Aston Villa climbed to third in the Premier League at Christmas, edging closer to leaders Arsenal with a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Villa Park on Sunday.
Morgan Rogers was the standout performer, scoring both goals to inspire Unai Emery’s side. He opened the scoring with a beautifully curled strike just before halftime and later doubled Villa’s lead early in the second half, becoming the first Villa player since Dion Dublin in 1998 to score braces in consecutive Premier League matches.
Manchester United had shown promise in the first half, with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko testing Emiliano Martinez, and Rogers even hitting the woodwork early on. United drew level quickly when Cunha capitalised on a Matty Cash error to finish calmly past Martinez in the 48th minute.
The visitors were further hampered when Bruno Fernandes suffered a hamstring injury, joining key absentees Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo. Cunha missed a golden chance to equalise a second time, heading wide from a Dorgu cross, as Villa held on to claim the victory.
The result gives Villa a perfect 10, marking their 10th consecutive win in all competitions for the first time since 1914. They have 36 points at Christmas, only surpassed by their 39 points in the 2023-24 season.
Rogers, aged 23 years and 148 days, has now scored 21 goals across all competitions since last term, making him the youngest Premier League player to reach 20+ goals in this timeframe. He dominated Villa’s attacking output, taking seven of the team’s 12 shots. Cunha, despite creating chances and having six attempts, couldn’t find a second equaliser, though he has now scored in three straight Premier League games against Villa, matching his longest streak against any opponent.
