Andre Onana in command of Manchester United’s defence during 2-1 win over Aston Villa – Man United News And Transfer News

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Manchester United showed determination and energy late on to grab a late 2-1 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday evening. Notably, this was Erik ten Hag’s first away win at a top-half Premier League team since taking charge at Old Trafford.

While Rasmus Hojlund and Scott McTominay were clinical up front, grabbing the goals to secure the three points for Man United, a strong defensive performance was also required in order to keep the vicious Villa attack at bay.

Goalkeeper Andre Onana played arguably the biggest part in limiting the home team’s scoring opportunities.

Following United’s opening goal, Villa were clearly raring to get back into the game, with Ollie Watkins passing to John McGinn on the edge of the box. While McGinn unleashed a venomous shot, Onana did well to tip the ball out for a corner with a full-stretch save.

When Watkins outpaced Raphael Varane, thereby beating the last line of defence, Onana showed his spatial awareness and good timing, coming out of the box to clear the ball before the Villa striker could take a shot. Yet again, on the stroke of half-time, McGinn appeared to be in on goal, yet once again Onana saved his long-distance shot.

Despite conceding to Villa in the 67th minute, Onana and his defence picked themselves up quickly and held strong. In the 75th minute, when Moussa Diaby collected a rebounded shot by Douglas Luiz, Onana did a stellar job of tracking the ball’s trajectory, thus saving Diaby’s effort in a match-saving moment. Soon after, United would go on to secure a winner courtesy of a Scott McTominay header.

Villa took a mammoth 23 shots, of which 10 were on target. Of these shots, eight were saved by Onana, resulting in him preventing a potential 1.56 goals.

On numerous occasions, Onana found himself coming out of the penalty area to support United’s outfield players, whether by making clearances or providing passes.

Ultimately, the Cameroonian shot-stopper made three clearances along with 15 long balls, however just three reached their intended target.

Still, Onana was highly involved in United’s buildup play, completing 25 of 37 passes for a 68% passing accuracy. His 55 touches as well as his passing figures show just how involved Onana is in terms of his legwork, especially for a goalkeeper.

While conceding a late equaliser could surely be discouraging for Onana and his defence, his continued strong passing game and saving ability is a testament to his perseverance.

Ultimately, if Onana can continue to build on this performance, his poor start to the season will be long forgotten as the season wears on and United continue to climb the Premier League table.

(Stats via Sofascore)