FIVE ASIDES Premier League: Aston Villa 1, United 3
This wasn’t just another away win and another United comeback. It was another episode of the series we’ve been binge-watching lately: the Cavani and Greenwood show. United’s oldest and youngest strikers scored again – the winner from Greenwood, the clincher from Cavani. Since Easter Sunday, when United beat Brighton, this pair of predators have bagged 14 goals between them in the space of 36 days. They’ve scored eight of United’s last 11 in the league (Greenwood 5, Cavani 3), and six out of 12 in the Europa (Cavani 5, Greenwood 1). And this after both appeared to have given up scoring for Lent.
Greenwood’s goal was officially assisted by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but all he had to do was play a simple square ball and then watch as Greenwood created the opening himself. He had the chutzpah to turn Tyrone Mings and the skill to whip a left-foot shot inside the near post. This took Greenwood clear of Wayne Rooney as the United teenager with the most Premier League goals (16). But the man it reminded you of, with its ruthless precision, was Robin van Persie.
Cavani’s goal just reminded you of Cavani. It came from a proper assist by Marcus Rashford, putting in a delicious cross from the right, just as he had from the left for Cavani’s winner at Southampton. If United had played like that in the first half today, they would have strolled to victory. Early on, either the crosses were awful, or they were OK and nobody was there to tap them in. Cavani, sitting in the stand, must have been tearing his magnificent hair out.
Rashford, deputising for him for the first hour, provided most of United’s spark, but he didn’t exactly play centre-forward – he played in the inside-left channel, hitting the crosses himself more than getting on the end of them. At times United seemed to be lining up in an unofficial diamond, with Greenwood as the other striker and Bruno Fernandes as a false nine. This is the only way that Rashford and Paul Pogba both get to play in their best positions, on the left. They should do it more often.
‘Fernandes, so alive in both legs against Roma, went back to looking knackered, misplacing just about everything except his penalty’
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fielded a strong team – too strong. The selection suggested that he will carry out his threat to play a 2nd XI later in the week, presumably against Leicester. Perhaps he’s betting that after stumbling against Newcastle, and with the Cup Final to think about plus league games against Chelsea and Spurs, Leicester won’t overhaul United even if they beat them on Tuesday.
Solskjaer made only three outfield changes and picked no starters from outside his charmed circle, the first XIII. Fred, who had played the whole game against Roma, was asked to do the same again here, thus becoming the only man to have clocked up 180 minutes already in the week from hell. You could hardly blame him when he messed up for Villa’s goal – although Scott McTominay and Victor Lindelof were just as guilty, and they had put their feet up in Rome.
Solskjaer missed a trick by not resting Harry Maguire, when Axel Tuanzebe knows Villa Park from his spell on loan there, and has the pace to deal with Ollie Watkins. Maguire duly got injured, which is tough on him with the Europa final looming, but will at least stop him insisting on playing every minute in the league. Who does he think he is, James Ward-Prowse?
Fernandes, so alive in both legs against Roma, went back to looking knackered, misplacing just about everything except his penalty. His place could easily have gone to Juan Mata, who would surely have sniffed some of those crosses and got on the end of them. If Solskjaer is really planning to play a League Cup team against Leicester, it might look like this: de Gea; Williams, Tuanzebe, Bailly, Telles; Matic, van de Beek; Amad, Mata, James (if fit); AN Other, possibly even Anthony Elanga. That would be brave, as they used to say on Yes Minister.
Never mind the team sheet, Solskjaer is doing most things right. The continual comebacks – 31 points now salvaged from losing positions – show that his squad have deep reserves of resilience. They’ve gone from losing three of their first six games to being the hardest team to beat in the Premier League. With this win, Solskjaer overtook Jose Mourinho as the United manager with the most points per league game since Fergie (1.91, while Mourinho managed 1.89, Louis van Gaal 1.79, and David Moyes 1.68). On Thursday, if the Liverpool game ever happens, Solskjaer will overtake Mourinho (93) as the manager who’s been there for the most league games since Fergie. And even if second place isn’t quite in the bag yet, and the title is still in Pep’s pocket, United chalked up another mark of progress today. By reaching 70 points, they made sure that Liverpool can’t catch them. Happy St Liveringham’s Day.