Erik ten Hag: “The atmosphere changed a lot from the first half to the second,,” says United’s manager in an interview with Amazon Prime. “But if you look at the first half you are losing because of two set plays, in moments where we were not so focused. I think already in the first half we played quite well, and kept trying and trying.
“At half-time I said to the team to ‘keep believing and keep doing what we did, actually do even more’. We needed to put more and more pressure on. At 1-2 when we added pressure you see what happened.”
Rasmus Hojlund and Federico Macheda both scored their first Premier League goals as the winner in a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa for a Man Utd team including Jonny Evans.
— Richard Jolly 🇺🇦 (@RichJolly) December 26, 2023
Rasmus Hojlund speaks: “It has been a while [his first Premier League goal] but I am very happy,” he tells Amazon Prime. “I am the happiest man alive right now. You can see from the celebrations as well. Like [Alejandro Garnacho] said we believed in ourselves until the very end and got the win today.
“As the manager has said, before I have scored a few goals in the Champions League but of course it has been a while in the Premier League before scoring. Now I have got it and I hope I can just build on that and keep going.”
Match report: Manchester United 3-2 Aston Villa
Premier League: Alejandro Garnacho scored a brace and Rasmus Hojlund finally got off the mark in the Premier League, as Manchester United overturned a two-goal half-time deficit to beat Aston Villa. Jamie Jackson reports from Old Trafford …
A quick recap: United went behind when a John McGinn free-kick from the touchline was allowed to bounce in their six-yard box before sailing past Andre Onana. Villa doubled their lead, taking advantage of some awful marking when Leander Dendoncker flicked home Clement Lenglet’s header.
It was one-way traffic in the second half, when United finally got their act together. Alejandro Garnacho restored parity with a fine brace, before Rasmus Hojlund sealed the win with a first Premier League goal that’s been a long time coming.
• This post was amended on 27 December 2023 to correct the picture caption, which had earlier misidentified Rasmus Højlund as Alejandro Garnacho.
Updated
Full-time: Manchester United 3-2 Aston Villa
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at Old Trafford, where United have come back from a two-goal half-time deficit to win 3-2 against Aston Villa. It was a cracking game of football and United were well worth their win despite a woeful first half performance.
90+9 min: Zaniolo fouls Dalot deep in United territory and the United defender goes down “injured” in a bid to waste a few more seconds.
90+7 min: Villa continue to plug away but are struggling to get within striking distance of the United goal. They’ve been comprehensively outplayed in this second half. Hannibal wins a precious and timely free-kick for United deep in Villa territory, drawing a foul from Iroegbunam.
Updated
90+4 min: Manchester United double-substitution: Dan Gore and Hannibal replace Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho.
90+3 min: Garnacho goes down injured, suffering from cramp. Emi Martinez helps him with his stretches.
90 min: The referee’s assistant raises the board, signalling nine minutes of added time.
88 min: I wouldn’t have given Manchester United a snowball’s chance in hell of getting back into this game, so they deserve immense credit for turning things around in this second half. They make a substitution, with Rasmus Hojlund making way for Willy Kambwala. It’s time to shut up shop.
86 min: Villa double-substitution: Tim Iroegbunam and Jhon Duran come on for John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker.
84 min: That was a lovely finish from Hojlund, who had played over 1,000 minutes of Premier League football without troubling the scoreboard operators. His effort was curled and went in off the post, prompting wild celebrations from the player himself and the occupants of the Stretford End who had the best view of his goal.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-2 Aston Villa (Hojlund 82)
United take the lead! Rasmus Hojlund scores his first Premier League goal, swivelling to hook the ball home at a corner after it had hit McGinn’s knee and sat up kindly for him. To say the young Dane is delighted would be quite the understatement.
Updated
80 min: Manchester United double-substitution: Antony and Scott McTominay replace Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo.
78 min: Villa enjoy a rare period of sustained possession in this second half, earning themselves some momentary respite from the United onslaught.
