Ander Herrera Stands out in Manchester United's 3-1 Win vs. Aston Villa
In what was a relatively comfortable Manchester United win over Aston Villa, Ander Herrera stood out as the best player on the pitch with a typically lively performance and two well-taken goals.
The Spaniard’s sixth and seventh goals of the season, which came either side of a wonderful Wayne Rooney strike, sealed United’s fifth consecutive win in the Premier League.
Herrera’s display against Aston Villa also emphasised why he has been Louis van Gaal’s best summer signing and demonstrated why he is one of the finest central midfielders in the league right now.
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After working his way back into Van Gaal’s first-team plans in February, he has shone in midfield and been instrumental to a rejuvenated United side.
Constantly on the move, playing incisive passes and looking to create space for himself and his team-mates, it was Herrera’s energy in the first half that helped set the tempo.
Linking nicely with Juan Mata and Antonio Valencia on United’s right-hand side, he played a delightful pass behind Aston Villa’s defence and released the Ecuadorian in space to put in a dangerous cross that nearly resulted in the opening goal of the game.
He repeated the trick not long after when he clipped a pinpoint ball over the top for Mata to run onto and attempt a cross.
On the stroke of half-time, after United had wasted a number of good opportunities to score, Herrera popped up on the left-hand side of the penalty area and struck a left-footed effort beyond Brad Guzan and into the net.
Much like all of his other goals this season, it was an unerringly precise strike and one that displayed excellent technical ability.
In a first half where United struggled to open up an Aston Villa side playing deep inside their own half, Herrera’s goal settled the nerves and proved to be an important moment in the match.
In the second half, United appeared content with controlling the game by dominating possession and taking fewer risks.
It’s a dangerous ploy that Van Gaal has used on a number of occasions this season, one that nearly backfired when Christian Benteke halved the deficit with less than 10 minutes to play.
Herrera, who perhaps struggled to adopt that conservative mindset earlier in the season, has seemingly got to grips with the way the Dutchman wants to play and helped United close the game out.
The 25-year-old’s second goal of the day was another example of the telepathic connection he shares with Mata, the latter ignoring a number of other team-mates and pulling the ball back to the edge of the area where Herrera expertly guided a right-footed strike into the corner of the net.
It was a goal that carried United into third place, at least temporarily, and saw the Spaniard become United’s fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League this season.
Herrera’s performance against Aston Villa, the latest in a number of impressive displays, makes his lack of playing time in the months before Christmas harder to comprehend.
Van Gaal has got a lot right in his first season at United but misusing Herrera and leaving him on the bench far too many times ranks among his worst mistakes.
There’s even an argument that he’s been United’s best outfield player this season. Consider how poor United have been in midfield over the last 18 months and his case only grows stronger.
A partnership of Marouane Fellaini and Tom Cleverley was abysmal against lowly Cardiff City last season, while a duo of Cleverley and Adnan Januzaj formed a makeshift pairing in central midfield against Sunderland at the start of this campaign.
The point is that Herrera has transformed the way United play in midfield. When he plays, the ball is moved quicker and with more purpose.
Ankle and rib injuries have certainly contributed to his spell out of the team, but quite why it’s taken until the latter stages of the season for a player most fans earmarked as a guaranteed starter at the beginning of the year to become a regular in the first team is puzzling.
With Liverpool thrashed by Arsenal earlier in the day and United facing Manchester City and Chelsea in consecutive fixtures this April, a win against Aston Villa was vital in the race for a top-four finish.
For that reason, Herrera was fully deserving of his Man of the Match award, since his two composed finishes stood out as moments of real class in a game that lacked quality for long spells.
One of the most promising aspects of the Spaniard’s play is how he appears to get the best out of his team-mates. Much of United’s better play in recent weeks has stemmed from his understanding with Mata, while Carrick seems a natural foil for a player who is developing a habit of posing an attacking threat in the opponent’s penalty area.
United saw the best of Herrera in the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, and it’s hard to imagine he will be out of the team again any time soon.
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