91% Passes, 3 recoveries: One 7/10 Man Utd man stands out vs Villa, but he is not the solution to big problem

Manchester United suffered their second defeat in 11 Premier League games on Sunday.

An injury-hit United side went down 2–1 to Aston Villa, but not without showing solid fight throughout the contest.

The Red Devils largely controlled possession and dictated the tempo, yet were undone by Morgan Rogers, who struck decisively in both halves.

Matheus Cunha was lethal in the attack and brought his side back before the half time.

The defining blow of the afternoon came in the first half when captain Bruno Fernandes pulled up with a worrying hamstring problem.

Though Fernandes tried to battle on, he was forced off at half-time, with Lisandro Martinez surprisingly deployed into midfield.

Martinez brought calmness to midfield and provided security to the defence.

He completed 29 of his 32 passes, including five incisive balls into the final third that helped United progress play.

He also made three ball recoveries.

Having a natural left-footer in midfield opened up fresh passing angles and improved United’s build-up under pressure.

There is no secret that the Argentina international is a fantastic ball-playing defender and picked up a 7/10 ratings in our post-match analysis.

While he impressed in the unfamiliar role, his greatest influence still comes from his natural left centre-back position.

Martinez may be a reliable emergency option, but he is not a long-term solution to United’s midfield problems.

In this moment, he offers more control than Manuel Ugarte, leaving Amorim with a genuine selection dilemma ahead of the Boxing Day clash.

With both Kobbie Mainoo and Fernandes already ruled out, Martinez could again find himself anchoring midfield against Newcastle United.

Stats from Fotmob.com

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .