Manchester United put in another top drawer home performance to beat Champions League qualifications rivals Aston Villa 3–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils were the better side in a relatively quiet opening 45 minutes, with Michael Carrick having opted to drop Benjamin Šeško to the bench in favor of recalling Amad Diallo, and broke open the game in the 53rd minute when Casemiro flicked Bruno Fernandes’s corner past Emi Martínez from an acute angle.
Villa responded quickly and leveled proceedings through Ross Barkley’s crisp left-foot drive, but United weren’t to be denied as Matheus Cunha raced in behind Ezri Konsa before placing his shot beyond the grasp of Martínez.
Fernandes was once again the architect of that goal in a performance that saw him earn his 15th and 16th assists of the 2025–26 Premier League season—and his 100th overall for the club—but had a watching brief as Šeško’s deflected effort wrong-footed Martínez to put the result beyond doubt.
The One Thing We Can’t Ignore
There was a time during the 2024–25 season when Casemiro’s Manchester United tenure looked like it would be coming to a swift end. “Leave the football before the football leaves you,” was the quote used by prominent Sky Sports pundit, and former Liverpool stalwart, Jamie Carragher.
At the time, that assessment didn’t appear to be too far wide of the mark. Casemiro was sluggish, completely off the pace and had mistake upon mistake in him. So it’s surreal to think that as he approaches the end of his contract—having already communicated that he’ll be leaving in the summer—that Casemiro is now one of Man Utd’s most important players.
He’s stabilized things for Carrick since he took interim charge, complementing the youthful Kobbie Mainoo perfectly to help his seamless reintegration into the first team. The veteran has also become a real goal threat—something he’s had the ability to impact from set pieces—and his meaningful contributions on the pitch have seen him become a real fan favorite.
One more year? United’s fans probably wouldn’t say no if he continues to perform at this level.
Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
GK: Senne Lammens—6.5: Barely called into action on what was a quiet afternoon at Old Trafford. Could do nothing to stop Barkley’s low drive.
RB: Diogo Dalot—7.3: Recalled to the starting lineup in place of Noussair Mazraoui and justified his selection with a good outing.
CB: Leny Yoro—7.7: Continues to mature on the job and is making far better decisions than he previously did. The switch to playing in a back four looks to have helped too.
CB: Harry Maguire—7.4: A hooking on the hour-mark for Ollie Watkins tells you all you need to know about Maguire’s handling of Villa’s lead marksman.
LB: Luke Shaw—7.4: There’s not been talk of a World Cup spot for Luke Shaw but you could argue he’s never been this consistent, in terms of performance level and fitness.
CM: Casemiro—7.7: Another game, another goal for the serial Champions League winner. Does he really need to leave this summer?
CM: Kobbie Mainoo—8.0: Got the better of Amadou Onana and Ross Barkley in the central midfield battle in what was another strong signal to England manager Thomas Tuchel.
RM: Amad Diallo—7.7: The Ivorian, restored to the starting lineup in place of Šeško, gave a generally good account of himself but lacked a goal threat.
AM: Bruno Fernandes (c)—8.9: Seems incapable of putting in a bad performance for United and was once again the standout. His brilliant pass for Cunha was his 16th assist of this Premier League season, breaking United’s club record previously held by David Beckham.
LM: Matheus Cunha—7.9: Superb finish took the game away from Aston Villa—the perfect tonic to a well-timed run that left Konsa chasing thin air.
ST: Bryan Mbeumo—6.5: Ran his socks off for 75 minutes but lacked the clinical end product that we’ve become accustomed to seeing.
SUB: Benjamin Šeško (75’ for Mbeumo)—7.0: Didn’t let his benching knock his confidence, bagging his ninth goal of what’s becoming an increasingly promising debut season.
SUB: Manuel Ugarte (90’ for Casemiro)—N/A
Subs not used: Altay Bayındır (GK), Ayden Heaven, Tyler Fletcher, Noussair Mazraoui, Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee, Tyrell Malacia.
Player of the Match: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Fernandes has long been recognized as Manchester United’s most important player. And if that fact was in any doubt prior to kickoff, the argument was quickly put to bed in the 71st minute when he rolled a picture-perfect pass into the path of Matheus Cunha, who bounded past Ezri Konsa before firing into the far corner.
- Dropped to the bench by Carrick, Šeško once again showed the kind of impact he can make late on in matches. United got 75 minutes out of the energetic Bryan Mbeumo before bringing on Šeško, who posed a completely different threat and occupied Villa’s center backs in a way Mbeumo couldn’t. Why start him when he can come on and polish games off?
- Harry Maguire has been touted for a recall to England’s World Cup squad and another solid outing should put in firmly in the thoughts of Thomas Tuchel. The 33-year-old has all the experience in the world—some of it good, some of it bad—but very rarely makes an individual mistake and is always there when required.
The Numbers That Explain Man Utd’s Big Win
- United were the better team throughout the game, yet their 1.07 xG shows how clinical they were in front of goal. Casemiro’s flicked header was particularly impressive, as was Cunha’s low finish into Martínez’s bottom corner.
- Just two shots on target highlights how ineffective Aston Villa were in the final third. Barring a 10-minute spell in the second half when Unai Emery’s side showed a bit of life, they were very uninspiring and lacked the cutting edge needed to unlock United’s defence.
- five fouls from Emery’s charges illustrates how difficult they found getting close to Fernandes in particular—the Portuguese was often given far too much time and space to decide what to do next.
| Statistic | Man Utd | Aston Villa |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 53% | 47% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 1.07 | 1.02 |
| Total Shots | 16 | 9 |
| Shots on Target | 6 | 2 |
| Big Chances | 3 | 3 |
| Passing Accuracy | 85% | 85% |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | 5 |
| Corners | 6 | 6 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa: Fernandes Makes Red Devils History.
