Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Šeško struck in the final 20 minutes to give Manchester United a precious win over Aston Villa in the battle for UEFA Champions League qualification.
A game low on quality before the interval came alive afterwards, with United captain Bruno Fernandes playing a pivotal role.
After Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez turned away a goal-bound effort from Bryan Mbeumo, Fernandes delivered a textbook near-post corner, which Casemiro flicked over Martínez and into the net off the far upright.
On his first Premier League start in 14 months, Ross Barkley levelled for the visitors with a snap shot 11 minutes later.
However, United were not to be denied.
Fernandes then supplied a superb through ball to send Cunha racing clear of the Villa defence, and the Brazil forward found the far corner with a precise low strike.
Substitute Šeško then took his personal tally to eight goals in 10 games as his deflected effort on the turn looped past Martínez to inflict Villa’s third straight league defeat.
The result keeps the side of manager Michael Carrick in third place and provides the United interim boss with a sixth successive home win — a record only bettered at the start of a Premier League reign by Sven-Göran Eriksson, Carlo Ancelotti and Manuel Pellegrini.
Villa have now won just three of their past 12 league matches, and their 12-point return from that run leaves them sweating on qualification for Europe’s elite competition next season.
