Match Report (P): Villa 1 - 4 United
GOALS: Agbonlahor / Rooney (2) Ferdinand; Giggs
A four goal blitz destroyed nine-man Villa and had Sir Alex purring at the blossoming Rooney -Tevez partnership as United kept pace with Premiership leaders Arsenal.
United have clearly taken a fancy to Villa Park in recent years and reserved their best performance of the season for the scene of some famous victories.
Yet the first 12 minutes of the match suggested otherwise. United’s team sheet read like a midfield surrender waiting to happen. Whilst fans were happy to see Edwin van Der Sar returning in goal, Serb enforcer Nemanja Vidic was replaced by Gerard Piqué and the mercurial Ronaldo was left on the bench. For a match against a team which had already claimed Chelsea’s scalp this season, Sir Alex sent out a midfield of Giggs, Scholes, Anderson and Nani. Who would do the tackling and the tracking back? It would be a long night of slow death in the Midlands if the role of ‘water carrier’ was to be filled by the infamous bad tackler Paul Scholes!
These worst fears of fans were confirmed by Villa’s fast start which cut United’s defence to ribbons. In the 11th minute, the visitors were consumed by defensive panic when a Villa cross from the right flank drifted out to the left and was immediately steered towards the Red goal. The lively Gabriel Agbonlahor nipped in at the near post to beat both Brown and Van Der Sar and send Villa delirious.
This was the first goal United had conceded in the league or in Europe since 19 August. The goal provided the stimulus United needed. What a glorious sight it is to see Sir Alex’s team move through the performance gears. Now the logic of Sir Alex’s selection revealed itself in pitiless splendour. United could leave Fletcher and O’Shea on the bench because the side would command the play and keep the ball.
With Scholes sitting deep, Anderson probing for openings and Tevez dropping back, United’s range of options was dizzying. Worse, Villa invited United to attack hoping to catch the visitors on the break. Part one of the plan worked beautifully. Part two was a claret and blue disaster.
United began to get closer to Carson in the Villa goal. On 22 minutes, delightful play from Nani, opened up space for Tevez in the box but he could not convert the chance. Scholes sent a missile scudding just over the bar three minutes later.
The breakthrough finally came in the 35th minute. Again, Nani was the instigator, his rightwing cross provoking such panic in Villa’s ranks that Rooney was almost embarrassed to score with an easy far post tap in.
The Villa defenders were left looking at each other but for United, the goal was no more than they deserved, having controlled the match since going behind.
Sir Alex’s side then took the lead on 43 minutes with another strike as memorable in its creation as in the execution.
Tevez cut in from the left and aided by some superb blindside running by Patrice Evra which opened up space in front of the Argentine, the striker threaded a wonderful pass through to Rooney. The England forward’s instant control and finish inside the box brought United fans to their feet.
Villa looked drained. On the stroke of half time, United increased their advantage after Ferdinand, three yards out, profited from Villa’s failure to clear a corner and forced home a shot which ended up in the net with a little help from a defender.
Villa’s heads were down as the second half began. The despondent mood deepened when midfielder Reo Coker was sent off for a second reckless tackle in the 59th minute.
United had feasted on a full strength Villa side. Against 10 men, even with the game won, Ferguson’s players must have been confident of adding to their handsome goal tally.
And so it came to pass. On 65 minutes, a lightening United breakaway began with Tevez finding Rooney surging down the left, with a wonderful pass. Rooney evaded the close attention of defender Bouma and crossed to Tevez, arriving at speed in the Villa penalty area. The midfielder was felled by keeper Carson, to earn United a penalty and the goal keeper an early bath.
Rooney, on a hatrick, stepped up but sent a weak spot kick straight to substitute keeper Stuart Taylor who parried. The danger was averted but the fourth goal was not long in coming. Ryan Giggs, celebrated his new United deal by rolling back the years with some vintage wing play. The Welsh flier cut in from United’s right on 74 minutes and beat two Villa defenders before sending a deflected shot crashing into the goal.
United’s evening under the Midlands sky could not have gone better and Sir Alex Ferguson will be in excellent mood as his team journey’s to Kiev for a Champions League encounter. For Villa, the wretched run of form against United continues.
TEAM: Van Der Sar; Brown, Piqué, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Scholes (O’Shea 76) Anderson, Giggs (Ronaldo 76) Rooney, Tevez (Fletcher 71)
Substitutes: Kuszczak, Simpson
POST SCRIPT
Sir Alex : “The performance was superb. The flow of our game, the tempo and movement, was outstanding. It was our best performance of the season, particularly in the 10-minute spell after Villa had taken the lead when we scored three times.
“Many sides will find it hard to come to Villa Park and win this season. It was a really good Villa team we got the better of today.
“Wayne is in one of those spells where he is scoring all the time. He is like that at times and his movement was terrific. Wayne and Tevez made it very difficult for Villa. But then again they are two outstanding players.
“Tevez could have had a hat-trick and we made plenty of good chances. I’m very happy with the performance.”
Martin O’Neill : “We got off to a great start and maybe should have scored a second goal. But the goals we conceded were really poor from our point of view. They were avoidable and suddenly we find ourselves 3-1 down at half-time.
“We tried to get back in it but I thought the sending off of Nigel was a big moment in the game. The first booking was debatable, the second is never a yellow card in a million years. It was really harsh.
“I’m really disappointed because we were really up for this game, ready to go, and we were made to pay for our defending.”
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