Roy Keane took a swipe at Gary Neville for awarding Harry Maguire the Man of the Match title in the match against Aston Villa.
Manchester United secured their third consecutive victory, with Scott McTominay clinching a late winner after coming off the bench.
Harry Maguire returned to the starting lineup alongside Raphael Varane following Lisandro Martínez’s injury and was awarded the MOTM accolade, a decision made by co-commentator Neville.
Despite opening goalscorer Rasmus Hojlund presenting Maguire with the award, Keane held a different opinion. Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane suggested that Neville’s choice was biased, as both are former defenders.
He remarked, “I thought he did alright today, obviously some lads give defenders Man of the Match because they’ve been defenders themselves – that type of scenario. It was going to be a defender.”
When Neville inquired about Keane’s choice for the award, Keane clarified, “No big deal about that, but we’ve praised the defenders considering the number of chances Villa had. Winning Man of the Match, the bottom line is it’s no big deal; what’s important for Maguire is he’s getting games under his belt, and he’s getting back up to speed.”
He continued, “He’s a good, solid, experienced defender. The problems are still there for Man United; they got away with it today because the attacking players are scoring goals.”
Manchester United’s next fixture is an away trip to Luton Town next Sunday, where they aim to maintain their impressive form.
Maguire acknowledged the team’s character but emphasized the need for improvement in the upcoming matches.
He stated, “I think we started well, scored to deservedly lead, and then the tempo of our pressing dropped off, and we weren’t aggressive enough. We allowed them back in, and we conceded from a set-play, which was disappointing at a place like this.”
Maguire added, “There was a great spirit and fight to come back, and Scott [McTominay] is the match-winner again. It’s an amazing feeling, but we would like to make it a little easier for ourselves.”
