Manchester United had one of the worst starts of the season, but they finally have some good news. The Red Devils had injuries and many players started to underperform this season, leading to many bad performances. There were also many controversies due to some players.
This led to them ending up just 6th in the Premier League and out of Europe already. But they finally managed to get a great win after many matches of disappointment. And the fans can only hope they can build on this win.
Manchester United seals thrilling comeback win against Villa
Manchester United grabbed a big win over Aston Villa on Boxing Day, a team that has been on the rise ever since Unai Emery took over. However, the win was also very characteristic of United’s whole season, though some good things can also be taken away from the win.
United scored two goals before halftime itself, a sight that has not been uncommon in recent matches. Aston Villa’s John McGinn scored a free kick, and Leander Dendoncker scored a sublime flick goal. Already, many had predicted another loss for Erik ten Hag’s men.
Man United 3-2 Aston Villa
— 🔴WFGOALS (@WFTV46) December 26, 2023
⚽ Højlund 82' #MUNAVL 😎pic.twitter.com/bOSt3sFITz
But the manager rallied his players, who ended up performing better in the second half. United’s starboy, Alejandro Garnacho, was the one to save them. He first scored in the 59th minute from a perfect ball from Marcus Rashford, and then again in the 71st minute to equalize thanks to a deflection.
But it was new signing Rasmus Hojlund, who scored the winner late in the 82nd minute. He scored the goal from a corner, and it was his first Premier League goal for his new team. It was great for him, as he finally ended the criticism of his not scoring in the league since his arrival. The win ended their three-game winless run, and they can hope to build on this.
Manchester United’s choice of Rasmus Højlund over Haaland draws criticism
Rasmus Hojlund is under fire despite scoring the club’s first league goal. Moreover, the sheer magnitude of his ridiculous transfer fee is a point worth emphasizing. Many hold the belief that spending such a substantial sum of resources on an unproven prodigy, as opposed to acquiring a seasoned goal-scorer, was an erroneous choice.
Dwight Yorke, a legendary striker who played for Manchester United in their glory era, shares the same sentiment. He said that United should have gone big for rival Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland when he was available. He said, “I think they should have paid £150 million for Erling Haaland. Harry Kane is an obvious choice. And Victor Osimhen is another I would have tried for.
He also felt sorry for Hojlund and explained why he thought signing him was a bad decision. “I feel sorry for the kid Rasmus, he’s suffering all around. I didn’t know anything about him until he came to United for such a huge fee. He’s 20 years of age, never had top-level experience, and you can see he’s in that development stage.”
Manchester United will have to move on from the win as the team take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday.
