Man Utd 3-1 Aston Villa: Casemiro, Cunha & Sesko fire Utd to vital top-four win

Game is over and the final score is Man Utd 3-1 Aston Villa. Here is the match report.

Match Report

Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to score another late goal for Manchester United, who boosted their top-four chances with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa.

Only goal difference separated the teams in the Premier League table ahead of kick-off at Old Trafford, but Matheus Cunha and Sesko ensured that gap stretched to three points.

United were on top in the first half, with Amad Diallo's header pushed away by Emiliano Martinez before Diogo Dalot blazed a golden opportunity over the crossbar.

It took until the 53rd minute for them to find the breakthrough, as Bruno Fernandes' corner was deftly guided in off the far post by Casemiro, who had ghosted through Villa's defence.

Ross Barkley – on his 200th Premier League start – pulled the visitors back level 11 minutes later, bending his strike into the bottom-right corner, with an offside Amadou Onana swerving out of the way in time.

But Villa could not build any momentum, and a blistering counter-attack was finished off when Cunha guided Fernandes' lovely throughball past Martinez 71 minutes in.

Substitute Sesko was then in the right place to pounce on Lamare Bogarde's attempted clearance, and he spun in the box to fire his shot on goal, with a big deflection off Tyrone Mings helping it into the net.

Data Debrief: Fernandes stars to reach century

Though he did not get his name on the scoresheet, Fernandes once more played a starring role for United.

He got two assists, taking his tally to 16 in the Premier League this term, overtaking David Beckham's record (15 in 1999-00) as the most for the Red Devils in a single campaign in the competition.

But it was also his 100th in all competitions for United, making him the fourth player to reach a century of assists for the club in the Premier League era, after Ryan Giggs (249), Wayne Rooney (127) and Beckham (115).

Michael Carrick, meanwhile, has earned 22 points in nine Premier League games (W7 D1 L1), more than any other side since he started (January 17), while Villa have lost three consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since February 2023.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

9' Foul from Casemiro

22' Martínez with a brilliant save to deny Amad

34' Crossing from Casemiro

38' Dalot misses a HUGE chance

42' Fernandes shoots just wide!

48' Amad fires over

51' Cuhna's shot wide out

53' GOAL! Casemiro attacks that ball in the box! Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa

63' HUGE clearance from Dalot

64' Aston Villa equalise through Barkley! Man Utd 1-1 Aston Villa

71' GOAL! Bruno breaks assist record! Man Utd 2-1 Aston Villa (Matheus Cunha)

81' GOAL! Man Utd 3-1 Aston Villa (Benjamin Sesko)

Line-ups

Man Utd XI: Casemiro, Maguire, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens, Amad Diallo Traore, Mainoo, Yoro

Subs: Mount, Mazraoui, Altay Bayındır, Ugarte, Malacia, Zirkzee, Benjamin Sesko, Ayden Heaven, Tyler Fletcher

Aston Villa XI: E. Martinez, Digne, Barkley, McGinn, Mings, Ollie Watkins, Buendia, Ngoyo, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana, Lamare Bogarde

Subs: Lindelof, Marco Bizot, Abraham, Bailey, P. Torres, Douglas Luiz, Elliott, Maatsen, Andrés García