Premier League: Man United win it late against Villa as Arsenal put six past West Ham for biggest away win
Super sub Scott McTominay scored a late winner as Manchester United continued to inch up the Premier League table with a 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Sunday.
Erik ten Hag’s United are sixth on 41 points after their third consecutive victory, five points behind fifth-placed Villa who would have climbed to fourth with a win. United are six points away from fourth spot and a Champions League berth next season.
Rasmus Hojlund scored his fifth goal in five consecutive league games – and 11th in all competitions – to put United ahead in the 17th minute, knocking in Harry Maguire’s header from close range through keeper Emi Martinez’s legs.
United keeper Andre Onana produced several huge saves to keep Villa off the scoresheet until Douglas Luiz levelled in the 67th minute.
Onana made yet another superb save to stop Clement Lenglet but Luiz was there to fire home the rebound, celebrating with a shoulder shimmy in front of Onana’s net.
But United had the last laugh, with Scotland’s McTominay coming on in the 73rd minute and scoring the winner in the 86th, leaping to head a superb cross from Diogo Dalot past Martinez.
Arsenal secured their biggest Premier League away win with a ruthless dismantling of West Ham to move back to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s side stay third but are now behind second-placed Manchester City only on goals scored after wiping out a six-goal deficit on a stunning afternoon at the London Stadium.
It is West Ham’s heaviest home Premier League defeat and joint-heaviest of all time, along with an 8-2 loss against Blackburn in 1963-64.
The Gunners raced into a 4-0 lead in an extraordinary first half thanks to goals from William Saliba, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, leaving the home side stunned.
Saka waltzed through a static Hammers defence to score his second after the break, before Declan Rice made it 6-0 with a rocket of a shot from distance against his former club.
After the jubilation of last weekend’s win over Liverpool, Arsenal produced another statement performance to restate their title credentials.
It is their joint-biggest margin of victory in an away league match and their first since a 7-1 win over Aston Villa in December 1935.
Their previous record away win in the Premier League was 6-1 against Middlesbrough in 1999 and Everton in 2009.
They had to wait 32 minutes to break the deadlock, when Saliba rose highest at the far post from Rice’s corner to nod home from close range.
West Ham had been defensively disciplined to that point, but completely lost their shape as Arsenal ran in three more goals before the break.
The second came from the penalty spot when Saka ran on to a ball over the top and was fouled by goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. The England international, who missed from the spot against West Ham last season, converted this time for his 50th Arsenal goal.
Gabriel made it 3-0 with another close-range header from Rice’s free-kick, before Trossard curled superbly into the top corner in first-half stoppage time.
The pace of the game dropped after the break but Arsenal’s dominance remained, with Saka collecting Martin Odegaard’s pass inside the area before rifling into the near post.
Rice then fired in a superb sixth from distance, though the England midfielder refused to celebrate on what was his second appearance back at his old club since his £100m summer move.