EPL Stats Gallery: Which Man United player had the most shots? What were the passing zones for Aston Villa? | OneFootball

Aston Villa emerged victorious at Old Trafford as they beat Manchester United to move into the top half of the table in the Premier League.

We’ve broken down all the key stats for you to digest, including; * shot maps * xT (expected threat) * pass networks * xG timelines * defensive duels * average positions and much more!

We also try to answer some questions for you with the visuals;

Which United player attempted the most number of shots? What were the passing zones for Aston Villa?

To navigate the stats gallery simply click on the numbers to move through the pages.

At the end of the gallery, you’ll be able to download the full PDF stats report.

Manchester United started in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack.

Manchester United had to substitute two of their four defenders as Luke Shaw and Maguire faced injuries in the game.

Aston Villa stuck to their three at the back formation and started in a 3-5-2 formation.

Villa made two changes in the second half as they replaced Danny Ings and Jacob Ramsey with Emiliano Buendia and Cameron Archer.

Manchester United saw more of the ball in both halves and also had more attempts on goal but were ineffective in front of goal as they failed to keep shots on target. Aston Villa defenders blocked 14 out the 28 shots attempted by United.

Mason Greenwood was United main channel of attack in the game as he attempted the most number of shots and also attempted 10 dribbles. Bruno Fernandes recorded the highest xG than any other player on the pitch and attempted the most number of passes into the final third.

Manchester United managed to keep only four of their 28 shots on target. They attempted 17 shots from inside the penalty box which is why they had a very high xG.

Aston Villa only had seven attempts on goal but created better chances than United and were able to score a goal from a set-piece.

The xT timeline indicates that even though United had more of the ball and also had more shot on target, they failed to create a significant threat towards the Villa goal. Villa on the other hand had better chances to score a goal as seen in the above visual. Ollie Watkins and the highest xG for Villa as he had two shots on target.

Bruno Fernandes attempted 54 passes for United and passes the ball to Greenwood most number of times.

Matt Targett attempted 38 passes for Villa but could not complete 16 of those passes which were mostly crosses that he put into the box.

The United pass zones indicate Aston Villa made it tough for the defenders to carry the ball further up the pitch and had to pass it sideways to their full-backs. United felt the absence of Luke Shaw as they were a lesser number of crosses put in from the left flank as they had a right-footed player playing at left-back.

Aston Villa attacked more from the left side as seen in the above visual. Aston Villa players failed to attempt a single smart pass and focused on putting in more crosses.Diogo Dalot attempted 22 passes with an accuracy of 68.18% and had the highest xT from the passes he attempted. Most of the United players were able to create a threat with their passes but failed to find the desired outcome. Mason Greenwood impressed with his passing as well as dribbling skills as he had a high xT from both, but failed to make the right move in the most dangerous positions on some occasions.

Aston Villa midfielders created the most number of chances with their passing. Douglas Luiz and John McGinn had the highest xT from the passes they attempted. Douglas Luiz also provided the assist for Aston Villa’s goal.

Most of the Aston Villa attackers failed to make the right pass when they were in threatening positions which is why they have a lower xT. Ollie Watkins impressed with his dribbling skills as he had a high xT with the dribbles he attempted.The United players won most of the defensive duels they attempted but failed to recover possession of the ball after the duel.

Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire each lost on one aerial duel from their total attempts to win the ball.Paul Pogba won the most number of loose ball duels for his team. He won six out of the nine loose ball duels he attempted.

Aston Villa players lost most of the defensive duels they attempted. Jacob Ramsey lost six defensive duels of his eight attempts.Ezri Konsa won the most number of aerial duels as he won four of the six attempted duels.

Danny Ings pressed the United defence higher up the pitch and won two loose ball duels to recover the ball for his team.

A win would have taken Manchester United to the top of the Premier League table, but Aston Villa had other plans, as they gave United a tough fight and secured all three points.

If you want to download this stats report in a PDF you can do so here: Premier League Stats: Manchester United vs Aston Villa