Manchester United boosted their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with a crucial 3–1 victory over top-four rivals Aston Villa on Sunday.
Casemiro gave United the lead early in the second half at Old Trafford before Ross Barkley brought Villa level. But Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško struck late to seal victory for Michael Carrick’s side.
The win was Carrick’s seventh in nine games since taking charge as interim manager.
Third-placed United now sit three points clear of fourth-placed Villa in the Premier League race for a Champions League place.
United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe praised Carrick’s “excellent” work earlier this week but stopped short of committing to the former United midfielder on a permanent basis.
Carrick, however, continues to strengthen his case after steadying the club following Rúben Amorim’s dismissal.
United were playing for the first time in 11 days after the first defeat of Carrick’s tenure at Newcastle United, and the interim boss celebrated exuberantly on the touchline after Šeško wrapped up the points.
Villa’s slump continued as they suffered a third successive league defeat. Unai Emery’s side have just one win in their last seven league games and remain only three points above fifth-placed Chelsea FC with eight matches remaining.
After a sluggish first half, United finally broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute.
A powerful effort from Bryan Mbeumo was pushed away by Emiliano Martínez, conceding a corner that led to the opener. Bruno Fernandes curled the set-piece to the near post, where Casemiro timed his run perfectly to glance a header past Martínez.
With Casemiro expected to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, United supporters responded with chants of “one more year” for the Brazilian midfielder.
Villa equalised in the 64th minute after United briefly lost concentration.
Making his first Premier League start in 14 months, Barkley fired a superb strike past Senne Lammens from 12 yards after United failed to clear the ball.
Fernandes the creator
United quickly regained control in the 71st minute.
Cunha raced onto a sublime through ball from Fernandes and guided a composed finish into the far corner.
It was Fernandes’ 16th league assist of the season, surpassing David Beckham’s club record of 15 set during the 1999-2000 campaign.
The Portuguese playmaker has now registered 100 assists in all competitions for United since joining from Sporting CP in 2020.
Šeško then came off the bench to underline his value after being left out of the starting lineup, his 81st-minute strike taking a deflection on its way past Martínez.
Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone after a 0–0 draw with Fulham FC at the City Ground.
Still searching for their first victory under Vítor Pereira, Forest, who have already appointed four managers this season, moved above third-bottom West Ham United on goal difference.
Ten-man Leeds United held on for a goalless draw at Crystal Palace despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin missing a penalty and a bizarre red card for Gabriel Gudmundsson.
Calvert-Lewin fired wide from the spot after Will Hughes handled in the area. Gudmundsson was later dismissed just before half-time after referee Thomas Bramall was reminded via his earpiece that the defender had already been booked before committing another foul on Ismaïla Sarr.
Later on Sunday, struggling Tottenham Hotspur travel to Liverpool FC, with only goal difference keeping Spurs outside the relegation zone.
Interim boss Igor Tudor has lost all four matches since replacing the sacked Thomas Frank, leaving Tottenham without a win in 11 league games and on a run of five straight defeats.
Spurs are in serious danger of dropping into the second tier for the first time since the 1977–78 season. Their problems deepened in midweek with a heavy 5–2 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.
Sixth-placed Liverpool would move into the top four with a win, while pushing Tottenham deeper into the relegation battle.
