Aston Villa stun Manchester United with rapid double at Old Trafford

Aston Villa scored twice inside the opening four minutes against Manchester United, turning pre-match protests at Old Trafford into an early crisis for Michael Carrick’s side in the final fixture of the 10th round of the Premier League.

Alison Edward opened the scoring for Aston Villa in the first minute after catching the Manchester United defence off guard. The goal stunned the home crowd and gave the visitors the perfect start.

Aston Villa struck again just three minutes later, with Nicolas Jackson making it 2-0 in the fourth minute. Manchester United were suddenly facing a difficult task before they had been able to settle into the match.

The quickfire goals intensified the unrest inside Old Trafford. Supporters had organised protests against the club’s management before kick-off and displayed banners calling for change. Their frustration was compounded when United found themselves two goals behind almost immediately.

The early setback also increased the pressure on Carrick and the club’s hierarchy, with supporters already angry over the team’s declining results. The atmosphere of protest before the match quickly became one of shock once the game began.

Manchester United were given a route back into the contest in the 16th minute when Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty. The spot-kick was awarded after Matheus Cunha was brought down inside the Aston Villa penalty area.

Fernandes’ penalty recalled Manchester United’s Champions League meeting with Roma, when the English side had also fallen 2-0 behind before recovering to win 3-2. On that occasion, the comeback began with a penalty scored by Fernandes.

United completed their recovery before half-time. In the 44th minute, Youri Tielemans, a former Aston Villa player, levelled the score with a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area.

The fast start meant three goals had been scored within the first 16 minutes, with Aston Villa initially appearing to have taken complete control before Manchester United responded strongly.

The listed Premier League schedule also includes Aston Villa on 21 November 2026, while Sunderland and Liverpool are listed for 22 November 2026. Manchester United is also included in the fixture listings.