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#3 Jadon Sancho fails to step to the plate yet again
Jadon Sancho's love story with Manchester United was well documented, with the saga representing one of the most drawn-out transfer episodes in recent memory.
The Red Devils finally landed their man in the summer, but it has been far from the explosive start that many expected.
Jadon Sancho lit up the Bundesliga with his directness and change of pace. His skillset represents what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prioritizes from his attackers at Manchester United.
The 22-year-old was handed his home debut in the UEFA Champions League by Manchester United, but it was not one he will look back on fondly.
Sancho lacked the confidence that made him a delight to watch with Borussia Dortmund. This, in turn, affected his general output against Villarreal.
The England international missed a gilt-edged chance midway through the second half. It did not come as a surprise when he was hauled off for Nemanja Matic with 15 minutes to go.
Sancho's quality is not in doubt, but the intense competition for places in attack means that he has to turn a positive corner soon.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gets a stay of execution
Manchester United came into this game on the back of consecutive 1-0 home defeats to West Ham and Aston Villa.
The former saw the Red Devils eliminated from arguably the easiest chance they had to end their trophy drought. Meanwhile, Villa's victory saw them miss out on the top spot in the league.
These losses, coupled with the defeat to Young Boys a fortnight ago, have mounted pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Manchester United fans have taken to social media to voice their displeasure, with 'Ole Out' becoming a viral trend on Twitter yet again.
Despite claiming the opposite in his pre-match press address, this was a must-win game for the Manchester United manager ahead of their double-header with Atalanta.
The Italians are one of the dark horses in the competition, and the last thing anybody associated with United wanted was to face La Dea having to win both games.
The victory over Villarreal helped ease some of the pressure at Manchester United, giving their manager a stay of execution in his current role.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has mastered the art of springing out morale-boosting victories when things seem low at Manchester United. That proved to be the case yet again.
Anything other than a victory over the Yellow Submarines would have increased calls for his sack, but Cristiano Ronaldo's last-gasp winner eased the pressure.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo makes the difference yet again for Manchester United
Many opined that Manchester United signing Cristiano Ronaldo was nothing more than a PR gimmick with little sporting merit considered.
However, the 36-year-old has taken less than a month to banish such foolery, and his output in his second coming has shown that he means business.
The Portugal international had a poor - bordering on atrocious - game against Villarreal and was largely on the periphery for most of the match.
There were misplaced passes, overhit crosses and a general loss of concentration from Cristiano Ronaldo, but all of that was erased with one moment of brilliance.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was signed for his difference-making ability, and this trait came to the fore at a jam-packed Old Trafford.
Ronaldo won the initial ball in the area and teed up Lingard, who in turn laid the ball on for the Manchester United number seven.
The acute angle the pass was played into, coupled with the attention of the Villarreal defense and goalkeeper, meant that the chance had practically gone by the time the ball reached Ronaldo.
However, the former Real Madrid man is no mere mortal, and he still managed to find a way to blast the ball into the back of the net. This sent the crowd of 73,000 (including an elated Sir Alex Ferguson) into a rapturous celebration.
Cristiano Ronaldo wheeled away in jubilation and took off his shirt to soak up the adulation of a rain-drenched Old Trafford.
A day after Lionel Messi broke his PSG duck with a stunning goal, Ronaldo's winner reminded everyone that the two greatest footballers of modern history still have it in them.
