Man Utd 3 Aston Villa 1: Unai Emery's men lose third straight Premier League match

Though the final scoreline might not immediately suggest it, there was something here for Unai Emery’s team, had they been able to show a bit more care and quality in attack.

For seven second half minutes, after Ross Barkley had swept home just his second goal of the season to cancel out Casemiro’s opener and draw Villa level, visiting supporters were daring to dream of just their third victory at this venue since 1984.

But then Leon Bailey lost the ball in attack and within seconds it was in the net at the other end through Matheus Cunha.

A goal from substitute Benjamin Sesko then killed off Villa’s hopes and secured United a win which puts them firmly in pole position for a top-five Premier League finish and Champions League football next season.

Villa also still have their top-five fate in their own hands but after Chelsea’s defeat to Newcastle on Saturday, this ended up feeling like another missed opportunity, even if it did come at a place they have now lost on 32 of their last 42 visits.

For only the second time in Unai Emery’s reign, Villa have lost three straight Premier League matches.

Next Sunday’s home match with West Ham, their last before a near three-week break, now feels crucial in terms of getting back on track.

Their performance here, while flawed, was not without positives. 

Ultimately, they did not have enough and in some ways that shouldn’t be a surprise. United’s three goalscorers cost more than £200m combined and all more, individually, than Villa’s £50m record buy Amadou Onana.

But when the financial odds are weighted against you recruitment needs to be strong and for too long Villa's hasn't. Bailey, let's not forget, was recalled in January due to the struggles of £30m buy Evann Guessand. This was also another afternoon loan signing Harvey Elliott spent sat on the bench.

With the latter paired alongside Barkley, the latter making his first league start of the season, Villa started the match pretty well and were notably wasting little time getting the ball into the box. One right wing cross from Rogers almost fell to Watkins.

Yet it was a moment of quality from Cunha which created the game’s first opening. The United forward found a yard of space up against Lamare Bogarde and whipped in a cross which, from the home team’s perspective, went agonisingly out of Amad Diallo’s reach.

When Diogo Dalot then put in a dangerous cross from the opposite flank, United interim boss Michael Carrick may have been regretting his decision to leave Sesko, United’s one recognised centre-forward, on the bench.

Crosses were proving United’s best weapon and led to their first attempt on goal. Harry Maguire won the first header at a corner and Diallo sent the ball toward the bottom corner, Emi Martinez leaping across goal to make the save.

John McGinn sent a rather weak effort wide for Villa, who were getting into some good positions but struggling for sharpness in the final third.

United were also short of quality where it counted. A sublime lofted pass from Bruno Fernandes was followed by an ugly finish, high over the bar, from Dalot, who had ghosted in behind Digne.

Villa needed to make more use of the space, particularly Watkins who at the end of the visiting team’s best break of the half, ran straight into a challenge from Leny Yoro. That set up a rapid United counter which ended with Fernandes curling a shot wide from outside the box.

Diallo wasted a good chance early in the second half when he fired over, before Barkley stuck out a leg to block a Fernandes effort behind.

Villa were still a threat on the counter but their failure to take good care of the ball when on the attack would ultimately lead to them falling behind. Rogers gave away possession, United broke and Mbuemo drilled in a shot which Martinez could only parry, Digne clearing the ball behind.

Casemiro had already scored more goals from set pieces than anyone else in the Premier League this season, so Villa should have needed no warning of his prowess. But his run was not tracked and his header went in off the far post.

The visitors’ response was impressive. Onana showed guts to keep hold of the ball in the box and drill a shot which Lammens was forced to tip over. From the corner, Villa kept the ball alive before Digne sent in a low cross for Barkley to curl a left-footed finish into the bottom corner.

The shot had passed within inches of an offside Onana but after a lengthy VAR check, the goal stood and Villa could celebrate.

Back on level terms, they looked the more likely team to score again and might have done had Abraham been able to control Bailey’s cross, just six yards from goal.

Yet again their sloppiness in attack was to prove costly. Bailey found himself in acres of space on the right but sent a pass straight to a United shirt. Seconds later, Fernandes played in Cunha, who finished into the far corner.

Any hopes of a comeback were then effectively killed with 10 minutes to go. Bogarde, who had done a decent job against Cunha on the right, was finally beaten. Even then the cross wasn’t great but a couple of ricochets saw the ball fall to the feet of Sesko, whose shot took a big deflection off Mings to wrong-foot Martinez.

Villa’s afternoon was summed up at the death when neither Douglas Luiz or Andres Garcia could put the ball into an open net from a yard out.

Man Utd (4-2-3-1): Lammens, Dalot, Maguire, Yoro, Shaw, Casemiro (Ugarte 90+1), Mainoo, Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha, Mbuemo (Sesko 75) Subs not used: Mazraoui, Mount, Zirkzee, Malacia, Heaven, Fletcher, Bayindir (gk).

Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Bogarde, Konsa, Mings, Digne (Maatsen 82), Barkley (Luiz 82), Onana, McGinn (Bailey 60), Rogers, Buendia (Garcia 86), Watkins (Abraham 60) Subs not used: Lindelof, Maatsen, Garcia, Torres, Bailey, Elliott, Luiz, Abraham, Bizot (gk).