Aston Villa Beat Manchester United 2-1 To Move Third In Premier League
Aston Villa climbed to third in the Premier League at Christmas, just three points behind leaders Arsenal, after a 2-1 victory over Manchester United.
Morgan Rogers stole the show at Villa Park on Sunday, scoring both goals to secure the win for Unai Emery’s side. Rogers opened the scoring with a brilliant curled strike and later restored Villa’s lead with another composed finish, marking back-to-back Premier League games with a brace—the first Villa player to do so since Dion Dublin in 1998.
United looked the stronger side for long spells in the first half, with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko going close, and Rogers even hit the woodwork early on. However, Villa went into the break ahead thanks to Rogers’ stunning 45th-minute goal. Manchester United responded quickly, though, as Cunha capitalised on a turnover from Matty Cash to calmly finish past Emiliano Martinez three minutes later.
The game swung further against United when Bruno Fernandes appeared to pick up a hamstring injury, limiting their attacking threat alongside absentees Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo. Rogers’ second goal, coming 12 minutes into the second half, proved decisive. United had opportunities to equalise, with Cunha missing a golden chance from a Patrick Dorgu cross, but Villa held on to complete the win.
The victory marks Villa’s 10th consecutive win in all competitions for the first time since 1914. In Premier League terms, only the 2023-24 season saw Villa with more points at Christmas (39) than they have this year (36).
Rogers, just 23 years and 148 days old, now has 21 goals across all competitions since last season, becoming the youngest Premier League player to reach 20+ goals in this period. He took seven of Villa’s 12 shots—six more than any teammate—highlighting his pivotal role. Despite Cunha’s efforts, including six attempts and two created chances, United fell short, though the striker has now scored in three consecutive Premier League games against Villa, matching his longest scoring streak against a single opponent.