76 min: Aston Villa double-substitution: Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo replace Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey.
73 min: John McGinn is denied by a Jonny Evans block on the the United line, although the veteran defender didn’t seem to know a great deal about his crucial intervention.
Moments later, Bruno Fernades is booked for an act of petulance, which prompts him to go into a rage with the referee. He’s looking to avoid a second yellow for dissent and should know better, considering what happend Diogo Dalot' in the closing moments of United’s game against Liverpool.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-2 Aston Villa (Garnacho 71)
United are level! Garnacho fires home with his left foot, his shot taking a wicked deflection off Diego Carlos after the ball had broken his way in the Villa penalty area.
Updated
70 min: Ezri Konsa dispossesses Marcus Rashford as the United winger tries to cut inside from the left and square the ball. Konsa is playing out of position at right-back today and doing a decent job.
68 min: They’re trailing on the scoreboard but Manchester United are playing pretty well. Old Trafford is rocking and Villa are currently clinging on with a little over 20 minutes to go.
66 min: Hojlund is bundled over in the Villa penalty area by Diego Carlos as he runs on to a pass from deep. United appeal for a penalty but none is forthcoming. Hojlund was – you’ve guessed it – offside as he began his run.
62 min: Garnacho takes on and beats Moreno after controlling a long pin-point punt from Onana. Cutting in from the right, he shoots harmlessly wide of the far post instead of squaring the ball for Rasmus Hojlund.
60 min: Villa go close, but Onana shifts his weight to get down quickly and get a strong left hand behind the ball to stop Leon Bailey’s header from crossing the line. The Villa midfielder had got on the end of an excellent cross from Alex Moreno.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-2 Aston Villa (Garnacho 59)
There it is! Fernandes played a wonderfully weighted pass down the inside left, Rashford squared it and Alejandro Garnacho slotted home into the bottom corner. The ball struck Martinez’s foot on its way in but he was unable to keep it out.
Updated
57 min: United have certainly upped their game in this second half and could rescue something if they can end their goal drought. They’re knocking on the door but remain two down.
55 min: Martinez charges out of his penalty area to contest a Fernades ball over the top for Rashford and cleans out the United winger. Did he get the ball first? He certainly did and it was there to be won in a 50-50 chase. That’s good, decisive goalkeeping from the World Cup-winner.
Updated
54 min: It’s worth noting that in the build-up to that non-goal, Marcus Rashford could almost certainly have gone it alone as United broke upfield in numbers. Between him and Garnacho, they made a dog’s breakfast of what was an otherwise excellent counter-attack.
52 min: Lucas Digne did himself a mischief in trying to prevent Garnachjo’s strike going into the back of the Villa net and has been helped off the pitch by a couple of his team’s medical staff. He’s replaced by Alex Moreno.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Garnacho was offside!
Of course he was! He was fractionally ahead of Rashford when the ball was played his way and the goal is chalked off by the Stockley Park curtain-twitchers. Their decision is correct and what will frustrate Erik ten Hag is that Garnacho had no need to be offside.
Updated
GOAL! Manchester United 1-2 Aston Villa (Garnacho 48)
United pull one back! Alejandro Garnacho rounds off a superb United counter-attack, smashing the ball home after rounding Martinez, having run on to a pass from Rashford. Was he onside? The VAR Check is ongoing.
Updated
47 min: Lucas Digne sends a cross into the United penalty area and facing his own goal, Varane hooks the ball clear before it makes it's way to Ollie Watkins at the far post. That’s a crucial intervention.
Second half: Manchester United 0-2 Aston Villa
46 min: Play resumes, with no changes in personnel on either side. Almost immediately, Diogo Dalot is penalised for clattering into the back of Leon Bailey. It’s a free-kick for Villa in the centre-circle.
Fun fact: In a testament to Aston Villa’s defensive discipline, Manchester United were caught offside six times in that first half. Six!
