Late McTominay header earns vital win as Man Utd beat Aston Villa 2-1: Player ratings

An impressive victory for Manchester United at Villa Park was cemented by a header from Scott McTominay in the 86th minute on Sunday.

In the opening half, Manchester United took the lead thanks to an impressive performance from the in-form player, Rasmus Hojlund. However, this was followed by sustained pressure from the opposition, which eventually saw Douglas Luiz equalize the score at 1-1.

Missed opportunities to secure the win by both teams were eventually topped by McTominay's stunning clincher off the bench which sealed the game.

This victory enables Manchester United to close the gap on the top four places to just six points, after securing three consecutive Premier League wins.

Early on, Manchester United posed a significant threat to Villa's defence with their high-pressing and speedy counter-attacks. This pressure almost led to a score in the 11th minute when Bruno Fernandes intercepted possession just outside of Villa's box and expertly passed the ball to Hojlund. However, Hojlund's effort steered off mark from the inside area.

Just five minutes later, the Danish striker found the net, courtesy of a strategically placed corner kick from Fernandes, which Hojlund volleyed to score with ease.

Despite dramatic saves by Andre Onana against attempts from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa managed to regain some control in the game.

In the second half, due to an injury that caused Luke Shaw to be replaced by Victor Lindelof, defensive stability for Manchester United faltered slightly. Despite this, they managed to limit Villa to merely three shots on target, even with Villa maintaining 60% ball possession.

Furthermore, persistent pestering by Villa, especially in the initial 20 minutes of the second half, eventually led to an equalizer by Douglas Luiz. This came after substitute Moussa Diaby composedly directed the ball towards Luiz in the aftermath of a set piece, enabling a close-range tap-in.

Manchester United almost regained the lead soon after when Alejandro Garnacho dodged two Villa players and took a curling shot at goal, which unfortunately drifted marginally wide of the post.

In the 86th minute, the match-winning goal was scored by substitute McTominay, who connected with a fantastic cross from Dalot to head the ball from 10 yards out.

Despite consistent performances from each player in the team, Manchester United's performance was particularly notable. Their victory can be accredited to a combination of individual efforts like that from McTominay and a general team performance throughout the match.