Manchester United vs. Aston Villa: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Louis van Gaal's men comfortably dispatched Tim Sherwood's Villans, as Manchester United beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Saturday at Old Trafford. Although Christian Benteke's late goal to make it 2-1 caused a few nervous moments, for the most part, United were in control.
The Red Devils enjoyed 77 percent possession, with 19 shots to Villa's four. There were plenty of candidates for "winners" among the United side, and the "loser" sobriquet seems harsh for even their least impressive performers.
Angel Di Maria deserves an honourable mention in the "winners" category. His bright cameo included yet another assist, and his touch and decision-making looked considerably better than they have in recent weeks.
Let's take a look at the best and worst players in the game.
Winner: Ander Herrera
1 of 6
Ander Herrera scored two goals but would have been a good candidate for man of the match even if he had not.
He completed a stunning 95.9 percent of his 98 passes and had 108 touches of the ball, second only to Antonio Valencia. He also made two tackles, both of which came at key moments after United lost possession.
The Red Devils' ability to win the ball back quickly on the relatively rare occasions on which they lost it was key to their dominance, and Herrera was an important part of that.
It was a genuinely excellent performance, and his two goals were just reward for his endeavours. The Stretford End sang his name heartily, and it was clear he enjoyed the game.
Loser: Christian Benteke
2 of 6
Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke might have clawed a goal back for his team to make it 2-1, but it was another disappointing display from the Belgium international.
Villa Park supporters must be left scratching their heads at what has happened to the forward who scored 23 times in 34 appearances in the 2012-13 season.
Benteke required a rare error from Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea to put his name on the scorsheet at Old Trafford, glossing an earlier glaring miss.
However, the forward is now on four goals in his last four Premier League appearances, and maintaining that record will be a necessity with Villa now just three points above the relegation zone.
Winner: Juan Mata
3 of 6
Combining brilliantly with his friend Herrera, Juan Mata once again played a key role from his "false right-wing" position.
He provided an assist for United's third, which helped relieve the pressure that had built following Benteke's goal. He completed 94 percent of his 83 passes, including two key passes.
United are surely in their best run of form of the season so far, and Mata has been at the heart of much of their good work. He has made himself impossible to drop for the time being, and he is looking like the crucial player he was signed to be.
Loser: Tim Sherwood
4 of 6
Tim Sherwood oversaw three successive wins soon after succeeding Paul Lambert as Aston Villa manager, but the pendulum of fate has most definitely started to swing the other way.
The Villans lost at home to Swansea two weeks ago, and the defeat at Manchester United leaves the club just three points above the relegation zone.
That simple statistic makes Tuesday's visit of fellow strugglers QPR all the more vital, especially considering the momentum the Loftus Road club will glean from their win at West Brom on Saturday.
Gregg Evans of the Birmingham Mail quoted Sherwood as saying:
"It’s a massive game irrespective of what they did today. We’re looking to be six points clear of QPR by the end of that game on Tuesday night."
Winner: Jores Okore
5 of 6
In spite of United's dominance, Villa managed to martial a reasonable defensive performance for long stretches of the game.
There is little doubt that Jores Okore was their best defender. He made six interceptions and nine clearances, more than any of his team-mates.
Although he was not able to stop United, he made enough of a positive contribution for Villa to be acknowledged as one of the game's winners.
The presence of Okore will prove crucial if Villa are to stave off the threat of relegation before the end of the season.
Loser: Marouane Fellaini
6 of 6
Van Gaal said Friday that Marouane Fellaini's fine form in the past few games meant he could not be dropped, per BBC Sport, but his performance in this match was relatively poor. He was often tightly marked and was unable to make any significant impact on the game.
He had the second-fewest touches (47) of any outfield player in United's starting XI—only Wayne Rooney, ploughing a lone furrow up front, had fewer. He gave the ball away with 12.2 percent of his passes, which is far from terrible, but was worse than any of United's other midfielders.
He made little by way of defensive contribution, either, making just one tackle and no interceptions.
It was not a terrible performance, but he was probably United's least effective player.
All statistics per WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
