Manchester United 0-1 Aston Villa: Premier League Player Ratings

Let’s take a look at the Player Ratings from the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

Kortney Hause’s late header sealed Aston Villa a shock 1-0 win at Manchester United during an action-packed affair.

Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s predictable line-up, nothing could sway the cracking atmosphere at Old Trafford. The fans were out in numbers again, eager to get to see Cristiano Ronaldo, and there was a sense of excitement every time he touched the ball.

Unfortunately, the first half didn’t go the way Ronaldo – or the fans – had hoped. The Portuguese ace had a very quiet opening 45 minutes upfront. Aston Villa’s valiant backline kept CR7 isolated and afforded United’s attackers very few opportunities to break the deadlock.

Just like at Chelsea midweek, Dean Smith’s side held their own at Old Trafford. United may have dominated possession, number of shots and passes, but it was Villa who had the better chances. They looked dangerous on the counter and should have taken a 16th-minute lead, only for Matty Cash to send his shot over the crossbar from over four yards out.

In the end, United had David de Gea to thank after the Spaniard cleared a straight shot from Ollie Watkins. It kept the scoreline goalless for the break from an otherwise evenly fought contest.

“That’s offside. He (Kortney Hause) has touched David [De Gea] as he heads the ball.” – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Does Ole have a point? 🤔 #MUNAVL pic.twitter.com/kAo3p1lr78

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 25, 2021

It was a similar tone in the second half, where United simply couldn’t find a way past Villa. The fans chanted ‘Bring on Cavani’ at Stretford End and got their wish. In search of a winner, Solskjaer replaced Scott McTominay with the former PSG striker.

But while the match remained an action-packed affair, it was Villa who took the initiative. The Lions pushed and a great header from Hause gave them an unexpected lead through an 88th-minute header.

Then, to add insult to injury, Bruno Fernandes took an awful penalty after Hause handled the ball inside his own box. The Portuguese, who got the nod over compatriot Ronaldo, saw his shot fly over the bar.

That miss pretty much summed the day for United as they crashed to a 1-0 defeat and a first in the Premier League this season.

Emiliano Martinez to the Man Utd fans after Bruno Fernandes missed the penalty. This man is a living legend. 😭 pic.twitter.com/ooQInzKLJ9

— Football Shithousery (@FootyRustling) September 25, 2021

Shaw and Maguire injury concerns

Luke Shaw, who had played in every minute of United’s Premier League campaign before the Villa match, saw his fine stat end.

The 26-year-old suffered a muscular problem following a difficult first half. He struggled with Cash and had to come off the pitch just five minutes after picking up a booking. Diogo Dalot replaced him at left-back, but then came another injury setback for United in Harry Maguire.

The Red Devils skipper fell onto the pitch, grabbing his left shin, following a collision with Danny Ings. He continued into the second half after medical staff treated him, but Solskjaer opted to play it safe. The Norwegian brought on Victor Lindelof past the hour-mark.

Player ratings

Manchester United: De Gea (7); Wan-Bissaka (7), Varane (7), Maguire (6), Shaw (6); Fred (5), McTominay (6); Greenwood (7), Fernandes (6), Pogba (6), Ronaldo (6).

Subs: Lindelof (6), Dalot (6), Cavani (5).

Aston Villa: Martínez (8); Mings (7), Hause (7), Konsa; (7) Cash (7), Douglas Luiz (7), Ramsey (6), McGinn (6), Targett (6); Ings (5), Watkins (6).

Subs: Buendia (6), Archer (6).

Feel free to make your pick on player’s ratings and performances using the widget below.