Manchester United signed off for the 2024/25 campaign with a fantastic 2-0 Premier League win against Aston Villa on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford.
Rúben Amorim chose to field a strong starting XI as Manchester United welcomed Aston Villa to Old Trafford on the final day of the Premier League season.
The tie started with Mason Mount testing Villa shot-stopper Emi Martínez twice from close range in the opening minutes. United created some fantastic chances in the opening 15 minutes, although they failed to find the back of the net, as has been the story of their season.
United continued to create as the half went on, and although they didn’t score, Martínez was sent off just before the half-time whistle after a shocking late challenge on Rasmus Højlund.
Amorim’s Reds continued to dominate into the second half, with Højlund, Bruno Fernandes, and Casemiro all coming close. Although Morgan Rogers had the ball in the net for the visitors, he was judged to have fouled Altay Bayındır.
Moments later, United finally found the breakthrough as Amad nodded in a stunning cross from Fernandes with 15 minutes to play. Eriksen slotted home a late penalty in his final game at Old Trafford to hand United a 2-0 win to end the season.
#1 – A future without Garnacho looks positive
Twenty-four hours before kick-off, it was reported that Amorim had told Garnacho he was free to find a new club this summer. Subsequently, the player was dropped entirely from the matchday squad to face Villa.
With Mount starting on the left flank, he put in a very, very fast start, looking to get as involved as he could. He put in one of his most positive 65-minute performances Old Trafford has had since he signed in 2023, before making way for Christian Eriksen.
Cunha is set to join United this summer and become the first-choice option on the left side. With Mount showing that he is well up for fighting for his place, too, a future without Garnacho still looks like one with plenty of attacking threat.
#2 – A farewell performance for four stars
With Amorim set to engage in an absolutely ruthless clearout of the squad this summer, those certain to leave, including Victor Lindelöf, Jonny Evans, Altay Bayındır, and Eriksen, were all given runouts at Old Trafford.
While Bayındır had United fans’ hearts in their mouths at points, Lindelöf must be praised for staying professional and putting in an esteemed performance as he sees out his career at Old Trafford.
Eriksen and Evans came on in the second half, and both players looked comfortable on the pitch, helping United see out their first domestic win in nine fixtures and end the season on a relative high.
#3 – United’s performance was a blueprint for the future
Within Amorim’s first six months at the club, it has been clear that he will stick to his 3-4-3 formation no matter what, and amid all the poor results, this has come into serious question.
However, the performance United put in showed a much more positive performance for the future under the Portuguese manager.
The biggest difference was that United’s two wide centre-backs became much more involved in the game, meaning the wing-backs could push higher. This allowed United’s wide forwards to stay right on the front line, giving United complete domination in Villa’s final third.
#4 – Dorgu put in fantastic and promising display
While those such as Mount looked like a player who is starting to get back to his best ahead of next season, it was Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu who put in a very promising display.
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Since joining in January, the 20-year-old has been widely criticised for his performances at left wing-back, but he was really positive on the left flank on Sunday afternoon, putting in some good balls and also making some fantastic tackles to keep the pressure on Villa.
After a turbulent personal season for Dorgu, his display against Villa is one that shows he could be a very key player for United in the future.
#5 – Signing off at Old Trafford in style
United have been horrible to watch this season across their three head coaches, with their final position in the Premier League being 15th.
However, their display against Villa will give United fans hope for the summer and next season, especially if the club back their boss by bringing in quality upgrades during the transfer window.
Hopefully, United fans will never have to go though a season such as this again, and what United’s players gave their fans against Villa was, at the very least, an apology and a promise for better days in the future.
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