Manchester United v Aston Villa: Premier League – live!

5.37pm EST 17:37

Dean Smith speaks …

“First half we were miles off it,” he tells Sky Sports. “First 15 minutes felt like a testimonial. Then they injected some pace into it and deservedly went ahead.

“I asked for more at half-time and we deserved to get back in the game. Our goalkeeper has had to make some good saves but they were all from outside the box.

On Manchester United’s penalty: “I thought it was a penalty at the time, but I looked at it after the game and saw he tripped himself. I don’t see why Michael Oliver couldn’t have looked at it. That’s what VAR is for isn’t it? He’s tripped himself up. There’s margins in football. I’ve seen it again, and I don’t think it’s a penalty.

“We know we’re on a good journey at the moment. We believe we’ve got five key arrivals to go with the players who are Premier League ready now.

“This is only our second season in the division, but competing here and against Liverpool and Arsenal shows our journey is going well so far.”

5.25pm EST 17:25

Match report: Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa

Premier League: Jamie Jackson was at Old Trafford to see Manchester United win an exciting game by the odd goal of three and go level on points with league leaders Liverpool.

Fernandes fires Manchester United joint top after win over Aston Villa

5.21pm EST 17:21

Aaron Wan-Bissaka speaks: “That win shows how much work we’re putting in, how much of a performance that was,” he tells Sky Sports reporter Geoff Shreeves.

On his cross for Anthony Martial’s opener: “I could just hear voices – back post, front post,” he said. “I just went with the front post and put it there.”

On his culpability for Aston Villa’s equaliser: “They played a quick free-kick,” he says. “It’s unfortunate, but as you can see, we hit back. The win means a lot, it shows where we’ve come from, from the start of the season. We’re just taking it game by game. It was a late start for us, we were in catch-up mode, but we’re here now. No excuses.”

5.04pm EST 17:04

Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa – a recap

Manchester United, who travel to Liverpool on 17 January, began the game well, before Villa wrestled control from them after about 20 minutes. A very entertaining game see-sawed, with Anthony Martial giving United the lead by catching three Villa defenders napping as he converted an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cross.

Bertrand Traore restored parirty in a helter-skelter second half, as Villa capitalised on some Aaron Wan-Bissaka naivety at a free-kick, before United restored their lead soon after. Bruno Fernandes slotted home from the spot after Douglas Luiz tripped Paul Pogba in the penalty area.

4.59pm EST 16:59

Full time: Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa

Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep! It’s all over at Old Trafford, where Manchester United have beaten Aston Villa by the odd goal of three to go level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.

Jack Grealish reacts at full-time. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/AFP/Getty Images

Updated at 5.03pm EST

4.57pm EST 16:57

90+5 min: Rashford embarks on a counter-attack but runs for the corner. He plays the ball inside to Pogba, who is more reluctant to run the clock down. He gives the ball back to Villa who get forward one last time, but to no avail.

4.56pm EST 16:56

90+4 min: United finally get to clear their lines, when Watkins is unable to reach a cross. United substitution: Axel Tuanzebe on for Fred.

4.55pm EST 16:55

90+3 min: From that set piece, Cash is teed up for a rising shot from distance, which De Gea puts out for a third corner in quick succession.

The players prepare for another Villa corner. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Updated at 5.00pm EST

4.54pm EST 16:54

90+2 min: Villa win a corner after good work down the right from McGinn and Cash. Grealish’s delivery is put behind for another corner by Dan James.

4.52pm EST 16:52

90 min: Matic gets booked for a foul on Grealish. We’ll have five minutes of added time.

4.51pm EST 16:51

89 min: Rashford rampages forward with Villa’s defence backing off. He plays the ball wide – ac little too wide – to Dan James and the substitute’s cross come shot fails to trouble Martinez.

4.49pm EST 16:49

88 min: James is straight into action, his low shot hitting traffic on its way through to the warm embrace of Emiliano Martinez.

4.48pm EST 16:48

86 min: Man Utd substitution: Dan James on for Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder, who has been outstanding, looks very displeased by his withdrawal from the action.

4.47pm EST 16:47

86 min: Matic fouls Cash just down by the technical areas and is perhaps lucky to escape a caution.

4.46pm EST 16:46

84 min: Villa substitution: Keinan Davis on for Anwar El-Ghazi.

4.45pm EST 16:45

82 min: Villa win a free-kick in a wide area after El Ghazi is blocked illegally by Shaw. Matty Cash curls a cross to the far post, where Mings heads narrowly wide. It was a fantastic cross and a brilliant scoring opportunity, but the defender headed wide with plenty of goal to aim at.

