Edinson Cavani equals Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Manchester United record after Aston Villa goal

Edinson Cavani continued to prove his worth for Manchester United after scoring in the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

United fell behind in the first half to Bertrand Traore’s effort but the game was turned on its head in the second period, with Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Cavani on the scoresheet.

Cavani’s effort continued a stellar run of form for the experienced Uruguayan striker, fresh from his brace against Roma in the Italian capital on Thursday – having also scored a brace in the first-leg.

In the league, Cavani has now found the net in three of his last four appearances with goals that have helped United all but secure their spot in the top-four.

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The 34-year-old is poised to see his deal at the club expire this summer but United have a 12-month extension option, with both parties likely to agree to activate that clause.

In the meantime, Cavani continues to be an integral part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad and has now equalled a record held by his manager.

Cavani’s strike off the bench against Aston Villa was his fifth in the Premier League as a substitute this season, equalling the tally achieved by Solskjaer in 1998/99 and Javier Hernandez is 2010/11.

That figure is the highest for a United substitute in a single Premier League season and, with four matches to go and a busy schedule that means squad rotation is likely, there is plenty of time for Cavani to become the club’s outright record holder.

United are back in action on Tuesday against Leicester City, then facing Liverpool on Thursday in a match that caps off a frantic period of three league matches over the course of just five days.

Cavani’s record in all competitions this season stands at an impressive 15 goals and five assists in 35 appearances.