SCOTT McTOMINAY headed Manchester United into the fourth round to keep alive Ralf Rangnick’s hopes of marking his stay at the club with silverware.
Aston Villa will count themselves hugely unlucky not to have at least taken this pulsating match into extratime, if not win it in regulation.
Twice they had the ball in the net only to be denied once by VAR and the other by the offside flag.
Yet despite being second best, McTominay’s early headed goal earned United a home fourth-round tie with Middlesbrough.
Victory kept alive hopes of silverware for the first time since the double trophy season under Jose Mourinho in 2017. And with the Premier League and Champions League looking big asks, the FA Cup could be the best opportunity.
Once again, had it not been for David De Gea, United could have been staring at another dismal night.
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