22/12/2025
Manchester United did not play badly against Aston Villa even after losing key players to Afcon, and we could easily have taken a positive result at Villa Park if we had defended key moments better.
Villa’s standout performer, Morgan Rogers, was largely peripheral until he scored the opening goal. For that first strike, Leny Yoro failed to show Rogers down the line onto his weaker side and did not get tight enough after Rogers’ loose touch. Retreating instead of engaging, Yoro allowed one of the league’s most direct dribblers to cut inside and fire an unstoppable effort.
For Villa’s second goal, we again failed defensively. Diogo Dalot did not do enough to prevent the cross from Youri Tielemans, and Rogers reacted quickest to a defensive clearance, curling another fine finish into the far corner.
We had our chances. Matheus Cunha missed a golden opportunity to equalise when he failed to direct a free header on target.
In truth, Aston Villa were not outstanding. Our defensive lapses at crucial moments proved decisive. On the positive side, our pressing was excellent throughout and directly led to Cunha’s goal after Villa’s opener.
Despite the 2-1 defeat, there were clear positives for Manchester United against an in-form Villa side who have now won 10 consecutive matches in all competitions.
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