4.43pm EST 16:43

81 min: Man Utd substitution I missed earlier while in a Chris Kamara-esque reverie: Nemanja Matic on for Scott McTominay.

4.41pm EST 16:41

79 min: El Ghazi switches wings, presumably to give Matty Cash a dig-out, as he’s being given the run-around by Luke Shaw.

4.40pm EST 16:40

79 min: Villa substitution: Jacob Ramsey on for Bertrand Traore.

4.40pm EST 16:40

78 min: From this corner, the ball is cleared to Rashford. He sends an good effort fizzing just over the angle of post and crossbar.

4.39pm EST 16:39

77 min: The corner is cleared but only as far as Fernandes outside the area. He advances before sending a dipping shot goalwards. Martinez paws it over for a corner.

4.38pm EST 16:38

76 min: Luke Shaw drills another cross from the left towards the near post. Ezra Konsa intercepts to put it out for a corner.

4.37pm EST 16:37

75 min: Another curled Grealish cross for Watkins, who outjumps Bailly but skims his header wide of the upright from five yards out.

4.35pm EST 16:35

73 min: A loose pass from Cash is pounced on by Shaw, who gallops down the left unopposed. He combines with Martial before crossing for Pogba, who shoots low, hard and wide of the upright when scoring looked easier.

4.34pm EST 16:34

72 min: After good foraging work for Traore, El Ghazi shoots low and hard from distance, forcing David De Gea to dive low to his right and save. This is very entertaining stuff.

4.33pm EST 16:33

69 min: Matty Cash comes perilously close to giving away a penalty, getting in a tangle with Luke Shaw on the edge of his own area as the Manchester United full-back beat him for pace down his inside. Referee Michael Oliver sees no foul and neither, apparently, does his VAR Paul Tierney.

4.29pm EST 16:29

67 min: Bissaka goes some towards redeeming himself, taking an inch-perfect cross from the outstanding Grealish off El-Ghazi’s head when the Villa man looked certain to score at the far post.

4.28pm EST 16:28

64 min: Going back to the Villa equaliser, it was Aaron Wan-Bissaka who was guilty of tomfoolery, electing to try – and fail – to stop John McGinn taking a quick free-kick towards Jack Grealish, rather than getting back into position to help his team defend the dead ball. There was a giant hole for Grealish to run into, exactly where Bissaka should have been.

4.25pm EST 16:25

63 min: There was a pause for a VAR check before that penalty was taken but it was never going to be overturned.

4.24pm EST 16:24

GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa (Fernandes 61pen)

United retake the lead! Fernandes arrows the ball into the bottom left-hand corner. Martinez guessed the right way, but didn’t get a finger to the ball.

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes scores from the spot. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters

Updated at 4.28pm EST

4.22pm EST 16:22

PENALTY FOR MANCHESTER UNITED!

Douglas Luiz is penalised after a tangle of legs with Paul Pogba when the Manchester United midfielder had got wrong side of him on the edge of the Villa penalty area.

Paul Pogba goes down after a challenge by Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa. Photograph: Getty Images

Updated at 4.27pm EST

4.20pm EST 16:20

GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Aston Villa (Traore 58)

Villa equalise. Bertrand Traore fires home low and hard from about six yards, contrrolling and then converting a Jack Grealish cross from the left as Manchester United’s defence fell asleep at a free kick.

Villa’s Bertrand Traore fires in the equaliser from close range. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Updated at 4.22pm EST

4.18pm EST 16:18

55 min: Eric Bailly gets booked for a late challenge on somebody or other.

4.16pm EST 16:16

54 min: Anwar El-Ghazi fires narrowly wide from distance after being picked out by Jack Grealish with a ball played from right to left.

4.15pm EST 16:15

53 min: Tyrone Mings is forced to head away from his own goal after twisting in mid-air to connect with a Luke Shaw cross.

4.14pm EST 16:14

52 min: Ollie Watkins brings a good save out of De Gea, stretching every sinew to steer a Grealish cross goalwards with his forehead, forcing the Manchester United goalkeeper to tip the ball over the bar. Nothing comes from the corner.

David De Gea tips the ball over from an Ollie Watkins’ header. Photograph: Mark Robinson/NMC Pool

Updated at 4.21pm EST

4.13pm EST 16:13

50 min: Lovely play from Bernard Traore after picking up a wonderful crossfield ball from McGinn. He picks out Grealish on the overlap with a backheel but his cross is too high.

