Manchester United clinched a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa with Rasmus Hojlund netting his inaugural Premier League goal. The thrilling match saw Alejandro Garnacho scoring twice to help Manchester United recover from a two-goal deficit on Tuesday.
Erik ten Hag's squad, which faced boos from fans at halftime, moved up to sixth place in the standings with 31 points. Meanwhile, Villa, who suffered their first loss in 11 games across all competitions, currently holds the third position with 39 points.
After a total of 1,027 minutes, Hojlund finally broke his goal drought in the 82nd minute. It happened when a United corner deflected off John McGinn's knee and landed in front of the Danish player. The 20-year-old swiftly struck the ball into the net, hitting the post, and received a standing ovation before leaving the game a few minutes later.
Hojlund expressed his happiness by saying to Amazon Prime, that he had been waiting for a while, but now he is extremely happy. He mentioned that he is currently the happiest person alive. He also pointed out that their celebrations clearly show their belief in themselves and their victory today.
Villa's McGinn found the net in the 21st minute with a powerful free kick that went past multiple players and into the bottom left corner. Dendoncker then doubled their lead five minutes later with a close-range shot after Lenglet headed a corner kick back across the goal. United seemed destined for their ninth loss in 19 league games, but Garnacho changed the game in the 59th minute with a strong shot from the centre of the box. He then equalized for the hosts in the 71st minute after a give-and-go with Fernandes, before Hojlund scored the winning goal.
United, who made their first appearance since Jim Ratcliffe finalized a deal on Christmas Eve to acquire a minority share in the Premier League club, appeared to be defeated at halftime. However, their astonishing turnaround in the second half was truly remarkable. Garnacho thought he had scored a goal for United just minutes after halftime, thanks to a precise pass from Marcus Rashford. He skillfully manoeuvred around goalkeeper Emi Martinez and confidently placed the ball into the net. Unfortunately, VAR revealed that he was in an offside position.
United persisted in launching successive attacks, managing to direct seven shots on target compared to Villa's four. Their perseverance eventually paid off during the last 30 minutes of the match.
Hojlund, who joined United from Atalanta in August, showcased his prowess by scoring five goals in four Champions League games. However, his inability to find the back of the net in league matches has led to doubts being raised in recent weeks.
Photo: X/Manchester United
(With Input from agencies)
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