Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delighted to deny Man City title party with win, but concerned over Harry Maguire injury

05/09/2021

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says denying Manchester City their title party on Sunday was the best part about Manchester United’s 3-1 win at Aston Villa.

United came from behind once again to win all three points at Villa Park thanks to second-half goals from Bruno Fernandes (pen), Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani, meaning City still need three points to secure the Premier League title.

If United lose to either Leicester (Tuesday) or Liverpool (Thursday), or drop points in both games, City will be crowned champions, and even if United go on winning, City can still win the title by taking matters into their own hands by beating Newcastle on Friday night.

But Solskjaer was glad not to arrive in Manchester on Sunday evening to a party on the blue side of the city.

“That’s a good thing, that’s the best thing with today. At least I don’t drive into a blue army tonight, we’ll try to deal with it as long as we can.”

Asked if he will be fit for the Europa League final with Villarreal on May 26, Solskjaer said: “Hopefully it will be OK with Harry. I don’t know. We need to check it. It might be a few weeks or a month, we don’t know. It was his calf or lower leg. I think the player landed on him and he twisted something.

“His fitness is very good – he’s robust. But, today, it looked like the boy landed on him and he twisted his ankle. I don’t know how serious it is. He might be available on Tuesday, he might not.”

‘Massive result’

This was United’s first of three games in five days, but Solskjaer is relishing the challenge and says the pressure is slightly reduced for the coming matches at Old Trafford against Leicester and Liverpool.

“Massive result – it takes a little bit of the pressure away, we can go into the next one confident, enjoy it. I’m delighted. It was always going to be difficult after being in Europe, didn’t come back until half four in the morning on Friday.

“Great reaction at half-time again, even though I felt first half we were the better team, created the better chances but couldn’t find the goal.

“The advantage of being fresh going into a game like this is quite high. We could have scored the first goal, they scored from nothing, with a good goal by the way, but I’m pleased with everyone. I know how hard it is towards the end of a long, long season.”

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‘Greenwood has all the finishes’

Greenwood strengthened his chances of an England call-up for Euro 2020 with another fine finish, meaning he is now the top-scoring teenager for Manchester United in the Premier League, one ahead of Wayne Rooney with 16.

“He’s top. I was thinking maybe curl it far post, but he goes near post. He’s got all the finishes. Mason had a long night on Thursday, and worked really hard today.

“You think maybe you could take him off at half-time, because the boy needs some rest, but it just shows that he can do the best.”

Smith: Penalty call pathetic

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith was dismayed by Chris Kavanagh’s decision to give United a penalty to equalise as Douglas Luiz went through the back of Paul Pogba, and also criticised the officials for sending off Ollie Watkins late on for a second booking, deemed a dive.

“I think the penalty decision affected us more than them, they got the opportunity to go and score and got their second after.

“I have no idea [if it is the right decision], I don’t think anybody knows at the moment, everybody is confused that Raheem Sterling can have four or five touches on his backside, go down, and not get a penalty, when we’ve got people at Stockley Park watching it again. And then there’s one touch, they [Pogba] go down, and it is a penalty. I think the whole of the footballing world is confused at the moment.

“It looked a pathetic decision to me: was that enough for him to go down? No. But he goes down. Similar to at Old Trafford, similar to last season here. Ollie Watkins has got sent off at the end for a second yellow – there’s no way that he can tell me he’s convinced he hasn’t been touched, because nobody knows if he’s been touched, apart from the two players. I just don’t understand the decision-making of the officials at the moment, and more important, Stockley Park, when they are looking at it slowly.

“It looks like now he’s going to have to get hurt to win the penalty. He touches it past the goalkeeper: is it enough for Ollie to go down? No, but it isn’t enough for Pogba to go down.”

What’s next?

Man Utd’s hectic schedule continues with a home fixture against Leicester on Tuesday at 6pm, before hosting Liverpool in their rearranged fixture on Thursday at 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League.

Manchester United
Liverpool

Aston Villa now host Everton on Thursday night at 6pm, before going to Crystal Palace at midday on Sunday, both live on Sky Sports Premier League.

Aston Villa
Everton

Crystal Palace
Aston Villa

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer delighted to deny Man City title party with win, but concerned over Harry Maguire injury

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