Manchester United bounced back after a disappointing defeat against Newcastle last week to beat Unai Emery’s Aston Villa 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford.
Manchester United cruised past Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon to bounce back after a defeat last week against Newcastle United.
The first-half ended without a goal, but Casemiro got on the end of a Bruno Fernandes corner to give United the advantage early on in the second-half.
About ten minutes later, the visitors found a leveller through Ross Barkley, but their joy was short-lived.
Not too long after Barkley’s goal, Matheus Cunha restored United’s lead with a composed finish into the bottom right corner after an outstanding pass from Fernandes to send the Brazilian through on goal.
Benjamin Sesko once again made an impact off the bench, doubling United’s lead roughly five minutes after replacing Bryan Mbeumo.
#1: Fernandes writes history
Bruno Fernandes registered two assists this afternoon, taking his tally to 16 in the Premier League this season, the most ever by a Manchester United player.
Fernandes is ageing like a fine wine. His time at United has been turbulent for the club, but he has consistently stepped up in the most important moments.
In terms of trophies, he deserves a lot more than what he has won at United so far. A player of that calibre should be lifting league titles and Champions League trophies regularly, but maybe there’s still time to put that right. Captain. Leader. Legend.
#2: A massive step towards Champions League
Manchester United now sit third in the Premier League table. Three points ahead of Aston Villa and six ahead of Chelsea and Liverpool.
There are still many things that need improvement if Carrick wants to be successful long-term at United, but he has done an outstanding job in a short period. United are well and truly in the driving seat to return to the Champions League next season.
Under Ruben Amorim, United’s style of play was dull and lacked any kind of spark. Under Carrick, United are fun to watch again. The players have more freedom and are being profiled far better. Even if Carrick doesn’t get the permanent job at United, he’ll have no shortage of offers this summer.
#3: High-press issues persist
United’s high-press under Carrick has been a constant issue, and that continued this afternoon against Villa, particularly in the first half. United allow the opposition a free man in midfield, meaning Kobbie Mainoo is left in a 2v1 situation.
There were times when Casemiro pushed up to go man-to-man against Villa’s midfield two, but that didn’t happen enough. It is perplexing that Carrick has yet to adjust the high-press, as it’s a fairly easy and straightforward fix.
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#4: Sesko has to start
Another day, another goal for Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian has now scored eight goals in 2026 and has found his groove after a slow start. Even though Sesko has been very effective off the bench, Carrick’s reluctance to start games with him is confusing.
Bryan Mbeumo is a fabulous player and in certain games, allowing him to play through the middle can be beneficial. However, those games are far and few in between.
Mbeumo’s overall game through the middle has too many limitations. Without Sesko, United lack a focal point and any kind of box presence. There were a few very good crosses put into the box in the first half, but unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone to get on the end of them.
For everyone’s benefit, Mbeumo’s experiment as the centre-forward needs to end.
#5: Left-hand side needs reinforcements
The left-hand side has to be addressed this summer. It has been clear for the entirety of Carrick’s reign, and was once again made clear today, particularly in the first-half. Matheus Cunha and Luke Shaw simply do not complement each other.
Cunha is a player who thrives in the half-space and centrally, but is being tasked to provide width because Shaw is no longer mobile enough to get up and down the pitch. Cunha’s goal came from a shot in the left-half space, exactly the area you want him to be getting into.
Either United need to sign a winger who can hold the width so that Shaw doesn’t have to get forward, or they need to sign a left-back who can make overlapping runs to allow Cunha to move into more central areas.
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