Man Utd player ratings v Aston Villa: One scores 9/10 but another gets 4/10 in comeback win - gallery

Manchester United fans were treated to a Christmas classic on Boxing Day as they came from two goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at Old Trafford.

After a disappointing opening 45 minutes, that saw United concede two sloppy goals, the Red Devils responded excellently. In front of the watching Sir David Brailsford from Ineos, United rallied in the second period, with Alejandro Garnacho grabbing a brace and Rasmus Hojlund netting the winner, his first in the Premier League.

It was a back and forth opening to the game, with both sides looking dangerous on the break. The attacking trio of Garnacho, Hojlund and Marcus Rashford provided a real threat from United against a high Villa defensive line.

Yet, with five first-half minutes Villa twice netted from set-pieces to kill off any early United momentum. John McGinn’s free-kick from a wide position sailed over everyone and beyond a statuesque Andre Onana in the 21st minute, before Leandro Dendoncker flicked the ball home following a Clement Lenglet header from a corner, to leave Old Trafford seething once again.

But Villa couldn’t push on and it was the hosts who created the majority of chances from that point on.

Rashford twice tested Emiliano Martinez, Bruno Fernandes fired wide after a sloppy first touch, while Hojlund couldn’t connect with a dangerous cross into the back post from Garnacho at the end of a frustrating opening 45 minutes.

United continued in a similar vein after the break with those runs in behind, when timed correctly, causing Villa so effective. Rashford thought he’d teed up Garnacho to net for United in the 48th minute, but a VAR check showed it was correctly ruled offside. Then Martinez, the pantomime villain at every time of year, was lucky to escape a red card for his wide tackle on Rashford. That he won the ball first saved Villa’s keeper.

But the Argentine wasn’t so fortunate when it came to United’s proficiency in the final third of the game, as the Red Devils grabbed three goals in 23 minutes. Rashford and Garnacho was the most deadly combination and it was no surprise when United opened the scoring via that route, as the latter tapped in at the back post in the 59th minute.

Garnacho, playing from the right, was proving impossible for Villa to stop. He fired wide from an acute angle soon after, before getting United back on level terms with a powerful left-foot shot that deflected off Ezri Konsa an into the back of the net.

Suddenly, Old Trafford was electric and a third felt inevitable. The scorer, however, wasn’t. Set-pieces had looked to be United’s downfall early on but it was via a corner that the winner materialised. John McGinn’s decision to try and control in the box proved costly and Hojlund fastened onto the ball and scruffily placed the ball into the Villa goal to grab his maiden Premier League strike on the 15th attempt.

From there, United held on to a well-earned three points that sees them move to within five points of the top four. Here's how we rated the players...