Manchester United vs Aston Villa LIVE: FA Cup result, final score and reaction from third-round fixture tonight

All the action as the Red Devils and the Villains fight it out at Old Trafford for a place in the fourth round

Ralf Rangnick: 'Cristiano Ronaldo can make the difference'

Manchester United are a mess but that mess is through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Aston Villa should really be the ones progressing to play Middlesbrough on the balance of play at Old Trafford last night, as Steven Gerrard’s side continue to quietly impress and gradually improve under a newly-appointed manager who is having a tangible, positive effect on his players. The same cannot yet be said of United and Ralf Rangnick.

But courtesy of Scott McTominay’s early header, United march on and Rangnick picked up a valuable win after a week in which his interim spell in charge has threatened to unravel. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s temporary successor is still moulding this big, bloated squad into his image; still waiting for a statement performance, and on this evidence, there is still a long way to go too, but at least he has a little more breathing room.

A response was needed after last week’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Villa will leave feeling that they played just as well as their neighbours in the west Midlands, only with nothing to show for their efforts. From the moment they went behind to McTominay’s header to the final whistle, they were the better side and fed off a febrile atmosphere, which was only heightened by Gerrard’s presence in the away dugout. Yet for all their opportunities and contentiously disallowed Danny Ings equaliser, they were eliminated. Follow all the reaction below as Man United beat Aston Villa:

Man United vs Aston Villa

• United through to face Middlesbrough at home in fourth round
• Man United XI: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford, Cavani
• Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett, Luiz, McGinn, J Ramsey, Buendia, Ings, Watkins
• 7’ - Unmarked McTominay heads in early opener for United
• 52’ - Ings nets from close range but goal ruled out for foul in build-up
• 59’ - Watkins also sees strike ruled out after offside flag against Ings

[10 January 2022 21:33 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

78 mins: With Cavani’s substitution Fernandes is the furthest player forward for Man Utd. McGinn flicks a cross into the penalty area but Varane heads it clear easily enough. He tries to knock the ball up to Fernandes but Mings is on to it quickly and keeps up the pressure from Aston Villa.

[10 January 2022 21:30 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

75 mins: Chance! Huge chance for Man Utd to close out this game as Greenwood is played in behind Targett with a simple ball over the top. He carries the ball into the box and rolls it onto his left foot before sending a shot at goal. Martinez dives to his right and keeps it out but he fumbles the ball. Luckily for him Rashford has stopped his own run and can’t get to the ball before the Villa goalkeeper gets it back under control.

[10 January 2022 21:28 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

73 mins: Edinson Cavani is taken off by Ralf Rangnick and gets replaced with Donny van de Beek who receives a loud round of applause from the delighted Manchester United fans.

[10 January 2022 21:26 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

71 mins: There’s going to be a sending off soon. Dalot slides in behind on Targett. He wins the ball but cleans out the man in the process and gets booked too. United have picked up three yellows in the space of a few minutes and it could have been more.

Ollie Watkins gets on the end of an attempted clearance and curls a left-footed shot back at goal. It hits it well and causes De Gea to scramble across to get it out. He doesn’t get there in time but luckily for United the effort goes wide.

[10 January 2022 21:23 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

68 mins: The second half has been all Aston Villa. They firmly believe that they can get back into this game. The work the ball up the pitch and Ramsey darts inside from the left. He nutmegs Shaw but gets checked by the left-back and wins a free kick in a good area. Shaw is the latest Man Utd player to see a yellow card.

[10 January 2022 21:21 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

65 min: Yellow card for Fred! Things have been heating up in the middle of the pitch with tackles flying in left and right. The referee has been letting a few fouls go but Fred leaves a leg out for Douglas Luiz to trip over and is shown a card.

Rashford then goes sliding into a tackle on McGinn with his studs a litte high. He just gets to the ball and pokes it out for a throw in which stops him from joining Fred in the book.

[10 January 2022 21:19 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

62 mins: Cash sends a throw in over the head of Varane who misjudges the flight of the ball and allows Ings to get in behind him. He tries to get back in position as Ings feeds a square pass into the area but luckily for the centre-back Lindelof is covering and clears the danger.

[10 January 2022 21:16 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

59 mins: That’s not going to improve the mood! Villa have another goal disallowed. Some lovely passing in the middle of the pitch sees Buendia slip the ball through the Man Utd defence and play Ings in behind. He takes the ball into the box and flicks it over De Gea. Lindelof attempts to get back to clear the danger but misses the ball and Watkins arrives over his shoulder to tap it into the open net.

The celebrations have barely begun though before they’re cut short as the offside flag goes up against Danny Ings. At least this decision is a fairly obvious one.

[10 January 2022 21:13 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

56 mins: Manchester United have got very lucky there. The foul on Cavani was minimal in my opinion and probably wouldn’t have affected the goal in any case. The officials thought differently and Aston Villa find themselves behind again.

John McGinn throws himself into a heavy tackle and gives away a free kick. There’s a great deal of frustration on the faces of the Villa players now.

[10 January 2022 21:10 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa

53 mins: NO GOAL! VAR gets involved to check that the goal should stand and after taking an age to see if Watkins and Ings were onside as the ball comes across to them, referee Michael Oliver, is called over to the monitor to assess whether Jacob Ramsey fouled Edinson Cavani in the build-up. The referee judges that there is a foul there and the goal is chalked off.