LONDON, (Reuters) – Teenager Federico Macheda marked his debut for Manchester United by scoring an astonishing stoppage-time winner to give them a 3-2 win over Aston Villa yesterday and keep them on course for the Premier League title.
Macheda, 17, who replaced Nani after 61 minutes, showed tremendous composure to turn Villa defender Luke Young and curl the ball past Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel to give United the victory that took them back to the top of the table.
United have 68 points from 30 matches. They are one point ahead, with a game in hand, of Liverpool who had gone top on Saturday after an equally late and dramatic winner from Yossi Benayoun in their 1-0 win at Fulham.
Chelsea, who won 2-0 at Newcastle United on Saturday, are third with 64 points from 31 games.
United, with Rio Ferdinand and Dimitar Berbatov injured and Paul Scholes, Nemanja Vidic and Wayne Rooney all suspended, had lost their previous two league games to Liverpool and Fulham and looked to be heading for their third successive defeat with only 10 minutes to go.
Villa, looking for their first win in nine matches and first at Old Trafford since 1983, led 2-1 but the game turned against them and left them hanging on to fifth place by a point from Everton.
United took the lead with a 14th minute Cristiano Ronaldo goal following a free kick awarded for a James Milner back pass to Friedel but Villa struck back with headers from John Carew after 30 minutes and Gabriel Agbonlahor after 58.
Ronaldo then made it 2-2 with a low shot from the edge of the box before Macheda’s dramatic winner.
In the day’s other game, Everton crushed Wigan Athletic 4-0 at Goodison Park with two goals from Jo and one each from Marouanne Fellaini and Leon Osman.
