Ashley Westwood silenced Old Trafford when he gave the visitors an early lead, but Wayne Rooney equalised on 19 minutes before converting a penalty on the stroke of half time.

Juan Mata scored his first goal for United 10 minutes after the break and the points were sealed late on through substitute Javier Hernandez.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the two teams.

Match statistics

Man Utd
Shots: 9
On target: 6
Possession: 56%
Corners: 0
Fouls: 10

Villa
Shots: 10
On target: 1
Possession:44%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 16

Was the result fair?

Despite United having to come from behind, it is hard to argue against the Red Devils claiming the points. There was little to separate the teams during the 90 minutes, but it was the hosts who were more clinical in front of goal and took their chances when they came along.

Man Utd's performance

United were average during the first half even though they went into the break leading 2-1. They struggled to get into their rhythm, lacked invention and creativity in the final third and ambled around rather aimlessly. This would have been depressingly familiar to a lot of the home supporters inside Old Trafford, but they were given a much better display after the break thanks to a more dynamic approach from the champions. Juan Mata, Shinji Kagawa and Wayne Rooney all linked well while the introduction of Adnan Januzaj gave them added impetus. There are still plenty of questions from a defensive point of view, although David Moyes will just be happy that his players earned a win with Bayern Munich lurking in midweek.

Villa's performance

Paul Lambert's side took the game to their hosts in the opening 45 minutes, playing brave, attacking football as they tried to exploit United's weaknesses. They deserved to take the lead but struggled to find their mojo again until the second half. The Villans appeared rejuvenated after the break and could easily have got something from the game were it not for three glaring misses from Christian Benteke. Had the Belgian buried just one of those chances, then we could be talking about a different result. As it was, he could not find the target and Villa were made to pay.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Juan Mata: The Spaniard was an integral part to United's victory, winning the penalty for Wayne Rooney to put the hosts ahead before opening his account for the Red Devils with a tidy finish in the second half. While others around him often struggled to get going, Mata was a constant source of clever flicks, incisive passes and tireless running.

Biggest gaffe

Christian Benteke had three wonderful chances to keep Villa in the game during the second half, but he could just not find the net. The striker's worst miss came when he somehow headed over from six yards following a cross from the right side.

Referee performance

Martin Atkinson had a fairly inconsistent afternoon in terms of bookings, brandishing his yellow card at random moments while letting others get away with more robust challenges. However, the official had a decent enough afternoon overall.

What next?

Man Utd: United face a tough test on Tuesday night when they welcome Bayern Munich to Old Trafford for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Villa: The Villans continue their Premier League campaign next Saturday at home to Fulham.