Aston Villa v Man Utd live: Morgan Rogers’ brace earns crucial win for title-chasing hosts

A coat was launched into the Villa Park sky. Unai Emery’s coat, to be precise. His team are flying, too. Emery is taking Aston Villa to stratospheric heights and it felt fitting that Morgan Rogers got the goal that prompted the Spaniard to propel his padded jacket upwards.

“My adrenalin,” said Emery, whose celebration looked more angry than joyous but Villa have plenty to enjoy.

A seventh consecutive league win, their best run in 36 years, came courtesy of the increasingly remarkable Rogers.

On Villa’s title chances: "The realistic is the capacity and potential and we have played a lot of team like Arsenal and Manchester City. Of course we beat them here, but they have massive things tactically with players on a high level. And we have as well but to be a contender in front of them is our reality where is not.

"We are not contender. We are here because we are competing fantastic. The players are really focusing each match with what we are trying to set and being consistent. But we are not contender to be there.”

Ruben Amorim has said Manchester United cannot afford to make mistakes in the transfer market by panic buying to cope without Bruno Fernandes after he was injured in their 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

Amorim expects to be without his captain for a while with a soft tissue injury and finds himself short of midfielders for the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, which Kobbie Mainoo is also likely to miss.

Ruben Amorim is facing a worryingly growing injury list which now includes the Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes who was subbed off the pitch at half-time during the Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

Fernandes, who is arguably United’s most important player, was involved in much of the first half action at Villa Park but caused concern just before half-time by stretching out his right leg and hobbling around the pitch.

He said: “It’s massive, we don’t know how bad it is but for him to come off the game… We know how tough he is, hopefully it is not too bad, and we keep with him for the next games.

“This is the times where opportunities come for other players. The time that you step up and show that you deserve to be in the team, that you deserve more minutes. I think that’s how the players that are going to get opportunities should look at it.

“In the end we are Man United, we have to find a way to win.”

Morgan Rogers’ brilliant brace helped Aston Villa secure a 10th successive win in all competitions as Unai Emery’s Premier League title contenders triumphed 2-1 against Manchester United.

A week on from sealing victory at West Ham by following up a fine finish with a stunning strike, the 23-year-old was at it again as Villa headed into Christmas within three points of leaders Arsenal.

Rogers showed skill and confidence when cutting in from the left to bend home a beautiful strike late in a first half that that ended with Matheus Cunha levelling for United after Matty Cash was dispossessed.

Aston Villa are right in the hunt for the Premier League title and now just sit three points behind the league leaders Arsenal.

They’re third in the table and are battling against the Gunners and Manchester City.

Villa also have a seven point cushion to fourth placed Chelsea meaning they are well placed to win a Champions League place next season at the very least.

Here are the thoughts of Sue Smith speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Morgan Rogers is absolutely brilliant and he just seems so calm in those moments when everything's going on around him, he's just calm.

“His first touch is perfect and he knows exactly what he's going to do and he's able to do it. Sometimes in games it is small margins and he's capable of producing those brilliant moments that win a game.”

This is Aston Villa's best run in 111 years, by the way, following their worst start to a season in 28 years.

10 wins in a row and 16 out of their last 18 matches.

Full-time reaction from Richard Jolly at Villa Park:

“Ten out of 10 for Villa, 16 out of 18. An astonishing run of form from Unai Emery and his team. They are title challengers. United keep missing chances to go into the top five. They ended up depleted by injuries but the last two months have the feel of a missed opportunity.”