Kobbie Mainoo is flying under the radar after Man Utd’s win against Aston Villa, but the three things he did in the victory showed he’s storming back to life.
In a game that saw four goals scored, it’s not a surprise that Kobbie Mainoo’s performance is flying under the radar.
His “defensive-minded” midfield partner, Casemiro, scored again to get the Stretford End begging him to stay for another year.
His offensive midfield partner, Bruno Fernandes, was a force of nature as well. However, Mainoo stormed back to life by doing three things against Villa, all of which were a message to his critics.
Manchester United's English midfielder #37 Kobbie Mainoo controls the ball
Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images
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Kobbie Mainoo set the combative tone
Mainoo’s declining performance levels coincided with Man Utd feeling the heat in recent games, and it all boiled down to a familiar problem for the youngster.
The combative version of Mainoo, who looked like he was on a mission to prove Ruben Amorim wrong when Carrick arrived, had gone off the boil.
Against Villa, he was back to his brutal best.
With eight ball recoveries (highest on the pitch) and a total of 14 defensive contributions, he bossed the midfield with his combativeness.
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Gone was the player who shirked when the game got physical and intense. He revelled in the “dirty” parts of the game and dragged his team to victory despite not scoring or assisting.
Mainoo combined craft with combat
Combativeness is something that Mainoo has added to his game recently, but he always had the craft when he was on the ball.
In the past few games, that had disappeared as Mainoo retreated into his shell and became a safety-first player.
Against Villa, he was almost in a flow state again, skipping past challenges in midfield with his footwork and progressing United up the pitch.
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Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on February 1, 2026
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
His role was a huge part of United’s buildup being much better, especially in the second phase of the pitch, and it helped break down Villa’s defensive lines.
Which brings us to the third and final point.
The final-third threat
Mainoo might be a defensive midfielder in the form of an orchestrator, but his final-third skill set is salivating.
He can pick out good crosses from the wide half-spaces, and his eye for the goal in the box is extremely underrated.
Against Villa, he felt confident again to push forward into the final third and use his dribbling and one-twos to unsettle the defence.
Unai Emery’s deployment of Ross Barkley in midfield empowered Mainoo to run forward, in the knowledge that Barkley is defensively suspect.
He will undoubtedly be more cautious with his forward runs in other games, but that balance was struck sweetly by him against Villa.
His critics asked him to show more after going off the ball in recent games. He responded by storming back to life by doing the exact three things he was accused of not doing.
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