Unai Emery could not have asked for a better start to his Aston Villa tenure as he led his team to a historic 3-1 win over Manchester United at Villa Park on Sunday. It was Villa’s first home victory over United in the Premier League since 1995, and it came with a dominant performance that left the visitors stunned.
Villa took the lead in the seventh minute when Jacob Ramsey played a brilliant through ball to Leon Bailey, who fired past David de Gea with a powerful shot. Four minutes later, Villa doubled their advantage when Lucas Digne curled in a superb free-kick from the edge of the box into the top corner.
United looked shell-shocked by Villa’s intensity and creativity, and struggled to create any clear chances in the first half. Their only goal came from a fortunate deflection, as Luke Shaw’s strike hit Ramsey and looped over Emiliano Martinez just before the break.
Ramsey seals the deal with a fine finish
United’s hopes of a comeback were dashed early in the second half, when Villa restored their two-goal cushion with a well-worked goal. Ollie Watkins did well to hold off Victor Lindelof and cut the ball back to Ramsey, who slotted it home with a composed finish.
United tried to respond, but found Villa’s defence too resilient and organised. Erik ten Hag’s side lacked the cohesion and flair that had seen them go nine games unbeaten in all competitions. Cristiano Ronaldo, who captained the team, had a quiet game and was unable to inspire his teammates.
Villa, on the other hand, looked confident and comfortable under Emery’s guidance. The former Arsenal and PSG boss had only been appointed on Friday, but he seemed to have already instilled his philosophy and tactics into the players. Villa played with a high press, a fluid attack, and a solid backline, and deservedly earned the applause of the home fans at the final whistle.
What does this mean for the Premier League table?
The result means that Villa move up to 13th place in the Premier League table, with 24 points from 20 games. They are now only six points behind sixth-placed Tottenham, and have a game in hand. Emery will hope to build on this impressive win and guide Villa to a top-half finish.
United, meanwhile, remain in fifth place, with 36 points from 20 games. They are four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand, and 13 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have played two games more. Ten Hag will have to find a way to get his team back on track, as they face a tough run of fixtures, including a Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich.
