Hernandez Brace Resurrects United

A Javier Hernandez double inspired yet another Manchester United comeback in a hard fought victory against a deflated Aston Villa.

Hernandez, a second half substitute, left Villa feeling a sense of de ja vu after United came from 2-0 down to turn the game on its head.

A pulsating second half was barely five minutes old when Andreas Weimann doubled Villa’s lead, after opening the scoring on the stroke of half time, with a close range finish from Gabriel Agbonlahor’s cross.

But the introduction of Hernandez was the catalyst for a dramatic turn around and three goals in half an hour which captured all three points for the league leaders.

Were Villa architects of their own downfall?

Emphatically not.

Paul Lambert’s side won’t be win the league with kids but on this performance his youthful side must be favourites to pull themselves out of their slump. 

Villa made it hard for United, who were not at their best, by pressing their midfielders, particularly Paul Scholes, into submitting possession.

Indeed it was Lambert’s men who for an hour looked good value for their lead but Villa Park has been a happy hunting ground for United, the ground where they have prised the most Premier League points away from Old Trafford.

Villa’s lead came after 45 minutes of counter attacking play from both sides, Austrian striker Weimann placing above David de Gea in the United goal after a well measured pull-back from the lively Christian Benteke.

Though Ashley Young, who was booed from the outset, swung a shot side wide and Wayne Rooney drove one from afar, United failed to threaten Brad Guzan’s goal; Robin Van Persie cut a peripheral figure up front.

It was when the second half got under way, with Hernandez replacing the futile Young, that United’s rhythm improved. 

But when an errant pass from Scholes was latched onto by Stephen Ireland, Agbonlahor tore up the left wing in support. His cross-goal effort was diverted past De Gea from close range by Weimann and with 50 minutes on the clock Villa should have been favourites for an unlikely victory.

Ferguson’s United, though, are never dead and buried and a second half resurrection was given life when Hernandez ran onto Scholes’ lob over the Villa defence to slip past the ensuing Guzan.

United have made a habit of falling behind this season, eight times in all competitions, before recovering  to earn a victory, but when Van Persie twice hit the wood work, firstly with a close header and seconds later with a curling effort, Villa could have been forgiven for thinking this was their night.

But United don’t do sympathy and when Hernandez’s deflected second at the back post drew his side level there was only going to be one outcome.

With less than five minutes to go Van Persie swept a delivery into Villa’s penalty area to find an unmarked Hernandez to stoop low and head home to conquer.  

The last time United came from two down at this ground and won was when Ruud Van Nistelrooy fired two past Villa. 

Partnering the Dutchman that day was a Norwegian striker whose habit of conjuring match winning goals earned him cult status in the Stretford End.

Hernandez might have earned a place in the starting 11 next week.   

Villain’s Robbed By Late United Show

A youthful Aston Villa side were denied what would have been a deserved victory over Manchester United following two late goals that rescued a point for the travelling side.

A Villa win had looked inevitable after goals from Ashley Young and Mark Albrighton put them 2-0 up with ten minutes of normal time remaining. But such is the indefatigable desire instilled in Sir Alex Ferguson’s men that his side were able to register their first shot on target only in the 80th minute but still go on to earn the most unlikely of points.

Villa’s line up included a first Premier League start for 21 year-old Jonathan Hogg and a place for Barry Bannan, 20. Gerard Houllier also welcomed Gabriel Agbonlahor into his starting XI after recovering from a lengthy injury. With John Carew and Emile Heskey both out Villa would seek to use the pace of Agbonlahor and Ashley Young to trouble Rio Ferndinand and Nemanja Vidic. United started with the side that finished at City last Wednesday, the only change being Javier Hernandez in for the suspended Paul Scholes. Park Ji Sung was playing in his fourth consecutive league match, a fete he last achieved 2 years ago.

A match that ended memorably started poorly. For the first half an hour neither side could carve an opening but Dimitar Berbatov should have put United in front from 10 yards. The Bulgarian, who hasn’t scored in 8 league games now, was through to the left of goal but toed his shot wide with his left foot. Ashley Young then called Edwin Van Der Sar into action with a quick volley from outside the United area.

A clever United free-kick before the stroke of half time was the best chance of the opening forty five minutes. Evra was released wide in the opposing penalty area but both Berbatov and Hernandez failed to read his squared pass across the six yard line. It was the last act of a half where United had been careless with the ball and Villa looked the more probing.

As the second instalment got under way it was the home side that sought to leverage a victory. Stewart Downing was sweeping classy crosses into the box, one of them Albrighton ought to have converted after eluding Patrice Evra. The right back then had an opportunity to pull back to the oncoming Young but instead youthful exuberance prevailed and the England U-21 lashed wide.

The chances continued to fall to Villa and the best to James Collins who from a Downing cross thundered a header 6 inches too high against the rattling crossbar. The woodwork again came to United’s rescue when a blocked shot fell to Agbonlahor who snapped a drive against the up-right.

The clarets’ profligacy and persistence eventually paid dividends when the pace of Villa’s front two, Agbonlahor and Young, got the better of Ferdinand and Vidic before Brown impeded Young as he took aim inside the box. The winger made no mistake with his penalty, hitting it hard byond a wrong-footed Van Der Sar.

Ferguson, clearly irked, responded by hauling off Berbatov and Hernandez, replacing the two strikers with Kiko Macheda and Gabriel Obertan. The Italian’s impact was instant. Giving the ball away on the edge of Villa’s area Young catapulted forward and was ushered Downing down the flank with a well-weighted ball. Downing in an instant switched the play across the fabled channel that exists between goalkeeper and defender for Albrighton to side-foot past a despairing Van Der Sar. The pace at which Villa attacked was reminiscent of United in their ‘Fergie Fledgling’ heyday. An onlooking Fabio Capello would have noted all participants were eligible for his selection.

The goal all but sealed the Villain’s first home win against United since 1995, the year kids were deemed incapable of winning a league title by one pundit. But like Alan Hansen should have hedged his bets, Villa should have seen out the game. Instead United embarked on a remarkable ten minute comeback initiated when Macheda drove the ball high into the net following an astute back hell from Darren Fletcher. Villa Park twitched as wave after wave of, finally, meaningful attacks threatened to find a breakthrough. Inevitably it came.

Nani, who had had a disappointing game, crossed beautifully to the back post for Nemanja Vidic to dive and head beyond Brad Friedel. At 2-2 Villa felt hard done by but as Houllier accepted afterwards he would have taken the score before the match. Ferguson chastised his side describing them as “all over the place” and said Villa could have had 6 goals in the second half but, in a stark contrast to United mantra of past years, the kids weren't quite ready.