Manchester United 3 Aston Villa 2 - Press Reaction
From The Guardian
Villa, for their part, came burdened by a recent decline that included a 5-0 rout at Liverpool, and their fight now seems to be for no more than a Uefa Cup place. Circumstances here seemed to be imploring them to revive. There was no hiding the vulnerability of United from Martin O’Neill’s squad, who were not disconcerted by the loss of a needless goal.
O’Neill deplored the five minutes of additional team allowed by Riley, but United had not needed so many to win. The visiting manager had the exasperation of seeing his team unrewarded after rallying, in terms of performance if not outcome, following lacklustre weeks.
Some steps were sensible and restored balance. Nicky Shorey, who has often been out of favour, was picked at left-back. That meant Luke Young could be stationed on the right and there was no need for the midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker to be used in defence, where he had suffered at Anfield. Elsewhere, Barry and Petrov dovetailed impressively. In attack, Carew imposed himself to such an extent that the absence of the injured Emile Heskey was forgotten. Beside him the swift Agbonalhor rediscovered the confidence that had been eluding him.
And yet it was all to no avail.
From The Independent
Villa were excellent until United scented blood with Ronaldo’s 80th-minute equaliser, and there were times when you could not conceive of them not winning. They play Everton next week in a game in which they must arrest their decline, now six points behind Arsenal in fourth place.
United were a mess at times, they are riddled with suspensions and injuries and the Champions League tie against Porto is coming up tomorrow. But Ferguson’s teams have incredible reserves of character – even Rafael Benitez would have to agree that that is a fact.
From the Daily Mail
When Gabriel Agbonlahor secured the lead for Aston Villa 13 minutes into the second half, Manchester United’s pursuit of more trophies appeared to be unravelling.
When Petrov won the ball off Ronaldo and played it down the left channel for Carew, what followed suggested they had lost their nerve. A cross from the big Norwegian proved perfect for Agbonlahor to get ahead of Patrice Evra and meet it with a super 58th-minute header. This was the same Agbonlahor who not so long ago was being booed by his own fans.
Old Trafford watched in horror. How would they recover? How would they stop Liverpool taking their title? How would they cope with Porto in the Champions League little more than 48 hours later?
The answer first came from Ronaldo, with a left-foot shot Friedel probably should have saved, and an effort from Macheda that no goalkeeper in the world would have stopped. ‘Are you watching Merseyside?’ they cried. You bet they were.
From The Daily Mirror
Having hauled their way back onto level terms with 10 minutes to go after being outplayed by Villa, United staged the kind of dramatic finale on which their illustrious and romantic reputation has been built down the years.
When Macheda’s shot curled into the net, Old Trafford went into meltdown, the manic scenes reminiscent of 16 years ago when Steve Bruce’s two late goals all but sealed United’s first title for 26 years.
On that occasion, Fergie and his then assistant Brian Kidd danced a jig of undiluted joy on the touchline.
The 67-year-old United boss may be too old to repeat those antics now, but his euphoria was no less evident as he hugged his staff. Yet for much of yesterday’s game it looked as though United’s title challenge had suffered a potentially fatal blow as they lurched towards a third successive Premier League defeat - the first time that had happened for eight years.
From The Sun
Make no mistake, this was the result that will give a turbo-boost to the stuttering Red Devils and send them flying again.
It was an echo of Sheffield Wednesday almost 16 years ago to the day.
United fans still punch the air with glee at the thought of Steve Bruce heading home two goals in the closing moments of their home match with Trevor Francis’ side in the inaugural Premiership season.
Just like back then, United had been wobbling, coming into the tie against the Owls on a run of a defeat, three draws and one win.
They were a goal down heading into injury time and their former boss Ron Atkinson — challenging for the title, coincidentally with Aston Villa — was rubbing his hands.
Then Bruce stooped to conquer.
Big Ron was there yesterday to see United pull another incredible victory out of the fire again.
After that win over Wednesday, United won their last five games to clinch their first title in 26 years.
Now after two straight defeats, they are back in the box seat, back on top of Liverpool by a point with a game in hand and eight left to play. The celebrations that followed the goals from Bruce and Macheda were not dissimilar either.
Who can forget Brian Kidd’s leap and Fergie’s air-punching jig.
Yesterday, there was mania throughout Old Trafford.
From The Telegraph
Back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Fulham, the melting away of a seven-point lead and absence of Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic through suspension, plus the groin injury that forced Rio Ferdinand to watch from the directors’ box, all combined to tie United and their supporters in knots and Villa sensed an opportunity to capitalise and draw a line under their own form slump.
United were playing like a team running low on fuel and, as Villa emerged buoyantly after the interval, the game appeared to be slipping away from Ferguson’s players. When Agbonlahor headed in Carew’s cross on 58 minutes to put the visitors ahead, the nightmare was becoming reality.
An equaliser looked beyond United, but Macheda, a second-half replacement for Nani, almost headed in Fletcher’s cross on sixty-seven minutes. The chance went begging, though, and time was running out.
But Ronaldo, so often United’s hero, found an equaliser with a low, left-foot strike from 25 yards ten minutes from time and the point, apparently, had been saved.
The script was not complete, however, and it was left to Macheda, plucked from Lazio’s youth system two years ago, to strike the killer blow.
As he raced away to embrace his family sat at the foot of the main stand, Macheda milked the moment as any teenager would. The rest of Old Trafford shared the moment.
