4 things we learned from Man Utd downing top four rivals Aston Villa

Embracing the modern trend of painfully reactive football analysis, Erik ten Hag claimed earlier this season: “You are only as good as your last game.”

Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2-1 in their most recent outing, hauling themselves to within five points of their top-four rivals, but quite how good they were in victory is harder to quantify.

Rasmus Hojlund extended his hot streak to open the scoring and Scott McTominay emerged from the bench to snatch an 86th-minute winner but the visitors violently wobbled in between those clinical bursts.

Here’s what Ten Hag may have learned from United’s last game.

There was a time, not too long ago when Ten Hag would never have even considered taking off Marcus Rashford while Manchester United were in search of a goal. Yet, the forward’s disjointed form this season ensured that his number was illuminated in red when Ten Hag turned to his bench in the final 20 minutes.

McTominay justified Ten Hag’s decision, rising above Matty Cash to crash in yet another winning goal. Rashford had hardly been poor while he was on the pitch, regularly wriggling past Cash who earned a booking for a foul on the England international.

Yet, it was telling that Ten Hag left the teenage Alejandro Garnacho on the pitch while bringing off the club’s highest-paid player. For all of his trickery, Rashford failed to penetrate the most dangerous area of the pitch – even Harry Maguire had more touches inside Villa’s penalty box.

Rashford remains above Antony in United’s hierarchy. Although, given the Brazilian is still yet to score a single Premier League goal this season, that’s not exactly an accolade to cling to.

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Ten Hag has vented his frustrations with United’s defensive approach to dead-ball scenarios this year, demanding his players “grow up and be more physical” after cowering under every set piece Tottenham Hotspur swung into the box.

However, the Dutchman could not have been particularly…