On 71 minutes came a classic Manchester United riposte, via Matheus Cunha, to Ross Barkley’s equaliser moments before. From around halfway, the peerless Bruno Fernandes glanced up and steered the ball through an inside left channel for Cunha. United’s No 10 galloped forward and as Emiliano Martínez loomed large the Brazilian’s curled finish was a peach that kissed the far right of the net, Cunha stepping forward before the Stretford End to soak up the ecstatic adoration.
Fernandes’ assist was his second of the contest and 16th in total in the Premier League: a record for United, this term’s competition high, and a latest argument for him winning the player of the season awards.
Next came Benjamin Sesko’s 81st-minute clincher. This time, a Cunha ball in from the left was deflected into the No 30’s orbit and, after swivelling, he bundled past Martínez, the striker having entered only six minutes before.
Cunha’s goal had pulled United ahead after Barkley’s intervention. This came when the ball arrived at Aston Villa’s No 6 near goal, his rocket of a left foot beat Senne Lammens to the keeper’s right, and zipped past Amadou Onana, who was offside.
The video assistant referee decided – correctly – that he was not in Lammens’s line of vision and so Villa believed they had a point at least in the Champions League qualification race.