Half-time: Manchester United 0-2 Aston Villa
Peep! Peep! Peep! Craig Pawson’s half-time whistle is greeted by a chorus of boos from the stands as Manchester United’s players troop off for their half-time rollocking two goals down.
John McGinn opened the scoring for Villa with a whipped free-kick from the touchline that bounced on its way straight past Andre Onana, before Clement Lenglet was given the freedom of Old Trafford to tee up Leander Dendoncker for Villa’s second at a corner.
United haven’t scored a goal in over seven hours of football but need a minimum of two to rescue anything from this game.
45+3 min: Bruno Fernades is penalised for offside – and he’s well offside – as United try to work the ball into the Villa penalty area from a free-kick.
45 min: “It’s a strange feeling, but watching Man Utd at the moment – certainly for that first goal – is actually quite embarrassing,” writes Gareth Wilson. “The way they were worked over, and worked out, by that free kick was like watching kids play against slightly older kids. You just feel sorry for them. And the defending for the second goal? Wow.”
Does anyone actually feel sorry for them? Most people without a dog in the fight find their current woes extremely funny, apart from their own fans … who aren’t so much sympathetic as downright furious with this shower of underperforming divas.
44 min: Fernades plays a long diagonal towards Rashford, who takes on and beats Ezri Konsa. Cutting inside, he shifts the ball on to his left foot and then spanks it wide of the near upright.
Man Utd look in dire need of some asthma inhalers, skin creams, bespoke pillows, maybe even a Triamcinolone shot or some TUE-cleared prednisolone. And obviously some marginal gains. Where on earth are they gonna find that?
— Nick Harris (@sportingintel) December 26, 2023
40 min: Marcus Rashford is penalised for offside after running on to a ball in behind down the inside left channel from Christian Eriksen.
Another example of Man United conceding multiple goals in short spells. Two in five minutes tonight. Two in six minutes against West Ham. Two in five minutes against Bournemouth. And that's just this month.
— Rob Dawson (@RobDawsonESPN) December 26, 2023
35 min: Possibly motivated by the possibility of outright revolt in the stands of Old Trafford, Manchester United’s players appear to have realised this isn’t actually fever dream and is actually happening in real life. Hojlund eschews a chance to volley a ball dinked his way goalwards first time but tees up Rashford instead. His low drive is saved comfortably by Martinez.
34 min: Congratulations to Manchester United, who have just celebrated their 700th minute of gadding about to little or no effect on the football pitch without scoring a goal.
33 min: Alejandro Garnacho receives a fine pass from Fernandes drills the ball low and hard across the face of the Villa six-yard box. Trying to sneak in behind Diego Carlos, Hojlund is unable to get in position to tap it home.
31 min: A bit better from United, with Rashford latching on to a pass across the fac e of the Villa penalty area before unleash a shot. It’s low and hard but doesn’t trouble Emi Martinez unduly.
28 min: If, as the report I posted earlier on this report suggested, Sir Jim Ratcliffe really is planning on relieving up to 300 Manchester United staff of their duties once he gets his feet under the table, one imagines whoever was supposed to be marking Leander Dendoncker at that corner will find themselves near the top of his list. The names Antony, Anthony Martial, Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho may also feature prominently.
GOAL! Manchester United 0-2 Aston Villa (Dendoncker 26)
Villa double their lead! Completely unmarked at the far post, Clement Lenglet heads a John McGinn corner back across the face of goal. Leander Dendoncker volleys the ball past Onana with a neat flick.
Updated
VAR: The goal survives a VAR check for an offside and it’s been awarded to John McGinn. Hats off to Leon Bailey, who stood directly behind Andre Onana in the build-up to the free-kick being taken, before darting back into an onside position as McGinn shaped to begin his run-up to strike the ball. He may well have messed with the United goalkeeper’s mind.
GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa (McGinn 22)
Villa lead! John McGinn curls the free-kick in from the right touchline and it bounces in the six-yard box before fizzing past Andre Onana. I’m not sure anyone else got a touch!
