Manchester United got back to winning ways in the Premier League as they strengthened their top-four hopes with a victory over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag's side, who drew 2-2 with Tottenham in midweek, secured a 1-0 win over Unai Emery's men at Old Trafford. Bruno Fernandes scored the only goal of the game in the 39th minute to move the Reds one step closer to securing Champions League football for next season. United now sit two points behind third-placed Newcastle with a game in hand.
The Reds have six top-flight matches remaining before the end of the season, with Ten Hag's men travelling to Brighton on Thursday night hoping to increase the gap between themselves and their top-four chasing rivals.
ALSO READ: Manchester United vs Aston Villa RECAP
Here are three things fans may have missed during United's Premier League win over Aston Villa:
Sancho unimpressed
Reds winger Jadon Sancho appeared unimpressed with Fernandes during the first half at Old Trafford. The England international attempted to backheel the ball to Tyrell Malacia on the overlap, but he misjudged the pass and it went out for a throw-in. His decision did not go down well with Fernandes, who had been calling for the ball from his teammate.
It remains unclear exactly what the Portuguese ace said to Sancho, but fans on social media were quick to suggest the latter told the United captain to 'stop moaning' after his outburst. Ultimately, the tension was alleviated when Fernandes opened the scoring for Ten Hag's side just moments later.
Fernandes' goal celebration
After scoring the opening goal in the clash, Fernandes stared down the Villa fans who had been taunting him throughout the game on Sunday. The 28-year-old - who was subjected to 'Fernandes is a w*****' chants - clearly enjoyed getting on the scoresheet against the Midlands outfit, especially considering he missed a penalty against them last season.
It will have been even more satisfying given he scored against Emiliano Martinez. In September 2021, the Argentinian goalkeeper taunted the United fans after Fernandes missed a last-minute penalty in front of the Stretford End. The Portugal international failed to level the scores on that day, but he was the one on the winning side on this occasion.
Lindelof's goalline clearance
Marcel Sabitzer did well to block a Villa shot inside the penalty area, but when the ball fell to Douglas Luiz, his header appeared destined for the top corner. The Brazilian guided his effort towards the United goal, but Victor Lindelof - who had positioned himself on the goalline - managed to clear the ball.
While it was excellent defending, the offside flag was up, so it wouldn't have counted anyway. Regardless, it was another good performance from the Swedish centre-back as he continues to play in the absence of first-choice defensive duo Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.
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2023-05-01 05:30:00Z
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