'So intelligent' - Manchester United fans all say the same thing about substitute's cameo role vs Aston Villa

A cluster of Manchester United supporters praised midfielder Hannibal Mejbri for his role in helping the Reds seal a 3-2 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

United, who face Nottingham Forest in their final outing of 2023 at the City Ground on Saturday, fought back from 2-0 down to secure an unlikely victory. Alejandro Garnacho netted a brace and Rasmus Hojlund scored his first-ever Premier League goal to secure an impressive Boxing Day comeback.

United were 2-0 down with a little over 30 minutes of normal time remaining, but three goals in the space of 23 minutes swung the pendulum in their favour. Villa rallied in the latter stages, desperate to earn themselves a point, but their efforts were to no avail.

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To try and limit Villa's threat in the closing stages, United manager Erik ten Hag made a double substitution deep into injury time, bringing on midfield duo Dan Gore and Hannibal in place of Christian Eriksen and Garnacho respectively. Their roles were to help United see the game through and help them soak up the remaining minutes.

Though the length of their appearances was minimal, Hannibal made his presence felt, in the sense that he made a nuisance of himself. He offered experience beyond his age, helping United run down the clock and see the game through efficiently.

He drew a foul in the dying stages and that allowed United to soak up a few more seconds as they aimed to get over the line with their 3-2 lead intact. His maturity and ability to help Ten Hag's troops cling on to maximum points earned praise and admiration on