Updated
20 min: Leander Dendoncker drops to the ground in as series of instalments, holding his chest and screaming in agony after being subjected to what looked a very slight nudge in the back by Bruno Fernandes. Free-kick for Villa, wide on the right.
19 min: Jacob Ramsey crosses the ball into the Manchester United penalty area, where Rapahale Varane hacks it clear with a minimum of fuss or finesse.
18 min: Marcus Rashford is played in behind by a ball over the top. It bounces in front of him and is headed clear by Emi Martinez, who had rushed out of his area to avert the danger.
17 min: An attempted cross from Lucas Digne goes out for a Villa corner off Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Douglas Luiz’s inswinger is poor and easily headed away by Eriksen.
15 min: Manchester United break upfield and Alejandro Garnacho plays the ball inside from the right to Christian Eriksen. Instead of taking a shot from 20 yards out, he tries to help it along the line to Marcus Rashford but miscues. A promising attack breaks down.
12 min: McGinn is penalised for a foul on Bruno Fernandes and United send Marcus Rashford on his way up the left wing. He runs into traffic as he tries to cut inside and loses possession.
11 min: A knockdown sits up nicely for Christian Eriksen just outside the Villa penalty area. He strikes it sweetly enough but his effort is right down the throat of Emi Martinez.
10 min: McGinn gives the ball away in midfield and Hojliund saets off towards the Villa penalty area. Clement Lenglet stands his ground and the young Dane is unable to get past him.
8 min: John Mcginn wins the first corner of the game for Villa. He takes it himself, sending the ball into the penalty area in front of the Stretford End. United clear at the near post.
7 min: It’s been a scrappy start, with plenty of throw-ins punctuating the play. The game has yet to find its rhythm and there have been no chances of any kind for either team so far.
Updated
5 min: The ball’s played from deep for Ollie Watkins to chase but the Villa striker fails to prevent it from going out for a goal-kick.
3 min: Manchester United throw-in, deep inside their own half. Aaron Wan-Bissaka takes it and Villa steal possession. Leon Bailey tries to send in a cross from the right but it’s blocked. The ball ends up in the clutches of Onana.
2 min: An early cross from the left into the VIlla box is headed onwards across the face of goal by Rasmus Hojlund. He’s immediately flagged for offside.
Manchester United v Aston Villa is go ...
1 min: Manchester United get the ball rolling in the last of today’s Boxing Day fixtures. It’s played back to Andre Onana, who immediately boots it upfield.
Not long now: Led by their captains Bruno Fernandes and John McGinn, the players of both teams make their way out on to the Old Trafford sward. They line up either side of Craig Pawson and his team of match officials for the last of the pre-match formalities ahead of kick off, which is just a couple of minutes away.
Erik ten Hag: “In every game, they have to step up,” said the Manchester United of his players in the buildd-up to this game. “I said the word two or three times now: the players have to take responsibility. I have to take responsibility and the players have to take responsibility.
“Maybe in moments you expect from the seniors even more with young players around. But if you are good enough, you are also old enough. We have to do it together. It doesn’t matter what age it is. We have to put a team [out] who has to win the game.
“I am not disappointed by the attitude. But of course we know what the standard is at Manchester United and we have to win as a team. So I take the word responsibility. We have to take that as a team and every individual has to contribute 100% in that responsibility we have.”
Unai Emery: While you were stuffing your face with mince pies and booze yesterday, the Grinchy Aston Villa boss and his players were concentrating on their final preparations for tonight’s match.
“The main thing for me and the most important thing is to prepare the best as possible the match,” said Emery upon asked how he’d be spending Christmas Day. “I am going to enjoy Christmas after the match on Tuesday, or even after the match against Burnley because when we are playing matches, the most important thing is to prepare and try to focus.
