MANCHESTER UNITED'S season of mayhem and madness ended in a crazy flurry of red cards and red mist - as Aston Villa missed out on the Champions League in hugely controversial fashion.
2024/2025 Premier League
2-0
Match Report
Aston Villa's Champions League hopes crumbled as they had Emiliano Martinez sent off in a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United.
Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen were on target at Old Trafford, where Martinez was sent off at the end of the first half after he wiped out Rasmus Hojlund.
United took a deserved lead when Diallo headed home Bruno Fernandes' excellent left-wing centre in the 76th minute.
Eriksen, playing his last United game, added a second from the penalty spot as the beaten Europa League finalists signed off a poor domestic season with a win that sees them finish 15th.
Villa, though, will have to settle for sixth and a spot in the Europa League after defeat here meant they missed out on the top five despite Newcastle United’s loss to Everton.
Martinez made four saves in the opening 10 minutes alone and Diogo Dalot crashed the left-hand post.
But Martinez saw red when he bodychecked Hojlund following a poorly judged back pass from Matty Cash.
United continued to dominate after the break and Casemiro clipped the outside of the right post, before Morgan Rogers thought he had a legitimate goal ruled out when he appeared to beat Altay Bayindir to the ball – referee Thomas Bramall disagreed, though.
Shortly after, Diallo rose highest to meet Fernandes' pin-point cross at the back post and he then drew the foul inside the penalty area from Ian Maatsen, which Eriksen smashed down the middle to round out the win.
Rounding off our #PL campaign with a win #MUFC || #MUNAVL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 25, 2025
Data Debrief: Martinez red costly as Villa fail in Manchester again
It was a real rollercoaster first half for Martinez, who became the first goalkeeper since Alphonse Areola in November 2020 to make four saves in the first 10 minutes of a Premier League game.
But he later became the first Villa keeper to receive a top-flight red card since Brad Friedel in 2009, becoming the first goalie to make five saves and get sent off in the first half of a Premier League game since Opta started collecting such data in 2003-04.
Prior to this game, only Jordan Pickford (24) had been shown more yellow cards without being sent off than Martinez (23) in the Premier League among goalkeepers.
Villa's defeat was only their second out of the final 10 Premier League games but both losses occurred in Manchester.
For United, Fernandes assisted his 10th Premier League goal this season, marking the second time he has assisted 10-plus in a campaign (also 12 in 2020-21).
He is the sixth Manchester United player to assist 10+ goals in two or more seasons, along with Eric Cantona (four), David Beckham (four), Ryan Giggs (five), Wayne Rooney (five) and Nani (two).
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
4' Mount denied with a BIG save from Martínez
6' Martínez denies Bruno
8' Martínez denies Casemiro from range
10' Højlund blocks Mount’s shot on goal
12' Another chance goes just wide after Mount’s cross finds Amad
19' Mazraoui has injured himself
29' Dalot hits the post!
46' Red Card! E. Martinez sent off
48' Asensio is off
50' Højlund scores but it is ruled offside
51' So close from Bruno with a powerful effort from distance
54' Casemiro just clipped the post
56' Mainoo does brilliantly to win the ball in box but Højlund's touch isn't great
58' Chance on the break for Højlund but his shot is comfortably saved
67' Bruno's shot narrowly wide after brilliant play in the middle
75' Rogers intercepts Bayindir to score but called foul to cancel!
76' Bruno assists Amad Diallo to score a header! Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa
80' Yellow Card! Morgan Rogers booked
87' Eriksen converts the spot-kick!! Man Utd 2-0 Aston Villa
Line-ups
Man Utd XI: Casemiro, Lindelof, Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Mount, Mazraoui, Altay Bayındır, Amad Diallo Traore, Højlund, Patrick Dorgu, Ayden Heaven
Subs: Heaton, Evans, Eriksen, Dalot, Ugarte, Collyer, Mainoo, Tyler Fredricson, Chido Obi
Aston Villa XI: E. Martinez, McGinn, Asensio, Ollie Watkins, P. Torres, Kamara, Ngoyo, Matty Cash, Morgan Rogers, Amadou Onana, Maatsen
Subs: R. Olsen, Digne, Barkley, Mings, Tielemans, Bailey, Malen, Jacob Ramsey, Andrés García