Squad number32Player nameDendoncker

 

Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz

 

Squad number31Player nameBailey

 

Squad number7Player nameMcGinn

 

Squad number41Player nameJ Ramsey

 

Squad number11Player nameWatkins

 

Substitutes

Squad number15Player nameÁlex Moreno

 

Squad number19Player nameDiaby

 

Squad number22Player nameZaniolo

 

Squad number24Player nameDurán

 

Squad number47Player nameIroegbunam

 

Line-ups

Man Utd

Formation 4-2-3-1

 

24Onana

29Wan-Bissaka

19Varane

35Evans

20Dalot

37Mainoo Substituted forMcTominayat 81’minutes

14Eriksen Substituted forGoreat 90+4’minutes

17Garnacho Substituted forMejbriat 90+5’minutes

8Bruno FernandesBooked at 73mins

10Rashford Substituted forAntonyat 80’minutes

11Højlund Substituted forKambwalaat 89’minutes

Substitutes

1Bayindir

15Reguilón

21Antony

28Pellistri

34van de Beek

39McTominay

44Gore

46Mejbri

53Kambwala

Aston Villa

Formation 4-2-3-1

 

1E Martínez

4KonsaBooked at 87mins

3Diego CarlosBooked at 74mins

17Lenglet

12Digne Substituted forMorenoat 50’minutes

32Dendoncker Substituted forIroegbunamat 86’minutes

6Douglas Luiz

31Bailey Substituted forZanioloat 77’minutes

7McGinn Substituted forDuránat 86’minutes

41J RamseyBooked at 45mins Substituted forDiabyat 77’minutes

11Watkins

Substitutes

14P Torres

15Moreno

16Chambers

19Diaby

22Zaniolo

24Durán

42Marschall

47Iroegbunam

78Proctor

Referee:

Craig Pawson

Attendance:

73,574

Match Stats

Live Text

Match ends, Manchester United 3, Aston Villa 2.

 

Second Half ends, Manchester United 3, Aston Villa 2.

 

Foul by Nicolò Zaniolo (Aston Villa).

 

Diogo Dalot (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

 

Foul by Tim Iroegbunam (Aston Villa).

 

Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

 

Foul by Jhon Durán (Aston Villa).

 

Daniel Gore (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

 

Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.

 

Foul by Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United).

 

Substitution, Manchester United. Hannibal Mejbri replaces Alejandro Garnacho.

 

Substitution, Manchester United. Daniel Gore replaces Christian Eriksen.

 

Tim Iroegbunam (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

 

Foul by Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United).

 

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

 

Delay in match because of an injury Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United).

 

Attempt blocked. Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by B

runo Fernandes.

 

Offside, Manchester United. Bruno Fernandes is caught offside.

 

Substitution, Manchester United. Willy Kambwala replaces Rasmus Højlund.

 

Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.