Rasmus Hojlund scored his first Premier League goal as Manchester United fought back from two goals down to record a sensational victory in a thrilling Boxing Day encounter with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
In United’s first game since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25% purchase of the club, and with future director and current Ineos head of sport Sir Dave Brailsford in the directors’ box, Erik ten Hag’s side produced one of those ‘back-from-the-dead’ endings for which they are so famed.
After John McGinn and Leander Dendoncker had given Villa a deserved half-time advantage, United rallied after the interval and refused to let their heads drop even after Alejandro Garnacho had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside decision.
It was the 19-year-old Argentine who led the fightback, scoring twice in a game for the first time in his career to turn the game on its head.
The relief for Hojlund and his team-mates was clear to see, with goalkeeper Andre Onana racing the full length of the pitch to join in the celebrations as Ten Hag bounced in delight, his fists clenched in evident celebration.
As United chased a way back into the game, Martinez looked like a composed figure. His crunching tackle on Rashford to win the ball epitomised the effort Villa were putting in to secure a rare Old Trafford win that would have taken them second.
But it was another, younger, Argentine, who was to have the last laugh, with Hojlund supplying the key moment at the end to start paying back that £64m transfer fee that has hung like a noose round his neck since his summer move from Atalanta.
Aston Villa would have gone level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table with victory but remain in third with 39 points while United are sixth with 31 points
