ASTON VILLA made it a perfect ten thanks to their talismanic No.10.
This was a game of the No.10s. Morgan Rogers and Matheus Cunha both scored superbly.
But Rogers had the last word with a second strike identical to his first.
Twice Leny Yoro invited Rogers to cut inside and shoot. Twice Rogers scored to put Villa ahead.
This was Rogers’s third two-goal matchwinning performance of the season and the second in as many weeks.
There are a plethora of world-class No.10s available to Tuchel but Rogers is untouchable in his England World Cup team.
The blue half of Birmingham would disagree but Rogers is already ahead of Jude Bellingham and that gap is widening. Rogers now has seven goals this season.
With every passing week, Pep Guardiola’s decision to let Rogers leave Manchester City appears a rare misjudgement.
Unai Emery has done a near-impeccable job at Villa Park and elevating Rogers above Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers et al. speaks volumes of the Spaniard’s coaching clout.
Ten successive victories for Villa will keep alive the fanciful belief that they could be title challengers.
They had beaten United three times in their previous 30 home Premier League games. But this is a very different Villa team.
The gap between Villa and United is now a significant ten points.
United’s form will draw greater scrutiny. They have managed two wins out of their last eight since they strung together three successive victories in October.
With Kobbie Mainoo out with a calf injury, the number of key absences for United was upped to seven and it showed.
United were so depleted the bench was almost a variation on the 12 Days of Christmas: three teenagers who had never played before, two goalkeepers and an unsellable member of their ‘bomb squad’.
Luke Shaw was even on corners. Jack Fletcher, son of Darren, and Shea Lacey emerged for their debuts.
Bruno Fernandes, so rarely injured, can be added to the list of casualties.
Amadou Onana went unpunished for late first-half scissor-tackle on the United captain. Fernandes kicked the ball into touch to seemingly indicate his race was run.
Instead he vented at referee Michael Oliver for not cautioning Onana and played out the remainder of the half. Fernandes eventually made way at half-time.
This is often one of the most watchable Premier League fixtures and some United fans thought Cunha had put them ahead in the third minute only his shot grazed the side-netting.
Ollie Watkins must have fancied his chances up against Ayden Heaven and two minutes later he had pulled away from the United centre half onto Yoro.
Yoro panicked but Heaven recovered to block Wakins’ goalbound strike. Yoro high-fived his teammate but did not bail them out himself.
Senne Lammens and Heaven soon had to repel John McGinn’s shot and block the follow-up from Watkins after an error by Manuel Ugarte.
On his first start in more than a month, Benjamin Sesko missed his first chance when the ball bounced through to him in the 21st minute. He smacked it straight at Emiliano Martinez.
Sesko was played in a minute later and overhit the ball out for a goal kick. Cunha, responsible for playing Sesko through, had his hands in the air. Then they were on his head.
It was Sesko’s first start since November 1 but he is on two goals in 14 games. More damning than that is Sesko failed to dominate United reject Victor Lindelof.
It came down to Sesko or Watkins in the summer and United opted for potential over proven. Both fired blanks.
Watkins’ early run showed Rogers the way forward and his spectacular 45th-minute goal came from him running into Yoro’s territory on the right-hand side.
Chasing a seemingly lost cause, Rogers carried the ball from the touchline towards the penalty area and arched the ball into the far corner.
Within three minutes, Patrick Dorgu dispossessed Matty Cash and prodded the ball towards Cunha, who whipped the ball similarly to Rogers.
With fellow forwards Bryan Mbeumo and Amad now on Africa Cup of Nations duty and Fernandes injured, Cunha could step up as the temporary leader of the attack.
But Rogers is a more decisive attacker than Cunha. When Rogers got his chance in front of the Holte End, he brilliantly restored Villa’s lead on 57 minutes with an identical effort to his opener.
Cunha had a far easier chance to equalise a second time from Dorgu’s inch-perfect cross in the 67th minute but he miscued the contact.
United’s away-dayers sounded doubtful about Sesko but he briefly got them back onside in front of the to quickly win a corner in front of the away end.
But Rogers drew a louder roar minutes later when he latched onto the ball inside the Holte End penalty area and bent it beyond Lammens again.
And seal a rare Villa victory over United on home soil.
