Premier League: Man Utd beat Chelsea narrowly; Aston Villa beat Man City to move up to third 

Premier League: Man Utd beat Chelsea narrowly; Aston Villa beat Man City to move up to third 

Scott McTominay scored twice as Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 on Wednesday to ease the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag and put Mauricio Pochettino under the spotlight.

Ten Hag got the response he desired after a dreadful display in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday as United produced arguably their best performance of the season.

A sixth win in eight league games lifts United up to sixth and within three points of champions Manchester City in fourth.

Ten Hag had been under increasing scrutiny amid reports of dressing room disquiet but his big decision to drop Marcus Rashford to the bench among four changes paid dividends as the Dutchman was rewarded with a far more energetic and enterprising display.

Chelsea had goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to thank for getting in level at the break. United had 18 shots on goal before halftime – the most Chelsea have faced in one half in the Premier League for 20 years – but only had one goal to show for it.

A VAR intervention to award a penalty after Enzo Fernandez stood on Antony’s foot gave the home side a glorious chance to open the scoring but Sanchez flew low to his right to parry Bruno Fernandes’ spot-kick and Alejandro Garnacho blazed the rebound over.

United’s determination to flood forward was also leaving gaps for Chelsea to exploit on the counter-attack.

Mykhailo Mudryk struck the outside of the post and the Ukrainian should have sent Raheem Sterling clean through on goal but for a poor pass that ruined another promising break.

Sanchez was called into action once more to save a powerful effort from Garnacho, while Antony’s wait to break a 24-match run without a goal goes on as he fired tamely into the Spanish international’s arms.

Chelsea and Sanchez’s resistance was finally broken when McTominay swept home his fifth goal of the season to become United’s top scorer in the Premier League on 19 minutes.

The Scottish midfielder should have had a second moments later when his header from point-blank range and follow-up effort were both excellently saved by Sanchez and the hosts were made to pay as Chelsea leveller before halftime.

Cole Palmer was allowed to jink his way along the edge of the box and slotted into the far corner beyond Andre Onana’s grasp.

Chelsea could have turned the game on its head early in the second half had Nicolas Jackson not wasted a glorious chance when he headed over unmarked from a corner at the back post but United were quickly back on the front foot. 

Garnacho continued to curse his luck as a curling effort drifted inches wide. However, the Argentine had a hand in the winning goal as his cross was powered in by McTominay’s header 21 minutes from time.

McTominay should have a hat-trick when he skewed horribly wide with just Sanchez to beat.

United’s profligacy gave Chelsea the chance to snatch a point late on when Armando Broja headed against the crossbar.

But that would have been more than the Blues deserved as Pochettino struggles to turn Chelsea’s abundance of young talent into a functioning unit.

Aston Villa beat champions Manchester City on Wednesday to extend their remarkable winning run at home as Liverpool closed to within two points of leaders Arsenal with victory at Sheffield United.

Elsewhere on a busy programme in the English top flight, Fulham hammered Nottingham Forest 5-0, heaping the pressure on manager Steve Cooper.

Villa, who have now won 14 league games in a row at home, scored the only goal of the game in the 74th minute, when Leon Bailey’s shot took a huge deflection off Reuben Dias.

Pep Guardiola’s men, aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive top-flight title, are now winless in four games and five points behind leaders Arsenal.

Last year’s treble winners, missing the suspended Rodri, have now won just three league games in nine.

Liverpool, looking increasingly dangerous, saw off basement club Sheffield United 2-0.

Virgil van Dijk scored opened the scoring at Bramall Lane, turning home a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner in the 37th minute from near the penalty spot.

The visitors dominated possession but failed to break through again until midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai made the points safe in time added on.

The victory takes Jurgen Klopp’s team to 34 points — just two behind Arsenal, who beat Luton 4-3 on Tuesday.

It was a miserable first game back in charge for manager Chris Wilder, who returned to the club on Tuesday following Paul Heckingbottom’s dismissal — the first sacking of the season.

Sheffield United have been defeated 12 times in 15 games and are four points from safety.