Aston Villa vs. Manchester United: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
Christian Benteke and Radamel Falcao were the scorers as Aston Villa and Manchester United played to an entertaining 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Villa striker Benteke opened the scoring with a sumptuous finish following a free-kick that left United goalkeeper David de Gea stapled to his spot in the 18th minute. Falcao later equalised for the Red Devils with a header off of Ashley Young's cross in the 53rd.
Overall, there were a handful of standout performances at Villa Park, as well as some that were rather less impressive.
Following are the individual winners and losers from the encounter.
Winner: Christian Benteke, Who Scored a Delightful Opener
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In the 18th minute at Villa Park, Manchester United's Darren Fletcher fouled Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph, and the hosts opened the scoring from the resulting free-kick.
Benteke, stationed near the far post, did well to collect the ball before evading Jonny Evans and easing a fine finish into the far corner of the goal.
As WhoScored.com pointed out on Twitter after he scored, Benteke has either scored or assisted in three of his last four matches.
"He bent it like Benteke!" added Gary Lineker.
Loser: Jonny Evans, Who Had a Forgettable Afternoon
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Evans hasn't exactly thrived as part of Manchester United's three-man defense.
While Phil Jones and Michael Carrick were generally solid at the back for the guests on Saturday (Carrick later moved into midfield), the Northern Ireland international was largely responsible for Aston Villa's opener. He also quite nearly gifted the hosts a late winner.
In the 18th minute, Evans should have closed down Benteke before the Belgium international managed to shoot. Instead, he awkwardly stuck out a foot as the ball sailed into the far corner of the goal.
Then, in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, his misplaced clearance allowed Carlos Sanchez a late shot on target that goalkeeper De Gea had to be sharp to save.
Winner: Radamel Falcao, Who Ended a Goalscoring Drought
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Falcao started just his fourth Premier League match of the season Saturday. Shortly after the restart, he marked the occasion with his second goal for Manchester United.
Drifting to the far post, the Colombia international awaited Young's cross from the left before nodding a well-placed header across Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
As Match of the Day pundit and former England international Lineker exclaimed on Twitter, it was a "fabulous header from Falcao."
Winner: Ron Vlaar, Who Smothered the United Attack
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For all their possession—and they had 65 percent of it, according to WhoScored.com—Manchester United struggled to create meaningful goalscoring opportunities at Villa Park on Saturday.
And for that, Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar can take the lion's share of the credit.
Over the 90 minutes, the Netherlands defender repeatedly frustrated international teammate Robin van Persie. He also had the presence of mind to turn away numerous Young crosses from the left.
According to Squawka, the 29-year-old completed 96 percent of his passes, contributed five clearances and, impressively, made five interceptions.
"Ron Vlaar leading his team in determined, stout fashion," tweeted television pundit Mark Pougatch.
Loser: Matt Lowton, Who Was Run into the Ground by Ashley Young
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Matt Lowton's afternoon got considerably easier in the 74th minute when James Wilson replaced Antonio Valencia for Manchester United. That meant that Young, who had tormented Lowton until then, would switch to right-back, offering the 25-year-old a bit of a breather.
To that point, Lowton had struggled mightily to contain the United winger, whose cross in the 53rd minute set up Falcao for the equaliser.
The Villa left-back also had a torrid time of it going forward. He completed only 59 percent of his passes, according to Squawka.
Winner: Brad Guzan, Who Made Several Important Saves
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Guzan was a difference-maker between the sticks for Aston Villa on Saturday.
Overall, the goalkeeper made eight saves and claimed eight crosses, with his most important contributions coming just after the restart and in the dying moments of the second half.
In the 50th minute, the United States international did well to deny Van Persie following Wayne Rooney's well-placed through ball. Two minutes later, he smothered Juan Mata's shot and also prevented a rebound.
Later, the 30-year-old prevented Wilson from connecting with Angel Di Maria's pass. And in the 88th minute, as described by Villa's official Twitter account, he made a confident claim on "Young's cross under pressure."
"Guzan has been so decisive coming for crosses," remarked Pougatch via Twitter.
