Man United 2-0 Aston Villa: Ruben Amorim’s men end worst Premier League season on a high – as visitors MISS OUT on Champions League

Having messed up their own bid for Champions League qualification, Manchester United torpedoed Aston Villa’s hopes of rejoining Europe’s elite on a final day of controversy and acrimony at Old Trafford.

Of course, Villa didn’t see it that way. They were blaming the decision to appoint relatively inexperienced referee Thomas Bramall who disallowed a goal by Morgan Rogers after he poked the ball out of Altay Bayindir’s grasp in the 73rd minute.

Did Bayindir have the ball in both hands? By his fingertips, yes. Should the referee have waited to blow his whistle so VAR could have a closer look at the incident? Probably.

Instead, the man who had earlier sent off Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stopped play before Rogers turned the ball into an empty net so there was no way the decision could be overturned.

The game was goalless at the time and Villa were in possession of that all-important fifth place with Newcastle heading for defeat at home to Everton.

Three minutes later, Amad Diallo gave United the lead that their performance deserved, and Villa’s hopes had vanished by the time Christian Eriksen converted a late penalty. They lost out to Newcastle on goal difference.

Aston Villa’s season ended in heartbreak as they missed out on the Champions League 

Villa’s day was made much harder when Emiliano Martinez saw a straight red for a ridiculous foul on Rasmus Hojlund – in potentially the goalkeeper’s final game 

But that wasn’t the whole story here. Blaming it on the referee simply isn’t enough. Villa need to take a good look at themselves, having played as poorly as United did in Bilbao last Wednesday when their own Champions League dream disappeared following defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham.

The shot count here was 25-6 in United’s favour, and 10-1 in shots on target. That solitary effort from Matty Cash came deep into injury-time, forcing Bayindir into his only save of note.

United hit the woodwork three times and had a goal of their own by Rasmus Hojlund disallowed for offside. They had enough chances before and after the decision to disallow Rogers’ goal to win far more comfortably.

So while Villa left Old Trafford under a cloud, United’s players headed off for a post-season tour of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong last night (sun) after ending this worst-ever Premier League campaign with a first league win in three months.

At least it meant they reached the 40-point mark – albeit on the final day of the season – and moved up to the lofty heights of 15th rather than finishing one place above the relegation zone.

It meant that after more anti-Glazer protests before kick-off, they avoided losing half their league games for the first time since 1934.

It meant that a few thousand more fans stayed around at the final whistle to hear Amorim say sorry, and for them to say goodbye to Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans.

Others will be leaving too, of course. This United squad has been way too bad to avoid major surgery during the summer.

The visitors were aggrieved that Morgan Rogers had a goal ruled out for dispossessing Altay Bayindir – despite the goalkeeper not having had the ball under control 

Amad Diallo broke the deadlock with his 11th goal of the season for Manchester United

Christian Eriksen closed the season in style as he converted a penalty past Robin Olsen

Alejandro Garnacho joined his teammates for a lap of appreciation, but his absence from the squad after being told to find a new club felt final.

‘We have (financial) fair play rules and we are limited but, of course, we will have changes’ said Amorim, who remained coy over Garnacho’s future.

‘I am really excited to start again. I have to deliver next year. We will suffer again but we need to have better results, that’s for sure.’

After freezing on the big stage in Bilbao, United played with a freedom here that has been missing for so much of the season.

It helped playing against 10 men, of course. Martinez saw red in added time at the end of the first half when Cash under-hit a back-pass.

Hojlund was always going to reach the ball first, but Martinez raced out of his goal and floored him with the crudest of body checks.

The Argentine protested his innocence but the referee was having none of it and produced a straight red card.

Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes and Diallo had already wasted chances by then. Harry Maguire channelled his inner ‘Harrydinho’ to turn two defenders and set up Diogo Dalot to hit the post.

Ruben Amorim oversaw a first home league win since February to end the season on an up

Manchester United fans held a large protest against the club’s Glazer ownership on Sunday

Martinez’ Aston Villa career appears to have ended in calamity after his rash red card

Dalot, an early substitute for Noussair Mazraoui, made way for Kobbie Mainoo at half-time and the chances kept coming.

Hojlund’s header past substitute goalkeeper Robin Olsen was chalked off within four minutes of the restart, Fernandes flashed a 25-yard effort inches wide and Casemiro clipped the outside of the post with a curling shot after another Cash pass went astray.

Mainoo robbed Pau Torres but Holjund couldn’t convert in front of goal and then fired at Olsen after Ian Maatsen’s awful header.

Villa were lucky to get away with their mistakes for so long.

When a goal arrived in the 76th minute, it was well overdue. Mainoo gave the ball to Fernandes in midfield and he looked up to spot Diallo eyeing up a run to the back post. The cross was inch-perfect and Diallo ghosted in behind Maatsen to head into the far corner.

Eriksen came on with Evans in a double substitution and clipped the bar with a free kick before ending his United career by converting a penalty in the 87th minute after Maatsen brought down Diallo.

Emery clapped Bramall’s decision sarcastically on the touchline, but as the controversy raged afterwards he was already beginning to accept that Villa only have themselves to blame for dropping into the Europa League.

‘We didn’t deserve more than the result we have,’ he said ruefully.