Manchester United vs. Aston Villa: Winners and Losers from Premier League
Manchester United earned a vital win in the race for fourth place on Saturday over Aston Villa, but it didn't come without a scare.
The Red Devils fended off a late challenge led by Aston Villa substitute Rudy Gestede to win 1-0 at Old Trafford and move within one point of Manchester City.
Marcus Rashford put United in the lead with a 32nd-minute strike, but most of the club's attack took the day off following the goal
With their defeat, Aston Villa were officially relegated to the Championship for the 2016-17 season.
Here's a look at our winners and losers from United's victory over Villa.
Winner: Marcus Rashford
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The legend of Marcus Rashford continued to grow on Saturday as he scored for United in the 32nd minute.
The 18-year-old forward netted his seventh strike of the season from the middle of the box off a pass from Antonio Valencia.
Throughout the first half, Rashford caused a consistent threat in the final third with his link-up play alongside Juan Mata and Memphis Depay.
During his 76 minutes on the pitch, Rashford displayed the confidence and ability of a striker who is ready to the lead the line for quite some time.
Loser: Wayne Rooney
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Wayne Rooney may have left to a standing ovation in the 67th minute, but he didn't leave much of an imprint on the match itself.
The English forward was invisible for long stretches of the contest while Rashford, Mata and Memphis threatened the Villa back four for most of the first half.
Rooney's best attempt came in the 54th minute, when he took a heavy first touch in the middle of the box following a nice pass from Memphis.
The good news for Rooney is he'll have plenty of time to find his scoring boots over the next month to make a case for his spot on England's UEFA Euro 2016 squad.
Winner: Daley Blind
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Daley Blind allowed United to survive a moment of concern in the 83rd minute as he slid in against Rudy Gestede right in front of the net.
The center-back's tackle on the Villa substitute saved the Red Devils from an embarrassing ending in front of their home fans.
In addition to his massive play in his own box, the Dutchman spurred a few attacks with long balls out of the back.
The sturdy defensive performance from Blind and his teammates moved United within one point of Manchester City in the race for fourth.
Losers: Aston Villa
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The inevitable finally occurred on Saturday as Aston Villa's relegation to the Championship was confirmed.
Villa never found a rhythm throughout the season with three different managers in charge. Plenty of mistakes and poor results forced Villa into last place for the majority of the season.
The big task for the Villans now will be to avoid a further drop into the lower tiers of English football like so many clubs before them have experienced.
In addition to dealing with the rigors of the second division, Villa will do so with less talent, as some of the higher-paid stars on the team are expected to leave as the budget gets trimmed.
Winner: Memphis Depay
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Most of the second half featured forgettable football, but the few moments people will remember were created by Memphis Depay.
The United winger shined during the final 45 minutes while the rest of his teammates dropped off with a one-goal lead in hand.
The performance from the Dutchman was a positive one for his confidence and for United's chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
If Memphis works well with Mata, Rashford and the other United attackers over the next month, Louis van Gaal's men could be playing alongside Europe's best next season.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
