Birmingham, England – February 11: Scott McTominay of Manchester United celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester United at Villa Park on February 11, 2024 in Birmingham, England. The Red Devils dominated the early stages of the game, and Hojlund opened the scoring on 17 minutes with a strike in the box after a flick on by Harry Maguire. Despite Aston Villa’s efforts, including close attempts by John McGinn and Ollie Watkins, Manchester United maintained control and went into halftime with a narrow lead. In the second half, Villa continued to put pressure on United, and Douglas Luiz eventually equalized on 67 minutes after a shot by Clement Lenglet was parried by Andre Onana.
With the game evenly poised, Scott McTominay came on as a substitute for Rashford and scored the winning goal for Manchester United with four minutes remaining, guiding home a header from a cross by Diogo Dalot. Erik ten Hag’s tactical change in stoppage time to protect the defense saw United secure their third consecutive victory, reducing the gap behind fifth-placed Villa to five points as they move up to sixth place on the table.