Manchester United 4-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa bowed out of the Carabao Cup following a 4-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Villa twice took the lead in an enthralling second half, which came following a low-key first period, but the hosts levelled on each occasion before triumphing courtesy of late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay.

Ollie Watkins’ third goal of the season handed Villa a lead which lasted just a minute as Anthony Martial levelled.

Diogo Dalot’s own goal restored Villa’s advantage just after the hour but, again, it was quickly extinguished by Marcus Rashford’s finish.

United took the lead for the first time in the tie through Bruno Fernandes’ 78^th-minute strike before Scott McTominay’s injury-time finish confirmed Villa’s Round 3 exit.

Yet there were plenty of positives to take after a competitive, battling performance from the Villans, who were roared on by over 7,500 travelling faithful.

Defeat came just days after Villa’s 3-1 Premier League triumph over United on home soil, with only four players named in Unai Emery’s XI who also started Sunday’s success.

Villa showed seven changes for tie, with fit-again midfielder Boubacar Kamara handed his first start since mid-September while recalled John McGinn wore the captain’s armband.

Robin Olsen came in between the sticks while there were also starts for Calum Chambers, Ludwig Augustinsson, Ashley Young and Danny Ings.

Villa triumphed on their previous Premier League trip to Old Trafford in September 2021, securing only their second victory in the club’s last 34 league visits, and they made a solid start to proceedings.

Ings made a vital headed interception to thwart an approaching Dalot at the back post midway through the first period.

Although, the game’s first attempt on target came via an inswinging Douglas Luiz corner which was headed off the goal-line by McTominay just after the half-hour mark.

Young fizzed a volley wide but clear-cut openings remained at a premium come the half-time whistle.

Yet all that changed within the space of four second-half minutes.

Firstly, Kamara won possession in the middle of the park, found Jacob Ramsey and he played through Watkins, who raced clear and lifted the ball over the approaching Martin Dubravka.

However, Villa’s lead lasted just a minute as Fernandes was sent clear down Villa’s left and squared for Martial to slot into the net from close range.

Bailey, Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendía were introduced just before the hour mark.

And it paid instant dividends as Young’s far-post cross was headed back across goal by Bailey and Dalot could only divert the ball into his own goal.

Rashford flashed an effort narrowly wide, but the United forward made no mistake moments later as he levelled the tie from 10 yards.

Matty Cash was next to come on as Unai Emery made another change, before Olsen got down quickly to make a superb one-handed stop to deny Fernandes and then Harry Maguire from the subsequent corner.

Fernandes drilled a long-range strike just wide as an exciting second half continued in very different vein to the first.

And it was the Portuguese who bagged a crucial third for the hosts as United pounced on Olsen’s mis-placed pass, the United’s man’s strike deflected into the net by a sliding Mings.

McTominay hit the crossbar from distance late on but got his name on the scoresheet as he added United’s fourth in the 91^st minute.