Casemiro and Benjamin Sesko score as Man Utd regain momentum with crucial 3-1 win over Aston Villa

In this article, Sports News Blitz's Manchester United fan and writer Robert Bore reflects on a tense but ultimately rewarding victory for United as they overcame Aston Villa to strengthen their push for Champions League qualification.

A cagey start at Old Trafford

As games go, this one felt significant.

A win against Villa and move three points ahead of Unai Emre's men.

Chelsea's slip at home to Newcastle a day earlier left them three adrift of United, having played a game more. Liverpool the same, but presumably shooting fish in a barrel against Spurs in Sunday's late game.

With a trip to Bournemouth on Friday, March 20, then a three-week hiatus until the visit of Leeds, a win felt vital.

Carrick made two changes to the side that went down at Newcastle last time out, with good old Diogo Dalot and Amad Diallo coming in for Noussair Mazraoui and Benjamin Šeško, respectively.

For Villa, skipper John McGinn was back for the first time since January, while Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley were drafted into the side that won in Europe on Thursday against Lille.

Sadly, on-loan Jadon Sancho was not allowed to play against his parent club, and it was tough to decide whether that was a bigger blow than Dalot returning.

It was a fairly inauspicious start, with the lack of game time during this barest of bare seasons (fixture-wise) a worry.

Are United going into games undercooked and starting slow because of it? That would remain to be seen.

United gradually find their rhythm

The first real chance came from a Villa free-kick 25 or so yards out, but they made a comical mess of it.

Forgetting myself, I shuddered at the mention of Onana, thankfully in reference to Villa man Amadou and not paper-wristed former United number one Andre.  

But it was a slow start and the game had no real pace to it. Villa looked comfortable.

Matheus Cunha tried to spark some life, taking on Lamare Bogarde down the left and crossing dangerously, but Amad couldn't get to it, and Villa ushered out for a corner that came to nothing.

Sesko may have been a tad closer had he been on the pitch. It did feel like United were waking up a bit.

Dalot sent a teasing ball into the six-yard box, but nobody had gambled, and the resulting corner was cleared, United coming again with Mings there to concede another.

There was at least some momentum by that point.  

United should have gone ahead from this one, Maguire heading back goalward for Amad, who looked to have found the far corner with his own header, but Emi Martínez got a hand on the ball to push it to safety.

Villa weathered the squall, and a tactical re-jig from Emery saw the visitors settle again as we hit the half-hour mark.

Amad did well to rescue Bryan Mbuemo's worst effort of the season, controlling the ball first time as it dropped near the corner flag and from the recycle, Cunha wasn't far away from finding Maguire at the far post.

We awaited a goal.

Bruno Fernandes turned two men brilliantly to feed Casemiro, who was blocked from range, and moments later, the United skipper found Dalot racing in at the far post.

His touch into his own path was good, but the finish was not as he ballooned it over the bar, much akin to how I imagine a Rhino shanking a beach ball.

Watkins went into the book after kicking the ball away after being flagged offside, which was a bit thick really, while Leny Yoro did brilliantly to stop a Villa attack with a sliding tackle on Watkins at one end and on the counter Fernandes curled well wide and the half ended level.

With so much on the line for both sides, even if just in terms of momentum for the run-in, it was understandably cagey, and there were no changes at the break.

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Casemiro breaks the deadlock

Referee Anthony Taylor was doing a good job, letting a lot go and not being drawn into petty free-kicks, which was refreshing.

Fernandes found some space after Morgan Rogers gave the ball away and galloped towards goal, playing a ball out left for Mbuemo, who saw his fierce strike saved by Martinez.

From the resulting corner, United went ahead.

Their skipper was the architect, his record-equalling 15th assist of the season, as he centred for Casemiro to lose his marker and glance home from the angle.

It was the departing Brazilian's seventh league goal of the campaign on his United swansong, his captain responsible for five of them.

Villa hit back amid controversy

Emery blinked first, Leon Bailey and Tammy Abraham sent after Casemiro added a yellow card to his goal for his third or fourth foul of the afternoon, which ended Rogers' run towards goal. Watkins and McGinn departed.

This game was far from over.

Dalot shouldered one after getting in behind Mings when he really needed to use his head, while Senne Lammens saved well from Onana.

But this was never going to be routine, and Villa levelled - not without controversy.

Mings looked to have handled as the ball rattled around in the United box and was recycled, falling eventually to Barkley, who rattled it home.

There was also a suggestion that the ball had nicked off an offside Abraham on its way in.

With the Mings handball cleared, there was no conclusive evidence of the brush off Abraham's arse, and the goal stood. Villa got the rub, and it was certainly game on now.

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Fernandes magic restores United’s lead

The game had opened up. But there's a different mentality inside Old Trafford since Carrick returned.

Where you'd fully expect Villa to use their bounce and go on to win the game not so long ago, United regained the lead instead with a 71st-minute beauty.

The visitors gave the ball away on the edge of the United box as Casemiro recovered.

Naturally, all eyes (and balls), including his, go to Fernandes when United counter and his ball in behind was millimetre-perfect into Cunha's run.

The Brazilian took a deft touch before calmly stroking the ball around Martinez into the far corner.

It was a majestic ball of simplicity and maximum damage, and for Bruno, the assists record was now his own at 16, surpassing David Beckham.

It really cannot be understated the genius that lives inside the Portuguese ace's boots. Eyes of a hawk with the precision of a laser. You could only applaud.

Sesko seals the victory

Carrick introduced Sesko with 15 minutes left, a slightly unimpressed Mbuemo making way to applause from the Stretford End as he wandered round the far sideline.  

It still felt like another goal would be needed.

It took the Slovenian just four minutes to get it.

Casemiro put one in behind the full-back for Cunha, who saw his low centre eventually find its way into the box after a ricochet, and Sekso struck, the ball going in off a defender, but who cared.

The United fans were now in a buoyant mood, serenading Casemiro with "one more year."

Interesting that despite already declaring his summer departure, playing in every game between now and the end of the season would theoretically trigger the option of another year.

Let's see if that's correct. Wouldn't be against it.  

Manuel Ugarte replaced the former Real Madrid star, who went off to rapturous applause, and we would have eight minutes of added time.

Carrick’s momentum continues

United saw it out with just one brief scare to leave themselves, inexplicably, if you think it was only 10 weeks or so, Ruben Amorim was sacked, seven points behind a jittery Man City in second.

So the Carrick bandwagon rolls on as United remain on course for a Champions League return, seven wins from nine games and a solitary defeat.

Should he get the gig permanently, hell, I don't know. But I won't make the decision anyway, so what do you care?

Let's just get to May and see where we are at because there are plenty of games still to come, so let's just enjoy the wave.

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