Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko struck in the final 20 minutes to give Manchester United a precious win over Aston Villa in the battle for Champions League qualification.

A game low on quality before the interval erupted after it, with United skipper Bruno Fernandes playing a pivotal role.

After Villa keeper Emi Martinez had turned away a goal-bound Bryan Mbeumo effort, Fernandes whipped in a textbook near-post corner, which Casemiro flicked over Martinez and into the net off the far upright.

On his first Premier League start in 14 months, Ross Barkley levelled for the visitors with a snap shot 11 minutes later.

However, United were not to be denied.

Fernandes supplied a superb through ball to send Cunha racing clear of the Villa defence and the Brazil forward found the far corner with a precise low strike.

Substitute Sesko then took his personal tally to eight goals in 10 games as his deflected effort on the turn looped past Martinez to inflict Villa’s third straight league defeat.

The result keeps Michael Carrick’s side in third and provides the United interim boss with a sixth successive home win – a record only bettered by Sven Goran Eriksson, Carlo Ancelotti and Manuel Pellegrini at the start of their respective Premier League reigns.

Villa have now won just three of their past 12 league matches and their 12-point return from that run leaves them sweating on qualification for Europe’s elite competition next season.