Live Commentary: Aston Villa 2-3 Manchester United - as it happened

League leaders Manchester United travelled to Aston Villa in today's early evening kickoff.

The Red Devils were aware that a win would move them four points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Find out how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text coverage below.

7.33pmUnited came from two goals down to win in style and the Red Devils extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table to four points. That concludes this live commentary - goodnight.

7.28pmClick here to read Callum Mulvihill's match report on this thrilling match.

Full timeAston Villa 2-3 Manchester United

90min+3Wasteful delivery - United clear.

90min+2Vlaar, who is now playing as a makeshift centre-forward, makes space for Holman and the Australian winger strikes at goal from 18 yards. Evra throws his body at the ball and deflects it behind for a corner to Villa.

90minThe fourth official has indicted that a minimum of five minutes added time will be played - Ferguson looks disgusted.

Goal:Van Persie's whipped free-kick finds Hernandez in the six-yard box and the little Mexican completes his hattrick with a diving header. What a turnaround!

87minGOAL FOR MANCHESTER UNITED! - Javier Hernandez - Aston Villa 2-3 Manchester United

86minSubstitution for Villa: Delph replaces Bannan.

86minEl Ahmadi brings down Anderson. Free-kick to United, 30 yards from goal and just right of centre.

84minThe corner is over-hit and goes out of play for a throw-in.

83minAnderson's low cross into the Villa box is slid behind by Bannan. Corner to United.

81minSubstitution for Villa: Brett Holman replaces Weimann. The departing Austrian receives a standing ovation for his contribution today.

79minSubstitution for Villa: Karim El Ahmadi comes on for Ireland.

79minSubstitution for United: Anderson replaces Rooney.

73minUnited hit the woodwork again! 47 seconds after his initial effort rebounded off the goal frame, Van Persie strikes the bar again - this time with a curling left-foot effort from 20 yards.

72minUnited hit the woodwork! Rooney's inswinging corner is met by Van Persie at the near post. The Dutchman's powerful effort smacks against the crossbar.

71minSubstitution for United: Tom Cleverley replaces Scholes.

71minUnited win a corner on the left.

70minUnited clear.

69minChance for Villa! Matthew Lowton crosses towards Benteke at the near post, but Smalling does well to slide the ball behind for a corner.

66minChance for Villa! Bannan whips in a good cross for Weimann, who heads at goal from six yards and is denied a hattrick by a good parry from De Gea.

Goal:Rooney feeds Rafael on the overlap and the Brazilian right-back stands up a first-time cross to the far post, where Hernandez volleys home from a tricky angle.

63minGOAL FOR MANCHESTER UNITED! - Javier Hernandez - Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United

Goal:Scholes makes up for his previous wastefulness by producing a perfectly-weighted lofted through ball from inside his own half. Hernandez then does what Hernandez does from eight yards.

58minGOAL FOR MANCHESTER UNITED! - Javier Hernandez - Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United

56minYellow card for Ireland. The Villa midfielder hacks down Smalling from behind and is rightly booked.

54minScholes is certainly not having one of his best games. The 37-year-old has lost the ball seven times already by my reckoning.

Goal:Benteke cleverly leaves the ball for Ireland, who slides in Gabby Agbonlahor down the left. He fires the ball low across goal and Weimann doubles his tally with a simple tap in.

50minGOAL FOR ASTON VILLA! - Andreas Weimann - Aston Villa 2-0 Manchester United

46minThe second half is underway.

6.33pmUnited make a substitution ahead of the second period: Javier Hernandez replaces Young.

6.32pmVilla only had 28 percent ball possession in the opening half and United registered six shots, compared to the hosts' three. However, Lambert's men have looked very dangerous on the counter-attack and I would argue that they deserved their half-time lead.

6.27pmUnited have now conceded first in seven of their 11 Premier League matches this season. However, the Red Devils have won six top-flight matches from losing positions this term.

Half time:That goal was the last action of the first half. Villa go into the break with a one-goal advantage and Villa Park is really rocking for the first time in quite a while.

Goal:Benteke does brilliantly down the left. The Belgium international beats Smalling for pace and strength, before pulling the ball back to Weimann, who sidefoots into the top right corner from 18 yards. Very good goal.

45+1GOAL FOR ASTON VILLA! - Andreas Weimann - Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester United

44minRooney's first effort at goal is from all of 30 yards and Brad Guzan comfortably holds the ball.

