Rasmus Højlund's Long-Awaited Premier League Goal Rescues Manchester United in Aston Villa Comeback
Rasmus Højlund breaks goal drought to lead Manchester United's remarkable comeback, securing an electrifying 3-2 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford
Rasmus Højland scored his debut Premier League goal after participating in over 1,000 minutes of play. This helped Manchester United come back from a 2-0 deficit to secure an exciting 3-2 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford. United's continued poor defending, a trend throughout the season, allowed Villa to take a 2-0 lead in the first half with set-piece goals from John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker.
Boos rang out around Old Trafford, now a common feature of Uniteds home matches, after Dendonckers goal and as the home side made its way to the tunnel for half-time.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, potential owner of Manchester United, was seen at Old Trafford in a photo from March 17, 2023. Aaron Ramsey spoke highly of Ratcliffe's passion and ambition to elevate his team, Nice, to the highest levels. This information was released on Monday, March 20, 2023 by the Press Association via AP Images, with a photo credit to Peter Byrne/Press Association/AP.
Manchester United has sold a 25% stake to Jim Ratcliffe. Yet, a remarkable show of determination, a quality that has been notably absent in Erik ten Hag's team this season, enabled United to completely change the game in the second half.
At half-time, Ten Hag told Prime Sport, "Being down by two due to set plays means we were not as focused. However, I believe we still played well in the first half and continued to make efforts." The match ended with two goals from teenager Alejandro Garnacho bringing Manchester United even with 20 minutes left, and Højlund securing three crucial points for Ten Hag with a clinical volley eight minutes from time to end the Danes' goal drought.
At half-time, I told the team to keep believing and doing what they were doing, and to do even more. I said that cutting it to 2-1 would make anything possible. Before the game, I reminded them that we've been competitive with Arsenal and Liverpool, so if we play our best, we can beat anyone.
I encouraged them to believe in themselves, even when they were two-nil down. I told them to keep going, show character, and today they showed just that. I believe we have the right personalities for this, and today's performance was top-notch.
United's form was in a dismal state as they entered the Boxing Day match on Tuesday, having failed to score in their last four matches and only managing to secure one point from four Premier League games.
United had to fight back from 2-0 down.
Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty Images
United fought back, but their fragile defense gave Aston Villa numerous opportunities to ruin Ten Hag's Christmas. The team's ability to secure the victory will have been a huge relief, especially with David Brailsford in attendance at Old Trafford. Tuesday's game marked the first since British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 25% stake in the club. While Brailsford, a British cycling coach and the Director of Sport at Ratcliffe's INEOS company, will no doubt be encouraged by the comeback, he will also be fully aware of the enormous challenge ahead of him.
Ratcliffe took the initiative and penned an open letter to the Manchester United Supporters Trust, highlighting the vital importance of fans in determining the future of the club.
"I am confident that we can achieve success in sports to complement the undeniable commercial prosperity that the club has experienced. This will necessitate a combination of time, patience, discipline, and the highest standard of professional leadership," Ratcliffe expressed.
We share your ambition for Manchester United. While there are no guarantees in sports, we are committed to long-term change, aiming to restore the club to its rightful place at the pinnacle of English, European, and global football.
"I take this responsibility extremely seriously."
The partial takeover has been finalized in time for the January transfer window. However, with Financial Fair Play regulations and the significant fees United has spent on players like Højlund, André Onana, Antony, and Mason Mount, it is uncertain how much the club will have available to spend.
Alejandro Garnacho's brace sparked the United comeback.
Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images
Ten Hag is ahead of the game, expressing his understanding of Ratcliffe and Brailsford's vision for the club's future and eagerly anticipating the opportunity to collaborate with them. The task at hand is undoubtedly significant, as United has shown signs of progress under Ten Hag's leadership, only to experience setbacks.
Ratcliffe is not only making improvements to the pitch, but will also reportedly finance the renovation of the run-down Old Trafford stadium, which has become a symbol of the club's poor condition. The journey back to the club's previous success will surely be a lengthy one, but United fans, Brailsford, and Ratcliffe can at least celebrate an initial achievement.
