THE CHARACTER OF CARRICK’S MEN
Mikey Partington: I love the Casemiro celebrations, the nonchalance of Fernandes after his two assists and how Cunha joins in with Sesko’s trademark jump, but the most satisfying thing about Sunday’s win for me was the character the Reds showed to get another big result.
Pegged back by Ross Barkley’s equaliser just after the hour mark, the contest could have gone in a very different direction. A victory felt so important to the momentum of both teams’ European ambitions, and you could argue that Villa had the upper hand in the encounter after drawing level. But, as we have often seen over the last few months, United showed resilience, spirit and, ultimately, quality with the two decisive late goals, in a game-state that challenged and asked questions of Carrick’s men.
That ability to go again when adversity smacks you in the face – like when Arsenal scored a late equaliser in our January victory at the Emirates, or when Fulham looked to have rescued a point as we beat them at Old Trafford a week later – is an underrated skill of this team for me, but one that will be imperative for us to maintain if we’re to finish the season inside those Champions League positions.