Sports

Player ratings as Unai Emery wins first game as Villans boss

Aston Villa recorded a famous win over Manchester United on Sunday evening, winning their first game under new coach Unai Emery.

Goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey were enough for the Villans to see off an in-form Red Devils side.

Aston Villa made a perfect start to life under Unai Emery inside the opening 10 minutes of the new manager’s first game in charge, taking a two goal lead against Man Utd.

The opener came from Leon Bailey, who drove the ball low and hard across goal and into the bottom right corner of the net, having been played through on goal by Jacob Ramsey.

The second goal would be scored by Lucas Digne in spectacular fashion. The French full-back curled a free kick from just outside the penalty into the top corner of the net.

Man Utd finally start to show some signs of life on the half hour mark, focring Emi Martinez into two good saves in quick succession. The first Red Devils player to be denied by the Argentine international was the young Garnacho who, after drifting past Matty Cash in the box, saw a decent effort on goal palmed clear by the goalkeeper.

Cristiano Ronaldo was denied moments later, with Martinez getting his foot on the forward’s header.

The visitors did eventually find a route back into the game through a deflected Luke Shaw volley. The left-back latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and fired the ball in on goal – an effort which flick off the back of Jacob Ramsey and into the back of the net.

Villa hit the ground running once again at the start of the second half, grabbing a crucial third goal in the 48th minute through Ramsey. The young midfielder coolly side-footed an Ollie Watkins cut-back cross into the top right corner of the goal.

After that, United didn’t really threaten to get back into the game as Emery’s team, rather comfortably, shut up shop for the remainder of the half.

GK – Emiliano Martinez – 7/10 – Made two very good saves in the first half and commanded his area well throughout.

RB – Matty Cash – 6/10 – Worked hard on the right flank.

CB – Ezri Konza – 6/10 – A solid performances from the 25-year-old.

CB – Tyrone Mings – 7/10 – Comfortably dealt with Ronaldo.

LB – Lucas Digne – 7/10 – Scored a wonderful free-kick.

CM – Leander Dendoncker – 7/10 – Very solid in the middle of the park for Villa.

CM – Douglas Luiz – 7/10 – Impressed in transition, seemingly always playing the right pass.

RM – Jacob Ramsey – 9/10 – Really great performance. Unfortunate to score an own goal but quickly made amends with a lovely finish at the other end after half-time.

AM – Emi Buendia – 7/10 – Moved the ball around brilliantly, particularly in the first half.

LM – Leon Bailey – 8/10 – Opened the scoring with a clinical finish and cause Man Utd a host of problems with his pace.

ST – Ollie Watkins – 7/10 – Stretched Man Utd’s backline at will. Bagged an assist.

SUB – John McGinn – 6/10.

SUB – Ashley Young – 6/10.

SUB – Boubacar Kamara – 6/10.

SUB – Danny Ings – N/A.

SUB – Morgan Sanson – N/A.

GK – David de Gea – 5/10 – Conceded three but could do nothing about any of the goals.

RB – Diogo Dalot – 5/10 – Nowhere near the level he showed last weekend.

CB – Lisandro Martinez – 5/10 – Struggled to keep Bailey in check.

CB – Victor Lindelof – 4/10 – Not his greatest outing.

LB – Luke Shaw – 6/10 – His deflected strike got Man Utd back in the game.

CM – Casemiro – 5/10 – Struggled to make his mark on the game.

CM – Christian Eriksen – 5/10 – One great cross in the first half but that was all he offered really.

RM – Marcus Rashford – 3/10 – Looked completely lost out on the right flank.

AM – Donny van de Beek – 2/10 – At the moment he doesn’t look cut out for this level.

LM – Garnacho – 5/10 – Forced Martinez into a good save in the first half.

ST – Cristiano Ronaldo – 4/10 – One decent header in the first half, but he really struggled up against Mings.

SUB – Anthony Elanga – 5/10.

SUB – Anthony Martial – 5/10.

SUB – Tyrell Malacia – 5/10.

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