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
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:
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Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
36 mins: Diogo Dalot is down for Man Utd and there’s a bit of blood on display. He’s taken off his boot and it looks as though there’s a cut just above the ankle. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is sent out to warm up but the physios have patched Dalot’s leg and it looks for the time being as though he’ll play on.
Douglas Luiz takes the corner for Villa and whips the ball in to Ings who heads it straight out of play.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
33 mins: Chance! Villa get to the byline down the right wing and whip a cross into the box. The ball comes over to Targett on the left side of the box, he heads it down to Ings who lays the ball off to Ramsey just outside the box. Ramsey sidefoots a shoot towards the bottom corner but the ball deflects off McTominay and goes achingly wide of the near post!
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
30 mins: Off the bar! United are becoming sloppy. Victor Lindelof switches off as he tries to control a clearance from Mings. His first touch is awful and knocks the ball into his own box. Watkins sprints past the centre-back and recovers the ball. He switches it onto his right-foot and whacks one at goal, striking the underside of the crossbar from close range!
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
27 mins: Save! Lovely interplay between Watkins and Buendia just outside the 18-yard box sees Buendia open up enough space for a shot from range. He hits it low and hard but De Gea leaps across to keep it out.
Fernandes shifts the ball through the middle of the pitch and drives towards the Villa box. He plays in Cavani who shoots from the right side of the area and forces Martinez into a sharp reactionary save from close range!
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
24 mins: Almost. Man Utd work the ball over to Greenwood on the right wing having no success down the left. Greenwood dribbles the ball at Targett and draws in the defender before shifting the ball around him and driving into the box. He weaves away from Konsa as well but is met by the covering Mings just as he lets fly on as shot that sails over the crossbar.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
21 mins: Fred slices another decent pass over the top to play Rashford in behind from the left. Martinez comes flying out of his penalty area to beat the United man to the ball and is forced to head it out of play after misjudging how close Rashford is to the ball.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
18 mins: Chance! Poor defending from Manchester United who allow John McGinn to run across the front edge of the box and blast a left-footed shot at David De Gea who parries the ball away with a decent save. Danny Ings tries to get to the rebound but he’s flagged offside and United are awarded a free kick.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
16 mins: Ollie Watkins brings the ball to the edge of United’s box before laying it off to Buendia. McTominay gets back and wins the ball with a well-timed tackle. Buendia makes a meal of the challenge and theatrically goes to gorund but the referee isn’t hoodwinked and he lets play go on with United flying forward on the counter.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
13 mins: Chance! Emiliano Buendia goes on a great solo run after picking up the ball in United’s half. He’s allowed to run past three or four Man Utd players before carrying the ball into the box and snatching at a shot across goal. It’s heading wide as Danny Ings slides towards the ball. A touch from the striker would turn it into the back of the net but he just can’t get to it!
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
11 mins: United have been good over these opening 10 minutes or so, They’ve made full use of the wide areas with Rashford and Greenwood and have moved the ball quickly.
Villa come close to an equaliser from a corner of their own but Victor Lindelof smuggles it wide at the back post.
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