United make City wait to celebrate Premier League title
Manchester United underlined their determination to make City, their fierce local rival, fight to clinch the Premier League trophy by prolonging the title race for at least a couple more days.
United beat Aston Villa 3-1 yesterday to leave City still needing three points to reclaim the biggest prize in English football. It is the 10th time United have come from behind to win in the league this season.
City blew a chance to seal the title itself by losing 2-1 to Chelsea on Saturday.
City’s next game is away to Newcastle on Friday, but Pep Guardiola’s players might be celebrating by then anyway. United play twice before that, against Leicester on Tuesday and Liverpool on Thursday, and know a loss in either of those matches — against teams fighting desperately for Champions League qualification – will hand City a third league championship in four years under Guardiola.
United will surely not be at full strength for both games — manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already made public his displeasure at being forced to play three times in five days — especially given that captain Harry Maguire hobbled off with an ankle injury against Villa that, Solskjaer said, could sideline the defender for “a few weeks”.
Still, two victories for United in the coming days would put serious pressure back on City ahead of the leaders’ trip to St James’ Park, where they have lost and drawn in their last two visits in the league.
Second-half goals by Bruno Fernandes – from the penalty spot – Mason Greenwood and substitute Edinson Cavani completed United’s latest comeback at Villa Park and ensured a top-four finish for the second straight season.
That hasn’t happened since long-time manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
GETTING BETTER
“The players are learning,” Solskjaer said. “They’re getting better. The spirit, the camaraderie. They back each other.
“There’s competition for places (in the top four), so I’m very happy that we’ve done that twice now.”
Ollie Watkins was sent off in the final minutes for Aston Villa for collecting a second yellow card after being adjudged to have dived in an attempt to win a penalty.