MANCHESTER UNITED will face Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round after beating Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
United made a dream start, with Scott McTominay heading in early on from a superb cross from Fred.
Danny Ings thought he had responded for the Villans, but his leveller was disallowed by VAR after a lengthy delay.
And despite a feisty second half – and another Villa goal ruled out for offside – Ralf Rangnick’s side saw things out.
- Final score: Man Utd 1-0 Aston Villa
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VARsical decision
Alan Shearer is not sure Danny Ings’ goal should have been ruled out for a block on Edinson Cavani.
The former striker said after United’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa: “I am not 100 per cent certain Cavani is getting back for the goal.
“Is it a clear and obvious error? I am not certain it is because I am not certain Cavani would get to the ball.”
Second best
Alan Shearer says what we are all thinking.
Toon great tells BBC: “Aston Villa created chances, they will look back on this game with regret. They should have scored.
“It was not a good performance from Manchester United.
“They were second best for large parts of that second half.”
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
FULL TIME
Manchester United sneak into the Fourth Round of the FA Cup after being peppered by Aston Villa.
Steven Gerrard’s men crash out the cup after having two goals disallowed.
This United team is either slowly improving or chugging toward a disaster.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
95 Another man-of-the-match performance from Scott McTominay.
Lively Elanga wins his side another late corner and takes it short with Greenwood.
Villa snatch it back and hoof long.
But United earn a throw and return to running down the fading clock.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
91 Elanga gets right involved with a brilliant dash down the left and a clever low cross but nobody is there in red to score.
Villa escape a rare United attack.
Lingard does well and feeds Greenwood who pings another shot right down Martinez’s throat.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
88 Ezri Konsa is getting treatment on a busted nose or top lip that is bleeding.
Luke Shaw seemed to catch him with an arm but it was not deemed a serious foul.
The actions resumes with a big De Gea boot.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
86 Fernandes and Rashford are hooked for Elanga and Lingard.
Ramsey has left for Villa with 19-year-old Philogene-Bidace entering the fray.
Fernandes looks angry while Rashford is rank dejected.
Will he be hanging about under Ralf?
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
83 Ings misses a header so United race up the other end.
The frustrated United crowd keep ordering their men to “shoooooot” but none of them are bold enough.
Villa switch formation to 4-3-3- in the effort to grab a late and deserved equaliser.
United make a double substitution.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
80 Fernandes and Fred swap passes before United win a corner off Ramsey.
A goal here will deflate Villa, after so many missed chances.
Fernandes whips the ball in and Mings powers a header away.
United grab it back but are ransacked before Villa blow the counter attack.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
74 Mason Greenwood passes another ‘shot’ into the arms of Villa keep Martinez.
The United striker gets another chance with a one-on-one but his firmer shot is well saved.
Rashford bizarrely refuses to lunge in for the rebound.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
71 Villa have another chance as Watkins curls one just wide with his left foot.
Villa have battered the home side and just not managed to score a legal goal.
Rangnick is about to sling outcast Donny Van De Beek a bone as Cavani gets hooked for him.
Can the Dutchman finally prove his worth to Old Trafford?
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
Luke Shaw ends another Villa attack with a cinical foul and goes in the book.
Cries of “you fat b******” ring out from the visiting fans.
Villa waste the free-kick but United now have a couple of players on yellows.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
62 Villa on the front foot again, wave after wave of pressure but De Gea is solid.
Is Ralf Rangnick ice cool in the United technical area or is he winging this by the seat of his pants?
Villa are all over his side but just cannot score. United are scraping into the next round of the FA Cup, at this rate.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
60 Another Villa goal ruled out.
Buendia slips in Ings who dinks De Gea before Watkins taps in.
But Ings was offside when he was played in so the score remains 1-0.
Lidelof was injured during that and is getting treatment on the side of the pitch.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
58 Bit of argy bargy after McGinn crashes into Fred.
The Scot has the hump over the disallowed goal and poor Fred is the human stress ball getting the brunt of the anger.
The action is up and down like a basketball game now. Both sides creating chances and looking shaky at the back.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
The goal is chalked off for a foul on Cavani from Ramsey.
The long-haired striker was body checked by the young Villa midfield and barged to the deck before Ings headed in.
Such a long delay but now looks a fair decision.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 1
Was Ings offside?
The Villa fans hold their breath.
Does Watkins flick it on to Ings from an offside position?
Boos ring out over the delay.
Michael Oliver has been told to view on the monitor a possible block on Cavani from Ramsey.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 1
51 Villa equalise through Danny Ings after Man United fail to defend a simple free-kick dangled into the box.
Terrible defending.
Goal now being checked by VAR.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
49 Fernandes whips in a corner that Watkins heads away.
But United get back on the attack until Greenwood aims a pea-roller into Martinez’s arms.
United have livened up now.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
46 No changes from either side.
Both manager’s happy enough with what they saw in the opening 45.
Villa straight back into control of possession.
United defending, passing their way out from the back, until Villa dispossess them again.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
Half time at Old Trafford.
Ralf Rangnick’s men somehow end the opening 45 a goal to the good.
Villa have peppered David De Gea’s goal but failed to equialise.
Great half of football, we have deserved more goals.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
43 Douglas Luiz fouls Rashford and United get a free-kick in an exciting spot.
The Red shirts swarm around the ball knowing Ronaldo isn’t on the pitch to blast it over and then blame the pitch, ball boy and Boris Johnson’s BYOB invite.
But Rashford only smacks it into the wall.
McTominay then catches a volley sweetly but Martinez catches it.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
41 Fernandes leaves a little on Targett with a late challenge.
Villa pass their way out of Man United’s limp press.
Gerrard will be baffled how his side is a goal down.
They switched off for one moment and were punished but have dominated since then.
Man United 1 Aston Villa 0
39 United finally hit back with a chance of their own.
Fernandes forces a save from Martinez after clever build-up play.
And then Luke Shaw lets fly with a screamer that the Villa stopper has to parry over the bar.
Blood and guts
33 Dalot is down and getting treatment on a really bloody injury.
There is blood oozing through the defender’s socks and a replacement is being ordered from the United bench.
Dalot does not look in pain but he is bleeding from either leg or foot.
It seems he will get strapped up and return to action soon.
