Sheffield United 0-5 Aston Villa

Aston Villa dismantled Sheffield United at Bramall Lane as they got back to winning ways in the Premier League.

Four goals in 18 first-half minutes blew the Blades away, kickstarted by John McGinn’s 12^th-minute opener.

Ollie Watkins’ drilled shot and Leon Bailey’s left-foot curler made it 3-0 to the visitors after 20 minutes, with Youri Tielemans cannoning number four in off the crossbar.

Álex Moreno’s emphatic volley bagged a fifth two minutes into the second half as Villa secured a first league win of 2024.

The resounding triumph was also the club’s first away win against United in the top flight since 1994.

Head coach Unai Emery responded to the midweek defeat against Newcastle United by making two changes, bringing in Bailey and Diego Carlos for the trip to South Yorkshire.

Villa had struggled to break the Blades down in the reverse fixture in December but managed to do so after just 12 minutes at Bramall Lane.

A Douglas Luiz through ball set Watkins racing away and after his dinked effort beat the ‘keeper and struck a post, McGinn was there to smash the ball into an empty net.

One quickly became two for the visitors as another exquisite Luiz through ball, this time with the outside of his foot, found Watkins and the striker drilled a shot across goal and into the bottom corner.

United were visibly rocked by the quickfire double but they were soon three down when Watkins fed Bailey on the right and the Jamaican cut in on his left foot and sent a shot crashing into the top corner.

Vini Souza saved Sheffield from conceding a fourth when he flicked Tielemans’ shot off the line, but it proved to be a momentary reprieve as from the resulting corner the midfielder collected the ball on the edge of the box and cannoned a shot in off the underside of the bar.

After the first half passed without further incident, Villa were back on the goal trail at the start of the second half.

Bailey did well to keep the ball alive on the byline before Watkins stood up a cross to the back post, where Moreno smashed a volley past Wes Foderingham.

In stark contrast to the home fans, the near-3,000 strong travelling contingent were in full voice as their side looked to add to their tally.

Substitute Moussa Diaby was keen to get in on the act, shimmying his way through the defence before blasting a shot at Foderingham.

Aside from one save in the first half, Martínez had been a bystander in the Villa goal as United spent the majority of the match on the back foot.

But after 77 minutes he showed his credentials as the world’s best goalkeeper with a pair of fine saves.

Watkins cleared a Jack Robinson header off the line and from the resulting corner, Martínez denied the Blades twice in a matter of seconds with reaction stops.

New signing Morgan Rogers was handed a debut and quickly had a chance to score his first goal, but he could only send a shot over the bar from inside the box.

The home support were finally given something to cheer about in the dying minute when Souza tapped home, but their cheers were shortlived as VAR spotted an offside in the buildup and disallowed the goal.