Aston Villa 0-3 Man Utd: Welbeck Brace Brings About Red Devils Revival
Manchester United's excellent record away to Aston Villa continued as a first half Danny Welbeck double set the Premier League champions on their way to victory. Tom Cleverley was also on target after the break as David Moyes won his first league game in over a month.
Villa flew out of the traps with winger Marc Albrighton twice testing Red Devils number one David De Gea in the opening ten minutes. Christian Benteke's touch then let him down when his teammate played him in.
Weathering this early flurry, United went ahead on the quarter hour when Rafael crossed from the right and Adnan Januzaj saw a free header come back off the post. Welbeck tapped in the rebound.
Less than two minutes later the Red Devils doubled their lead through the same player. Nathan Baker played Villa into trouble, Cleverley combined with Welbeck to find Antonio Valencia free on the right and the England forward continued his run to turn in the cross. Welbeck beat Ashley Westwood to the ball on the stretch.
Hosts Villa struggled to contain the twin threat of Valencia and Rafael coming down United's right as they combined again and teed up Wayne Rooney. He dragged wide, however. Welbeck then went close a hat-trick, but scuffed his shot wide when he broke clear of Baker.
Six minutes after the break Cleverley sealed victory for Moyes's men, beating Brad Guzan on near post when Rooney slipped him in. Albrighton then stung the palms of David De Gea when he shot from a tight angle.
Moyes decided to give Darren Fletcher an outing from the bench following the midfielder's long battle with a bowel illness. Welbeck then saw an attempted lob go just over after more abysmal Villa defending.
De Gea had to be on hand to palm away Karim El Ahmadi's free kick to preserve a clean sheet. Brad Guzan in the home goal later palmed over from Cleverley when a cute Welbeck flick set the midfielder in behind.
A comfortable away win for the Red Devils lifts them up to eighth place and leave them ten points behind leaders Arsenal going into the Christmas period. Villa meanwhile slip out of the top half.