A second-half hattrick from super-sub Javier Hernandez helped Manchester United come from behind to beat Aston Villa this evening.
The little Mexican extended his goalscoring run to eight goals in five appearances, after Andreas Weimann had given the hosts a two-goal lead with a well-taken brace.
Here, Sports Mole assesses whether or not the final outcome was fair.
Match statistics:
Villa:
Shots 8
On target 3
Possession 30%
Corners 5
Fouls 14
United:
Shots 19
On target 5
Possession 70%
Corners 6
Fouls 8
Was the result fair?
Yes. Villa put up a good fight and United certainly did not have things all their own way. However, the Red Devils created significantly more chances than their opponents and deserved the three points.
Villa's performance
7/10 - Looked good going forward and competed well in midfield. They were marginally the better side in the first half, as Christian Benteke ran the United defence ragged and Ron Vlaar dominated at the back. However, the visitors' undoubted superiority told over 90 minutes.
United's performance
7/10 - Below-par in the first half but fantastic thereafter. Sir Alex Ferguson switched to three up front at half-time, as Hernandez replaced Ashley Young, and Villa simply could not cope.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Javier Hernandez: Easy decision for obvious reasons. His finishing was first class. He had three shots and scored three goals, although his second was slightly deflected and may eventually go down as a Vlaar own goal.
Referee performance
Kevin Friend did not have too much to deal with today. His only major decision came in first-half stoppage time, when he refused to award United a free-kick in the build-up to the opening goal. The Red Devils argued that Chris Smalling had been unfairly barged to the ground by Benteke, however I believe that the Belgian had simply used his strength and that Friend made the correct call.
What's next?
Villa: It does not get any easier for Paul Lambert's men. They travel to Manchester City next Saturday, before hosting Arsenal on November 24.
United: A trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City seven days from now is next on the agenda for the Old Trafford club.
Robert Summerscales
