Manchester United used new partnership vs Tottenham and Aston Villa that has solved their injury crisis

Manchester United are currently experiencing a defensive injury crisis. It was hard to tell on Sunday.

They kept a clean sheet in a deserved 1-0 win over Aston Villa and, in the process, became the first team to shut out Unai Emery's side since he returned to the Premier League.

It marked the 15th clean sheet David de Gea has kept this season, moving him two clear of the chasing pack in the race for the Golden Glove, but most remarkably, it was done without their two best defenders.

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United fans had a genuine fear that their season could unravel when Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane were both injured in the 2-2 home draw against Sevilla last month, and although their European dreams came crashing to an end, the response since then has been impressive.

Harry Maguire was dreadful in the humiliating defeat away to Sevilla, but in his place a partnership of Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof has been brilliant together.

The duo have kept two clean sheets in their three recent performances together and were hardly to blame for the collapse against Tottenham, on a night where the full-backs were well below expectations.

There were a few shaky moments in the FA Cup semi-final win over Brighton, but noticeably fewer against Villa last weekend, evidence of this developing partnership at the back.

Victor Lindelof has once again proven his worth as a top-level centre-back, with the biggest change that he has a defensive partner who compliments rather than contradicts his style of play.

It is a huge credit to Luke Shaw that he has not only been the best left-back in the Premier League this season, but he is also proving himself to be one of the best central