4.12pm EST 16:12

50 min: Marcus Rashford does Matty Cash for speed down the left and drills the ball towards the near post. Emiliano Martinez is on hand to block.

4.11pm EST 16:11

48 min: Michael Oliver shows his first yellow card of the game and Harry Maguire is the recipient. He can’t complain, having shoved Grealish off the ball in instalments.

Jack Grealish of Aston Villa is held back by Harry Maguire of Manchester United. Photograph: Mark Robinson/NMC Pool

Updated at 4.19pm EST

4.09pm EST 16:09

47 min: Good tracking back by Martial, who puts a stop to a Matty Cash gallop down the left, forcing the Villa full-back to play the ball backwards.

4.08pm EST 16:08

46 min: Harry Maguire clips a free-kick from just inside his own half wide in the direction of Fernandes. He proceeds to lose possession.

4.07pm EST 16:07

Second half: Manchester United 1-0 Aston Villa

46 min: Play resumes at Old Trafford, with no changes in personnel on either side. If United can hang on for the win, they’ll go level on points with League leaders Liverpool.

3.57pm EST 15:57

A word on Ross Barkley: The midfielder was expected to feature for Villa tonight but it seems he hasn’t fully recovered from his injury. Apologies for the slightly confusing photo I posted earlier, which shows him training before a previous game.

3.55pm EST 15:55

The Big Interview: Jordan Henderson

Liverpool’s highly decorated captain gets a grilling from Donald McRae, one of the best interviewers in the business. Read on …

Jordan Henderson: ‘I was in a very dark place. It made me a lot stronger’ | Donald McRae

3.53pm EST 15:53

Match report: Everton 0-1 West Ham

Premier League: Spare a thought for Andy Hunter, who had to chisel out 1,000 or so words on one of the most dreary Premier League games ever played earlyier this evening. Here’s how he got on …

Tomas Soucek leaves it late as West Ham stun lacklustre Everton

3.51pm EST 15:51

Half-time: Manchester United 1-0 Aston Villa

Peep! Man United win a corner but there’s no time to take it. Michael Oliver blows his whistle to bring an entertaining first half to a close. Anthony Martial’s header separates the sides.

Updated at 5.01pm EST

3.49pm EST 15:49

45 min: Fred plays the ball wide to Shaw, who tries to pick out Martial. Matty Cash clears.

3.47pm EST 15:47

43 min: Villa corner. Bernard Traore swings the ball outwards but it’s headed clear by Pogba, who is having one of his better games in a United shirt.

Martial celebrates. Photograph: Lindsey Parnaby/PA

Updated at 3.54pm EST

3.45pm EST 15:45

GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Aston Villa (Martial 41 min)

Anthony Martial stoops to conquer between three Villa defenders, powering home a header from the edge of the six yard box after getting on the end of an Aaron Wan-Bissake cross from the right. He had no business scoring there, with three defenders between him and the goal as the ball came in.

Manchester United’s Anthony Martial heads in the opening goal at Old Trafford. Photograph: Mark Robinson/NMC Pool

Updated at 3.53pm EST

3.41pm EST 15:41

38 min: Bruno Fernandes tries his luck from distance, sending the ball flashing wide of the Villa goal. Good effort.

3.40pm EST 15:40

36 min: Eric Bailly swings a petulant hand in the direction of John McGinn’s face as he attempts to grab the ball to take a free-kick. He doesn’t connect and is very lucky – I suspect he’d have been in line for a red card if he’d made contact.

3.38pm EST 15:38

35 min: A Grealish through ball to the edge of the United penalty area is met by Cash, who has to stretch to get a toe on it. United clear.

3.38pm EST 15:38

34 min: Grealish sends the corner kick deep, where it’s met by Ezri Konsa, who sends a looping header towards the edge of the six-yard box. United clear.

3.36pm EST 15:36

33 min: Luke Shaw puts a Matt Targett cross from the left out for a Villa corner.

3.34pm EST 15:34

31 min: Nursing a cut lip, Pogba leaves the field of play after receiving medical attention, before returning immediately.

Steam rises off Manchester United’s Paul Pogba. Photograph: Lawrence Griffiths/AP

Updated at 3.46pm EST

3.34pm EST 15:34

30 min: Matt Targett heads clear at the near post, contesting the corner kick with Pogba behind him. The Frenchman goes down injured, holding his face – Mings, it was, who caught him with an arm to the the head.

3.32pm EST 15:32

28 min: Tyrone Mings boots a Fernandes cross clear as Manchester United start to reassert their authority. Paul Pogba fails to pick out Martial with a cross but does win his side a corner.