“Looked a little back to his best” “Makes a big difference” - Paul Scholes hails Manchester United duo who did not score in 3-2 win over Aston Villa

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes lavished praise on Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen following their performances in the 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday night (December 26).

The Red Devils found themselves two goals behind following first-half strikes from John McGinn (21') and Leander Dendoncker (26). However, Erik ten Hag's side turned the game around in the second half, with Alejandro Garnacho bagging a brace (59' and 71') and Rasmus Hojlund scoring the winner (82').

Rashford, who didn't start United's last four Premier League matches, was preferred in the XI for the clash against Aston Villa. Despite failing to get on the scoresheet, the winger registered an 83 percent passing accuracy, bagged an assist, and took three shots.

Meanwhile, Eriksen was sidelined with a knee injury that saw him miss eight matches for the Red Devils across November and December. On starting his first match since coming back from injury, the Denmark international made one key pass and played two accurate long balls from four attempts.

Addressing the aforementioned duo and the goalscorers for ten Hag's side, Scholes said (via Metro):

"Tonight, they looked a real threat after the first 25 minutes. For the last hour, they looked like they could score goals. Marcus Rashford looked a little back to his best. There was a bit more life in him. Alejandro Garnacho got the two goals, Rasmus Hojlund got a goal."

"You have to remember a lot of these players are young lads and are going to be inconsistent. But now they have to really build on this. Christian Eriksen coming back into the team makes a big difference," he added.

Rashford has made 23 appearances across competitions this season, bagging two goals and five assists. On the other hand, Eriksen has played 17 matches in all competitions in the ongoing campaign, scoring one goal and assisting two.

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Where do Manchester United stand in the Premier League, and who do they play next?

Erik ten Hag (via Getty Images)

Manchester United's latest Premier League victory over Aston Villa sees them move to sixth in the standings. They're still 11 points behind table-toppers Liverpool.

Up next for the Red Devils is an away fixture against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, December 30. Forest will be full of confidence after their latest 3-1 league win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day. Nuno Espirito Santo's side are 16th with just 17 points.

Despite their latest win, Manchester United could slip to seventh by the end of this gameweek, with West Ham yet to play. The Hammers are only one point behind the Red Devils but will face a daunting challenge when they travel to Arsenal on Thursday, December 28.