Manchester United staged a stunning comeback to defeat Aston Villa 3-2 at Old Trafford, extending their unbeaten home run on Boxing Day to a remarkable 20 matches. After falling two goals behind in the first half, Erik ten Hag’s side roared back after the break, with Alejandro Garnacho scoring twice and Rasmus Højlund netting the winner to send the fans into raptures.
Aston Villa, aiming to break their winless streak at Old Trafford that stretched back six years, stunned the home crowd midway through the first half. A John McGinn free-kick found its way into the net without a touch thanks to a fortuitous ricochet that left both defenses standing still. And the visitors doubled their lead shortly after when a McGinn corner was met by the unmarked Clément Lenglet, who flicked the ball onto Leander Dendoncker to tap home.
The first-half performance elicited loud boos from the United faithful, but Ten Hag’s halftime remonstration seemed to do the trick. United came out flying in the second half, and Garnacho thought he had pulled one back with a clever finish after a swift counter-attack by Marcus Rashford. However, VAR intervened to rule the Argentine marginally offside.
Undeterred, United continued to press, and their persistence paid off just before the hour mark. Bruno Fernandes burst forward and found Rashford, whose low cross was converted by Garnacho to finally get the Red Devils on the board. Ten minutes later, Garnacho was on the spot again to pounce on a loose ball and equalize, setting up a dramatic final 20 minutes.
The winner arrived in the 84th minute, courtesy of an unlikely source. A Bruno Fernandes corner deflected off a Villa defender and landed perfectly for Højlund, who thumped a volley into the net to send Old Trafford into pandemonium. The Danish striker’s first Premier League goal proved to be the decisive one, securing a thrilling victory for United under immense pressure.
While United celebrate their remarkable comeback and extend their Old Trafford dominance, Aston Villa will be left to rue their missed opportunity to claim a rare triumph at the Theatre of Dreams. Unai Emery’s side will look to bounce back when they host Burnley on Saturday, while United turn their attention to a trip to Nottingham Forest.
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