In a thrilling Premier League encounter, Scott McTominay secures a sensational last-minute victory.

Scott McTominay was the hero once again for Manchester United as his late goal secured a crucial victory against Aston Villa at Villa Park. With this win, United moved within six points of the top four in the Premier League.

The match was a high-energy affair, with Villa causing problems for the visitors throughout. Jacob Ramsey was particularly impressive in the first half. However, it was Rasmus Hojlund who opened the scoring for United after 17 minutes. Despite Villa’s dominance, they were unable to find an equalizer until midway through the second half when Douglas Luiz poked in a loose ball after a corner.

As the game seemed destined for a draw, McTominay intervened with a powerful header in the 86th minute to secure the victory for United. This result keeps Erik ten Hag’s team in sixth place, but they are now just five points behind Aston Villa and six points behind Tottenham in the race for the Champions League places.

The talking point of the match was whether United can still qualify for the Champions League. This game was crucial for both sides, and had Villa won, they would have been 11 points clear of United. However, with the gap now reduced to five points and Spurs six points ahead, the race for European places is wide open with 14 games remaining.

United’s performance was patchy, but they managed to find a moment of quality when it mattered most. With key players returning and the majority of their best eleven available, things are looking brighter for ten Hag’s team compared to earlier in the season. The likes of Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, and academy players Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and McTominay have all played a crucial role in United’s recent upswing in form.

The player of the match was Andre Onana, who deserves credit for his match-saving performance. After facing criticism earlier in the season, Onana made several crucial saves that kept United in the game and laid the foundation for their late victory.

In terms of player ratings, Martinez, Cash, Diego Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno, McGinn, Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey, Bailey, and Watkins all performed well for Aston Villa. On the other hand, Onana, Dalot, Shaw, Varane, Maguire, Mainoo, Casemiro, Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund, and Garnacho impressed for Manchester United.

The match highlights included Hojlund’s opening goal, Onana’s excellent save to deny Watkins, Luiz’s equalizer for Villa, Garnacho’s near miss, and McTominay’s winning header from Dalot’s cross.