An early headed goal by Scott McTominay proved decisive for Manchester United as they held on by the skin of their teeth to beat Aston Villa 1-0 in an absorbing FA Cup third round tie at Old Trafford on Monday.
While victory was a welcome relief for United manager Ralf Rangnick, it was a performance that showed just how much work he has to do if United are to challenge for silverware.
Villa will wonder how they bowed of the competition after responding to McTominay's eighth minute opener with a dominant display, striking the woodwork twice, forcing David De Gea into several saves and having two goals disallowed.
McTominay glanced in Fred's curling delivery to give the hosts a flying start, but from then on they struggled to contain a lively Villa side who played the better football.
The reward for 12-time FA Cup champions United is a home draw against second-tier Middlesbrough.
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The night's big talking point was why Villa had an equaliser ruled out early in the second half.
John McGinn played a free kick towards Ezri Konsa who headed across goal for Danny Ings to bundle in with his thigh.
Villa celebrated what they thought was a deserved equaliser but referee Michael Oliver was immediately talking into his mouthpiece to his VAR assistants.
With TV replays focussing on whether Ings had been offside or had used his arm to score, Oliver was summoned to check a pitch-side monitor and, more than three minutes after the ball entered the net, ruled out the goal for an apparent block by Jacob Ramsey on Edinson Cavani as the ball was played in.
Minutes later Ings was played through and his dink over De Gea was converted by Ollie Watkins, but this time Villa were denied by an offside decision.
In the first half Watkins had hit the crossbar after seizing on a mistake by Victor Lindelof, one of five changes to the United side from the defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers.
De Gea was also forced into fine saves to deny John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia as Villa dominated while United were forced to play largely on the counter-attack.
Marcus Rashford wasted a chance to increase United's lead just before the break while Luke Shaw's piledriver was tipped over by Emiliano Martinez.
But the second half continued in the same manner with Villa in charge and United hanging on.
