Manchester United came out on top in a vital victory over Aston Villa.
Huge victory
The Red Devils won 3-1 at Old Trafford, giving themselves a cushion in third place in the race for Champions League football.
United had many important contributors to the match yesterday afternoon, especially in attack.
Nonetheless, the visitors had very little luck in front of goal, which was largely due to the stellar job United’s defence did.
One of the surprise performers of this season has been Harry Maguire, who has returned to form in a big way.
The England international is out of contract this summer but has played out of his skin, making 19 appearances in all competitions this season.
Versus Aston Villa
Maguire has stepped in admirably since the injury to Matthijs de Ligt in November and once again demonstrated his defensive prowess alongside Frenchman Leny Yoro.
He won one of his two tackles and made two clearances in the match.
Maguire typically impressed in the air, winning 100% of his aerial duels and three out of four ground contests.
He was also effective on the ball, making one key pass and completing 91% of his passing attempts.
The big defender also carried the ball effectively up the pitch to gain valuable yards for his side.
Potential England return
With the international break fast approaching, it will be interesting to see if Maguire has done enough to force his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
Maguire will also have an eye on finishing the season in the best possible way to resurrect his chances of going to the World Cup this summer.
Harry Maguire stats vs Aston Villa
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Expected assists (xA) | 0.07 |
| Def. contributions | 4 |
| Tackles (won) | 2 (1) |
| Interceptions | 0 |
| Clearances | 2 |
| Blocked shots | 0 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Ground duels (won) | 4 (3) |
| Aerial duels (won) | 2 (2) |
| Fouls | 1 |
| Dribbled past | 0 |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 0 (0) |
| Accurate passes | 60/66 (91%) |
| Passes in opposition half (acc.) | 18/21 (86%) |
| Passes in own half (acc.) | 42/45 (93%) |
| Long balls (accurate) | 7/10 (70%) |
| Touches | 72 |
| Dribbles (successful) | 0 (0) |
| Was fouled | 1 |
| Possession lost | 6 |
| Total carrying distance | 280.1 m |
| Carries | 28 |
| Progressive carries | 1 |
| Total progression | 149.3 m |
| Progressive carrying distance | 31.8 m |
| Longest progressive carry | 25.2 m |
| Total shots | 0 |
| Shots on target | 0 |
| Shots blocked | 0 |
Featured image George Wood via Getty Images
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