Manchester United concluded a disastrous season with a 2-0 win over Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
There was a sombre mood in M16 as the team returned to domestic action following last Wednesday night’s devastating Europa League final defeat against Tottenham in Bilbao.
United started well on Sunday, and their cause was aided when the visitors were reduced to 10 men shortly before half-time.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge on Rasmus Hojlund, preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Second-half goals from Amad and Christian Eriksen saw the Red Devils finally return to winning ways and end a miserable campaign with a victory.
Here are our five talking points from the game.
More wastefulness in attack for Manchester United
The 20-time English champions have had plenty of issues all season long, but one of the most glaring problems has been their wastefulness in attack.
For months, United have been creating chances but struggling to connect in the final third. This was on full show during the first half on Sunday, as the hosts again failed to hit the back of the net despite enjoying plenty of openings.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with United struggling to kill off Villa until Bruno Fernandes set up Amad with a beautifully crafted ball to the back-post.
The United faithful will hope these issues can be addressed in the summer market and will look forward to a more clinical campaign next year.
A day of goodbyes at Old Trafford
Sunday presented a final outing for several United players as a host of first-team stars waved goodbye to the home fans.
Victor Lindelof started his final competitive game for the club after eight years of service, while Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans both came off the bench to make their final appearances in red.
The trio will leave in the summer as free agents in what promises to be a busy period for the Old Trafford side.
After three seasons with the club, Eriksen signed off perfectly as he fittingly bagged a late penalty in front of the Stretford End.
Garnacho omission spells the end for the talented youngster
Alejandro Garnacho was left out of the squad for the win over Villa after post-Europa League final comments didn’t sit well with his head coach.
It was reported on Saturday that Amorim advised the academy graduate to find a new club this summer, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. possibly weighing up the prospect of cashing in on the Madrid native.
Amorim opted against including Garnacho in Sunday’s matchday squad, which perhaps didn’t come as a surprise. However, the Portuguese confirmed before kick-off that the 20-year-old would be involved in their post-season trip to the Far East.
Whilst Garnacho hasn’t always made the wisest of decisions on and off the pitch, it now seems a once hugely promising Old Trafford career will be coming to a premature end.
Amad impressive after positional switch
Amad was deployed as an attacking midfielder during the opening 45 minutes of the game. However, the 22-year-old was shifted to the right wing-back position following injuries to Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot.
The Ivory Coast international, a natural winger by trade, hugged the touchline from his deeper role, providing significant options that enabled his side to find the breakthrough.
Inevitably, the former Atalanta prodigy opened the scoring by climbing highest to nod home a sumptuous pass from Fernandes, and later won his side’s penalty.
It will be interesting to see how his progression continues in Amorim’s system.
United overcame European heartbreak
Ruben Amorim was apologetic as he addressed the crowd inside Old Trafford in the traditional end-of-season speech. But the manager might well have been encouraged by what he saw from his team as they wrapped up a dreadful campaign.
Some might have expected a toxic atmosphere at the Theatre of Dreams after Wednesday’s defeat in Bilbao, but that wasn’t the case, as the home side finished on a high.
The three-time European Champions were excellent from the start against the Villans, leaving the majority wondering where this sort of performance was when it mattered most.
Hopefully, it gives us all a glimpse of what this side is capable of, and with a big summer ahead, we will see some improvements next season.
What did you think of an impressive Manchester United win over Aston Villa on Sunday?
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