Manchester United vs Aston Villa LIVE: FA Cup result, final score and reaction from third-round fixture tonight
All the action as the Red Devils and the Villains fight it out at Old Trafford for a place in the fourth round
Manchester United are a mess but that mess is through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Aston Villa should really be the ones progressing to play Middlesbrough on the balance of play at Old Trafford last night, as Steven Gerrard’s side continue to quietly impress and gradually improve under a newly-appointed manager who is having a tangible, positive effect on his players. The same cannot yet be said of United and Ralf Rangnick.
But courtesy of Scott McTominay’s early header, United march on and Rangnick picked up a valuable win after a week in which his interim spell in charge has threatened to unravel. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s temporary successor is still moulding this big, bloated squad into his image; still waiting for a statement performance, and on this evidence, there is still a long way to go too, but at least he has a little more breathing room.
A response was needed after last week’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Villa will leave feeling that they played just as well as their neighbours in the west Midlands, only with nothing to show for their efforts. From the moment they went behind to McTominay’s header to the final whistle, they were the better side and fed off a febrile atmosphere, which was only heightened by Gerrard’s presence in the away dugout. Yet for all their opportunities and contentiously disallowed Danny Ings equaliser, they were eliminated. Follow all the reaction below as Man United beat Aston Villa:
Fortunate Manchester United squeeze past Aston Villa to set up FA Cup meeting with Middlesbrough
FA Cup fourth round draw: Non-league Kidderminster to host West Ham, Chelsea face Plymouth 
Raphael Varane keen to help Manchester United end five-year trophy drought
Steven Gerrard not underestimating size of Aston Villa’s task in facing Manchester United
Reaction from Raphael Varane
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane says that he is happy with the result and the spirit in which his team played. Varane told BBC Sport:
It was a difficult match. We had to suffer a lot on the pitch but together and I liked the spirit of this match.
“We had the opportunity to score more goals. When it was not possible to play higher up the pitch we were compact and did not let them play easily.
“We had to be aggressive and as a result it is good. We are happy. We need more confidence, we need to be together and I think we are in a good way.”
Fortunate Manchester United squeeze past Aston Villa to set up FA Cup meeting with Middlesbrough
Manchester United are a mess but that mess is through to the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Aston Villa should really be the ones progressing to play Middlesbrough on the balance of play at Old Trafford tonight, as Steven Gerrard’s side continue to quietly impress and gradually improve under a newly-appointed manager who is having a tangible, positive effect on his players.
The same cannot yet be said of United and Ralf Rangnick.
Fortunate Man United squeeze past Villa to set up FA Cup meeting with Boro
Man United 1-0 Aston Villa: McTominay’s early goal proves enough as Villa spurn a host of chances and see two strikes hit the back of the net before being ruled out
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
Manchester United rode their luck and managed to get through a difficult FA Cup fixture in which they were the second best team. Too often they were passengers in the game and needed VAR to come to the rescue to disallow Danny Ings’ equaliser.
Full-time: Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
90+6 mins: Manchester United have won it! Villa twice had the ball in the back of the net but both times the goals were struck off. They’ll feel hard done by but there will be no complaints about Scott McTominay’s winning goal.
Job done for Ralf Rangnick who’s team are through to the fourth round and will face Middlesbrough.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
90+5 mins: El Ghazi snatches at a shot from the right side of the box but boots it high and wide. David De Gea restarts the game with a long ball up to Elanga who runs it towards the byline and wins a corner.
United are unable to keep it in the corner and the ball is given to Martinez who mishits a long ball and sends it straight out of play.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
90+3 mins: Van de Beek stops a run from Douglas Luiz and threads the ball bal to Lingard. He takes the ball over to the right hand corner and does brilliantly to shake off three defenders and give the ball to Greenwood. He cuts inside and blasts a left-footed shot at goal but can’t beat Martinez.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
90 mins: There’s going to be six minutes of added time to play. That’s plenty of time for another goal, will we see one?
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
87 mins: Villa win a corner that McGinn swings into the box. Konsa and Shaw come together at the back post with Konsa running into Shaw’s outstretched arm. He takes a knock to the face and goes down. There’s blood pumping from Konsa’s nose as the medical team come out to see to him.
Time is running out for Villa to get an equaliser. Manchester United seem to have regained a degree of control.
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
84 mins: Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford are taken off by Ralf Rangnick with Jesse Lingard and Anthony Elanga come on for the final few minutes.
Jacob Ramsey also goes off for Villa with Jaden Philogene-Bidace the man to come on. Is there a final twist to this game?
Man Utd 1 - 0 Aston Villa
81 mins: Steven Gerrard goes to the bench for Aston Villa’s first change. Anwar El Ghazi comes on to replace Emiliano Buendia.
Rashford gives the ball away but Greenwood manages to recover it and urge United forward. Fred gives it to Fernandes who carries the ball down the right side. He switches the play back over to the Brazilian who’s made a run into space on the left. Fred comes up against Ramsey and wins a corner.
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