Man United 2-0 Aston Villa: Amorim’s Men Finish Strong, Visitors Miss Champions League

Having messed up their own hopes of Champions League qualification, Manchester United ensured that Aston Villa won’t be joining Europe’s elite next season either in a surprisingly one-sided game at Old Trafford.

Ruben Amorim’s side dominated from start to finish, hitting the woodwork three times, and should have been ahead long before scoring second-half goals through Amad Diallo and Christian Eriksen, who marked his farewell appearance with a late penalty.

It meant that Villa, who were briefly in fifth place due to results elsewhere, finish sixth and play in the Europa League next season. It was a strangely flat performance by Unai Emery’s side who played like United did against Tottenham in Wednesday’s Europa League final in Bilbao, stifled by anxiety with so much to lose.

It didn’t help that they had goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez sent off before half-time, and Emery will also point to a disallowed goal by Morgan Rodgers when the game was still goalless.

United, on the other hand, played with rare freedom to end a wretched season with only their second Premier League win in the last three months to finish 15th. But they have missed out on Europe for only the second time in 35 years so there was hardly cause for celebration as they head of on a post season tour of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

Amorim’s team selection certainly caused plenty of debate before kick-off with the absence of Alejandro Garnacho the biggest talking point. His omission from the squad came 24 hours after it emerged that Amorim had told the Argentina winger that he can find a new club this summer.

So had Garnacho been denied the opportunity to say farewell to Old Trafford? Would he even go on the club’s post-season trip? ‘Yes,’ said Amorim before kick-off. ‘He is not in the squad today but he is still a Manchester United player.’

There was no Andre Onana, Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro or Joshua Zirkzee either, although it was difficult to know what to read into that. Amorim revealed that Yoro and Shaw both had knocks, while Zirkzee only returned just in time for the Europa League final from what was meant to be a season-ending hamstring injury.

Onana, on the other hand, will go on a promotional tour to India with Harry Maguire and Diogo Dalot after the game, and this could well have been a final appearance for his No.2 Altay Bayindir.

That will certainly be the case for Victor Lindelof, who started this game, and Eriksen and Jonny Evans who were on the bench.

In contrast, Emery named an unchanged side from Villa’s victory over Tottenham last time out, underlining both the stability in his camp and the importance of winning this final game.

Villa started the day as one of five teams competing for the remaining three Champions League spots and one of three on 66 points. It has been another fantastic season under Emery, and Villa arrived at Old Trafford having won eight of their nine games since the start of March – more than any other top-flight club.

United had won just once in the league during that period – away to relegated Leicester in mid-March – but you wouldn’t have recognised the 10-place gap or disparity in form between the two teams based on how this game started.

United were quickly onto the front foot and could have scored several times inside the opening 12 minutes. Noussair Mazraoui picked out Mason Mount’s run to the edge of the six-yard box but Martinez made a fine reflex save to keep out his first-time effort, and Mount headed straight at the keeper when Rasmus Hojlund clipped in a cross from the other flank.

Diallo then teed up Bruno Fernandes to aim a tame shot at Martinez, and Mount crossed for Diallo to guide a low effort past the post.

United suffered a setback when Mazraoui went down clutching his hamstring and he limped off straight down the tunnel, bringing Dalot into the action with less than 20 minutes on the clock.

Harry Maguire channelled his inner ‘Harrydinho’ – so-called after his cross from the wing for Manuel Ugarte’s goal against Lyon last month – when he brought down a high ball and beat two Villa defenders with a neat turn before teeing up Dalot to curl a shot against the far post.

United wasted another opportunity just after the half hour mark when Fernandes lifted a pass over the top for Dalot who was just onside, but he misjudged his pass to Hojlund in front of goal by a matter of inches.

It was a strangely subdued performance by Villa and they reduced to 10 men before the interval when Martinez was sent off on what may his farewell appearance for the club.

Matty Cash was at fault in the second minute of time added on with an under-hit back-pass and Hojlund was always going to reach it ahead of the Villa keeper. He went round Martinez who floored him with the crudest of body checks. Martinez protested his innocence but referee Thomas Bramall was having none of it and produced a straight red card.

Hojlund beat substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen within four minutes of the restart, but he was offside when he nodded home from close-range after Casemiro had headed goalwards from a corner.

Fernandes flashed a 25-yard effort inches wide and Casemiro clipped the outside of the post with a curling shot after another Cash pass went astray.

United simply couldn’t punish Villa’s mistakes and when Kobbie Mainoo – a half-time replacement for substitute Dalot – robbed the dithering Pau Torres and squared to Hojlund in front of goal, the Dane’s first touch let him down.

Moments later, Ian Maatsen made a hopeless attempt at heading back to his keeper from the halfway line and Hojlund raced onto the loose ball but aimed straight at Olsen.

News of Everton taking the lead at Newcastle and lifting Villa into fifth spot sparked celebrations among the away fans who had grown very quiet, and they thought their team had a goal in the 73rd minute.

Bayindir had hardly seen the ball and it showed when he slid in to collect it on the floor. Did he have it in both hands? Technically yes but only by the finest of margins with his fingertips. The referee certainly thought so and whistled when Morgan Rodgers poked it out of his grasp and scored in an empty net.

Emery’s joy turned to anger as it was swiftly ruled out and he was a picture of frustration when United finally made their dominance pay three minutes later.

Mainoo gave the ball to Fernandes in midfield and he looked up to spot Diallo eyeing up a run to the back post. The cross was inch-perfect and Diallo ghosted in behind Maatsen to head into the far corner.

Despite saying that he would not be swayed by sentiment, Amorim had sent on Eriksen and Evans for their farewell appearances, and Eriksen almost celebrated with a goal when his free kick clipped the top of the bar.

United secured the second that confirmed the end of Villa’s Champions League hopes in the 87th minute. Maatsen chased Diallo into the box and down went the Ivorian. The contact was minimal but it was inside. The referee pointed to the spot and Emery reacted by sarcastically clapping on the touchline.

Amorim agreed with the decision to hand the penalty to Eriksen and he ended his United career by steering the ball past Olsen.

Bayindir was finally called into action in the second of eight minutes added on at the end when he made a double save from Cash and Ollie Watkins, but it was too little too late by then for Villa.