Morgan Rogers magic sinks Man United as Unai Emery equals 120-year record in Aston Villa win

Morgan Rogers scored two excellent goals as Aston Villa solidified their spot in third place with a 2-1 win over Manchester United.

Rogers curled in an excellent strike on the stroke of half time to put his side ahead, shortly before Matheus Cunha equalised.

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But Villa’s star man was on hand to restore their lead just before the hour mark with another well-executed finish.

Victory has sustained their position as unexpected Premier League title challengers as they are only three points off leaders Arsenal.

Meanwhile, the Villans are seven points clear of Chelsea and Liverpool, who sit fourth and fifth respectively.

It was also Villa’s tenth consecutive home win across all competitions, with head coach Emery overseeing a historical feat.

Villa previously enjoyed an impressive run of ten home wins in a row under the Spaniard from March to September 2023.

Emery has now become only the second manager in their history to have two separate runs of ten home wins.

He has joined George Ramsay, who delivered five different such spells between 1888 and 1905.

Rogers was the star of the show for Villa as he scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season during their tenth consecutive victory.

The former Manchester City academy star gave the United defence all sorts of problems across the 90 minutes.

His current form will only increase his chances of being selected by Thomas Tuchel in his England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

But domestic success with Villa will remain front and centre of his focus as they continue to battle Arsenal and City for the title.

Can Villa go on and do it?

Villa looked set for a difficult campaign having gone winless in their opening six matches across all competitions.

They scored just one goal in their opening five league matches, but it’s been a very different story since then.

Now third, Villa have a real opportunity to defy the odds and mark themselves as contenders for the Premier League crown.

Emery’s side have already won against title rivals Arsenal and City, although they are yet to travel to either of these sides.

A trip to Arsenal comes on December 30, three days after they face Chelsea away from home.

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Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are their first two opponents of 2026 before an FA Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

Villa will also play their final two Europa League league phases matches in January as they look to compete on all fronts this season.