“We are happy and I am proud of our work, but I want to finish on Tuesday trying to face Manchester United about being in this moment better than them in the table. They are contenders to be in the top seven or the top four more than us. This is a good match for how we can face them, how we are with them until the day 19 how we are facing the teams we are competing with to be there.”
Updated
Those teams: Manchester United have made four changes to the team that lost against West Ham last time out. Diogo Dalot returns from suspension and lines up at left-back in place of Luke Shaw, who is injured. Raphael Varane returns from illness in place of Willy Kambala, whilie Antony is dropped to the bench, with Marcus Rashford coming in as United look for their first goal in four games. Christian Eriksen starts for the first time since getting injured in mid-November and replaces Scott McTominay in midfield.
Unai Emery makes two changes from the VIlla side that drew with Sheffield United. Diego Carlos comes in at centre-back, with Ezri Konsa likely to move to right-back as cover for the suspended Matty Cash. Leander Dendoncker starts in midfield, in place of Moussa Diaby.
Manchester United v Aston Villa line-ups
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Evans, Varane, Dalot, Mainoo, Eriksen, Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Reguilon, Antony, Pellistri, van de Beek, McTominay, Gore, Mejbri, Kambwala.
Aston Villa: Martinez, Konsa, Diego Carlos, Lenglet, Digne, Bailey, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey, Dendoncker, Watkins.
Subs: Torres, Alex Moreno, Chambers, Diaby, Zaniolo, Duran, Marschall, Iroegbunam, Proctor.
Tonight's match officials
Referee: Craig Pawson
Referee’s assistants: Richard West and Steve Meredith
Fourth official: Rob Jones
Video Assistant: Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant VAR: Harry Lennard
Early team news
Diogo Dalot returns from suspension, but with Amad Diallo, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Tyrell Malacia all injured, Erik ten Hag will be hoping that the virus which ruled both Raphael Varane and Antony Martial out of his side’s defeat at West Ham has done its worst. Rasmus Hojlund was also reported to be suffering from illness and was forced off after 57 minutes of ineffective huffing and puffing at the London Stadium.
The United’s striker came in for some criticism on the back of his ineffective performance but barely got a touch of the ball during the hour he spent on the field. Jadon Sancho, who has not kicked a ball in competition for United since August, remains in his manager’s bad books and won’t feature tonight.
Villa right-back Matty Cash has to sit this one out after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Sheffield United and joins Boubacar Kamara on the Naughty Step. The French midfielder is serving the second game of the ban he picked up for his small role in the pantomime brawl initiated by his team-mate Emi Martinez towards the end of Villa’s recent win over Brentford. The fitness of Pau Torres is also in doubt, while Unai Emery is also without Emi Buendia, Tyrone Mings, Bertrand Traore and Youri Tielemans remain out.
Premier League: Manchester United v Aston Villa
Manchester United fans enjoyed some long overdue festive cheer on Christmas Eve when it was confirmed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe had finally completed a deal to buy a 25% minority stake in their club.
Quite how the British billionaire’s investment will pan out remains to be seen but it means he and his staff are now in control of football operations in the club and will surely be hard pushed to make a bigger mess of them than those currently in charge.
Or will they? As somebody who takes a keen reasonably keen interest in professional bike-racing, the news that Sir David Brailsford is likely to be given a major say in how things are run at Old Trafford would be a major source of concern if I was a United fan. Other opinions are, of course, available but expect any “gains” made by the players to be of the famously “marginal” variety that Dave loves so much.
Having posted their worth set of pre-Christmas results since 1931, United come into this game on the back of a humbling defeat at the hands of West Ham at the London Stadium. In third place in the title race, their visitors failed to win at home in the league for the first time in 16 games last time out. Indeed, they were lucky to escape with a draw against Sheffield United courtesy of a late, late Nicolo Zaniolo equaliser in added time.
Both sides will be eager to get back to winning ways under the Tuesday night lights at Old Trafford in a Boxing Day fixture that kicks off at 8pm (GMT).
