March 16, 2026 | 07:32 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The club Manchester United defeated Aston Villa with a score of 3-1 in a Premier League match at Old Trafford Stadium on Sunday, March 15, 2026. With this result, United solidifies their position in third place on the temporary standings with a three-point lead over Villa who are below them.
The match was tightly contested in the first half. No goals were scored, and the score remained unchanged until halftime. The opening goal was scored by Casemiro with a header from a corner kick by Bruno Fernandes in the 53rd minute.
Villa equalized through Ross Barkley in the 64th minute before Matheus Cunha put Man United ahead again seven minutes later. Fernandes once again played a key role in Cunha's goal, providing a through pass that was well finished by the Brazilian player.
Benjamin Sesko, who came in for Bryan Mbeumo in the 77th minute, extended MU's lead just five minutes after coming off the bench. He capitalized on a loose ball in the penalty box after Cunha's cross was blocked, and successfully struck it into Villa's goal.
Fernandes almost had a hat-trick of assists in this match. He sent a pass to Sesko towards the end of the game, but the Slovenian player failed to convert the chance. The final score was 3-1 in favor of the Red Devils.
Fernandes expressed his delight in being able to assist his teammates in scoring goals. "Bringing joy to others is very good. I am prouder and happier because I serve my teammates," he said after the match, as quoted from Sky Sports.
This marks MU's fifth home victory under Carrick, or the seventh three-point haul since his appointment in mid-January. The other two matches ended in a draw and a loss. With this impressive record, United, who were previously trailing Villa by 11 points, now have a three-point lead and are the favorites to finish in third place in the Premier League this season.
Manchester United legend, Roy Keane, is confident that his former club will secure a spot in the Champions League next season. "Yes, I am confident they will qualify," he said while serving as a commentator on Sky Sports.
"Without distractions, just focus on the game and performance recovery. Villa seemed a bit weary today (after playing in the Europa League on Thursday), and United were quite comfortable in the second half," he added.
He also highlighted Fernandes' freedom of movement. "If you give a player like Bruno time and space, you will be punished."
What Does Carrick Say?
Carrick admitted to being pleased with Fernandes and his teammates' performance in defeating Villa. Overall, he stated that the team's performance was good. "We did many things that we really enjoyed in this match and to finish it in such a way, we know this is a big match, and to return to the winning ways, the players responded very well," he said, as quoted from Sky Sport.
In the previous match week, Manchester United lost 1-2 at home to Newcastle. It was Carrick's first defeat as a coach. With this result, they are back to winning ways and will prepare to face Bournemouth in the early hours of Saturday, March 21, 2026 WIB.
"I am quite happy with the result in the first half, it was a tight game. Sometimes, you have to be a little cautious," he said. "The game opened up for us in the second half, and we had players who could make a difference."
He also praised Fernandes. "He has so many big moments, scoring goals or providing assists, and he is always there. He always serves, whether it's in training or in matches," he said. "The pass to Matheus was fantastic."
Read: Manchester United's New Signings Begin to Deliver
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