Manchester United cruise past woeful Aston Villa

The amazing Mason Greenwood was the highlight as United made it four wins in a row to cement fifth position and close the gap on third and fourth. Villa, who were game in the first half, drop down a place to second-bottom and look certain to go down.

Villa started the game well, putting United under pressure with a series of crosses before Trezeguet hit the post. But on 27 minutes, Bruno Fernandes pirouetted on the ball just inside the box and Kourtney Hause was already committed to the challenge; Jon Moss gave a marginal penalty, and Fernandes swept home with ludicrous ease.

United did not improve greatly thereafter, and with half-time looming, Villa forced a couple of corners. The first almost resulted in a United goal on the counter and the second did, Greenwood punishing home a finish of mortifying, affirming expertise after fine work from Anthony Martial.

When the second half started Villa looked a beaten side, and on 58 minutes went further behind, Paul Pogba curling home from outside the box. The home side will have feared things getting messy, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made changes, United more or less declared and Villa played at walking pace; both sides have plenty of work still to do.

What do United do next? That United want Jadon Sancho is no secret, and Sancho is a very good player. But they currently have a front three that is working, and a back four that needs work. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would do well to spend what it takes to find the best centre-back that he can, and worry about the rest after that.

Mason Greenwood (Manchester United) Developing all the time, he was United's best player in the first half and ended it with almost the last kick, thundering home another brilliant finish.

Aston Villa: Reina 6, Konsa 6, Hause 5, Mings 5, Taylor 5, Douglas Luiz 6, McGinn 5, Grealish 5, El Ghazi 5, Samatta 5, Trezeguet 5. Subs: Davis 6, Nakamba 6, Hourihane 6, Vassilev 6.

Manchester United: De Gea 6, Wan-Bissaka 5, Lindelof 6, Maguire 6, Shaw 7, Matic 5, Pogba 7, Fernandes 7, Greenwood 8, Martial 7, Rahford 6. Subs: Williams 6, McTominay 6, Fred 6, James 7, Ighalo 6.

19’ - Have a look! Konsa swings over another fine cross and this time Wan-Bissaka has been drawn into the middle, leaving Grealish alone and palely loitering! He has time to see the ball coming, and though it's not the easiest of finishes, he ought to do better than punch a shot wide.

25’ - Well Solskjaer's words worked then. Pogba dallies and Trezeguet robs him, heading for the box with men either side. But with a clear route to goal, he opts to shoot himself, feeding a lightly curling effort into the bottom of the outside of the post!

26’ - PENALTY TO UNITED! Martial finds Fernandes just inside the box, and he Zidane spins on it, thereby stopping the ball and leaving Hause with no choice but to bump into him at the same time as getting trodden on by him!

27’ - GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Manchester United (Fernandes pen) That's what happens. Villa don't make the most of their pressure, Fernandes delivers a moment of class, and gets to sweep in a penalty as Reina goes the wrong way.

45+4’ - OH MY ABSOLUTE DAYS! MASON GREENWOOD IS A GOALSCORING GENIUS! Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester United (Greenwood) Again United counter and Martial does brilliantly to hold it up before sliding into the stride of Fernandes who finds Greenwood, heading towards goal at inside right. He looks ready to attack the box, but instead goes square, back to Martial. Men go with the ball, so when it comes back to Greenwood, he's free, so he takes a touch, and even though he outside the box, you know he's going to score ... and he does, absolutely walloping low inside the near post.This is getting silly now; we are in the presence of greatness.

58’ - GOAL! Aston Villa 0-3 Manchester United (Pogba) Fernandes swipes the corner to Pogba, inside the D, and he takes a couple of touches because he can, then punches a low curler past an unsighted Reina and inside the near post. This could get messy.

United are the first side to win four consecutive Premier League games by three goals or more - the last team to do so in the English top-flight was Liverpool, in October 1987.

Mason Greenwood is the second teenager to score in three consecutive Premier League games for United (18y 282d); Wayne Rooney was the first,in February 2005 (19y 125d).