Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay delivered once again from the substitute’s bench to help the team record another win.
It is now three Premier League wins in a row for Manchester United, and 10 points from a possible 12.
United have closed the gap on Aston Villa to five points, beating Unai Emery’s side home and away.
Scott McTominay scored a late header, to earn United the win, after Douglas Luiz had cancelled out Rasmus Hojlund‘s 11th minute strike.
John McGinn praises Scott McTominay
Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn described Manchester United’s win as ‘a real sickener’, when speaking to Sky Sports at the final whistle.
McGinn plays alongside Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay at international level, so knows all about his quality.
The Villa midfielder talked up his opponent, commenting: “It felt like we had chance after chance in the second half and they just didn’t go in.
“In this league you’ve got world-class players in the United changing room and it was one moment of sheer quality.
“We could have maybe defended it a bit better, but I know unfortunately that Scotty [McTominay] is great at coming in at that stage.”
Unai Emery worried about United
For a manager who has played against Manchester United and won in the Europa League final, Unai Emery spoke with a bit of an inferiority complex at full-time.
He said his team were doing well just to be competing against United, and be in the position they are in the Premier League table.
Emery said: “We are playing against the mighty Manchester United but we are being more consistent in matches in the league. The result is tough for us and difficult to accept but that is football.
“Manchester United are more of a contender to be where we are than us and we have a gap to them. We have to be strong in the mind and not lose our focus and focus on how we are trying to build the team and be stronger. The performance today was how we are trying to build.”
Importantly, Manchester United are the team with momentum right now, with Aston Villa’s form in 2024 not anywhere near the level they were playing with in early December.
Sometimes it can be a bit of fortune playing teams at the right time. Last season United faced Villa at the wrong time, in Emery’s first game as manager, and lost 3-1. This time, it was in a period of poor form for the team, and United took full advantage.
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