Villa 0 -1 Man Utd | Quick Stat Analysis

FT Aston Villa 0-1 Man Utd. Jones (20).

Attacking Stats:
Aston Villa – Shots 8, On Target 2, Goals 0, Chances Created 6, Crosses 8/23.
Man Utd – Shots 14, On Target 4, Goals 1, Chances Created 13, 3/22.

Possession Stats:
Aston Villa – Possession 43.8%, Territory 45.2%, Passes 237/355/67%.
Man Utd – Possession 56.2%, Territory 54.8%, Passes 379/473/80%.

Defensive Stats:
Aston Villa – Tackles 12/16, Interceptions 14, Blocks 4, Clearances 13/29, Headed 6/14.
Man Utd – Tackles 6/8, Interceptions 24, Blocks 2, Clearances 24/47, Headed 14/31.

This game was one in which Aston Villa never really got going. Star striker Darren Bent was on the field for the whole game and did not manage to get a shot off. Nemanja Vidic was extremely dominant at centre back; Attempted 19 clearances, 14 of them aerially. Vidic also won 7 aerial duels, more than anyone else. A defensive masterclass from the Serbian.

Manchester United controlled the game. Both forwards, Wayne Rooney and Nani, dropped deep in front of Aston Villa’s defensive line meaning that both were involved in all phases of the attacking play. Rooney had 63 touches of the ball and Nani had 59 touches of the ball which magnifies further how isolated Darren Bent was all game, who had only 24 touches of the ball. In fact, every Manchester United player who played the whole 90 minutes had more than double the amount of touches Darren Bent had. The movement of the two forwards prompted Aston Villa defender Richard Dunne to ask his manager what he should do to counter his threat during a stoppage in play.

Michael Carrick was the most influential player for Manchester United when in possession. He had the most touches of the ball with 75. He also attempted the most passes with 61, completing 54 at a completion rate of 89%, which incidentally was also the best. 57% of his passes were made forwards and only 8% of them were backwards, indicating the amount of players around him making themselves available for a pass. 70% of the passes Michael Carrick attempted were made inside the opposition half. Michael Carrick also made the joint most interceptions (7) with Nemanja Vidic.

Additionally, the part that Phil Jones played in this match cannot be overlooked. A nicely taken volley capped a good performance from the young Englishman. His and Carrick’s intelligent defending in the centre of midfield helped Manchester United to counter any potential threat that Aston Villa offered. 5 interceptions were made by Phil Jones and he also made 2 tackles, more than any other Manchester United player.

All in all it was a comfortable performance by Manchester United. There were no real clear cut chances but Manchester United’s domination and defensive nous meant that they did enough to secure the victory and the 3 points to keep the pressure up on rivals Manchester City.