41minBannan's floated delivery is headed clear of danger by Smalling.

40minVlaar shows superb strength to dispossess Wayne Rooney. Then, moments later at the other end, Ferdinand tackles Benteke in exactly the same way and is harshly penalised. Free-kick to Villa - 30 yards from goal.

36minVilla go close! Ireland's low drive from 25 yards goes narrowly wide.

32minRooney's low cross is well cleared by Ron Vlaar, who has been totally dominant in the Villa penalty area so far today.

26minScholes is caught in possession by Ireland. The ball then gets poked through to Benteke, who is one-on-one with David De Gea, but the referee awards United a soft free-kick for a foul on the Ginger Maestro. Big decision.

23minValencia unleashes an ambitious long-range effort from near the right touchline. It fizzes just wide.

19minAs we enter the 19th minute of the match, fans across all four corners of Villa Park stand in unison to applaud Stiliyan Petrov, who is currently battling leukaemia.

18minVilla, who have not fielded a single player over the age of 29 today, have looked the more threatening side so far.

16minBannan's drilled corner goes straight to Scholes and United clear.

15minChance for Villa! Benteke beats the offside trap, but his low shot from a narrow angle is blocked by Rio Ferdinand. Corner to Villa.

14minChance for Villa! The hosts break away with three against three. Andreas Weimann has options left and right, but he elects to go for goal and his effort is deflected to safety.

11minThis time the delivery is poor and United clear.

10minAnother good set piece from Bannan. Christian Benteke gets a good shot away and Young does well to deflect the ball behind for another corner to Villa.

9minDecent delivery from Barry Bannan. Patrice Evra heads behind for a corner to Villa.

8minPaul Scholes goes in late on Stephen Ireland and Villa have a free-kick midway inside the United half on the right.

6minYoung, who is still being roundly jeered, cuts in from the left and curls a low effort at goal, which goes just wide.

4minChance for United! Van Persie swings the corner in from the left and Michael Carrick heads straight into the keeper's arms from six yards out.

3minAntonio Valencia attempts a low cross from the right, but Stevens deflects the ball behind for a corner to United.

2minAshley Young's first touch of the game is brief, but it is marked by even more booing from the home fans.

0minVilla kick off.

5.29pmDisappointingly, the silence is interrupted by a small minority of fans and, as a result, the end of the minute is greeted by loud booing.

5.28pmEveryone at Villa Park will now observe a minute's silence ahead of Armistice Day, which is tomorrow.

5.26pmThe players are on the pitch and the handshakes are underway.

5.24pmToday's referee is Kevin Friend. He has only taken charge of a Manchester United match on one previous occasion - the Red Devils' 3-2 win over Fulham in August.

5.21pmSir Alex Ferguson on his side's fantastic record at Villa Park: "We've done well here because we've played well here. It is a good traditional football ground and we always get great support when we come here."

5.19pmVilla's last home win over United in the league came on the opening day of the 1995-1996 season. That was the match that prompted Alan Hansen to utter the immortal words: "You can't win anything with kids."

5.14pmAston Villa have not beaten Man United at home since recording a 3-0 win in the League Cup in 1999. That run stretches 16 games and includes 12 United victories.

5.07pmThere is no place in Paul Lambert's 18-man squad for Darren Bent, who was also absent last week.

5.07pmThere is no place in Paul Lambert's 18-man squad for Darren Bent, who was also absent last week.

5.05pmVilla have made just one change following last weekend's 1-0 win at Sunderland. Enda Stevens makes his first start for the club, in place of injured defender Joe Bennett.

5.01pmUnited's Jonny Evans has a groin injury and is replaced by Chris Smalling at centre-half, while Ashley Young starts in midfield against his former club after overcoming a slight knock on his knee.

4.57pmUnited subs:Lindegaard, Anderson, Hernandez, Welbeck, Cleverley, Fletcher, Buttner

4.56pmUnited starting XI: De Gea, Rafael, Evra, Smalling, Ferdinand, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Young, Van Persie, Rooney

4.56pmVilla subs: Given, Albrighton, Holman, Delph, El Ahmadi, Bowery, Williams

4.55pmVilla starting XI: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Stevens, Westwood, Bannan, Ireland, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Benteke

Live Commentary: Aston Villa 2-3 Manchester United - as it happened

People mentioned in this article :

Teams mentioned in this article :

Manchester United

Aston Villa