At least Ruben Amorim might have been right about one thing: the good days are coming to Manchester United. He just wasn’t around to see it.

Victory over Aston Villa in the battle between third and fourth at Old Trafford opened up some daylight between United and the clubs competing with them for Champions League qualification. It is theirs to lose now over the remaining eight games of the season.

If they do it, can Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his cohorts really deny Michael Carrick the job on a permanent basis? United’s minority owner was non-committal when tackled on the subject on the grid at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Saturday.

‘Not going there,’ was Ratcliffe’s response despite acknowledging that Carrick is doing ‘an excellent job’.

After a rather turgid first half here, 11 days on from Carrick’s only defeat in nine games in charge at Newcastle last time out, Ratcliffe’s reservations seemed justified. United were slow and stodgy, their relative lack of activity seemingly a hindrance rather than a help.

But then Casemiro broke the deadlock and fellow Brazilian Matheus Cunha turned it into a samba party when he cancelled out Ross Barkley’s equaliser to restore United’s lead.  Both goals were set up by Bruno Fernandes to take him to a century of assists, joining Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney as the only United players to reach 100 goals and assists for the club.

Man United beat Aston Villa 3-1 to provide a huge boost to their Champions League push

United are six points clear of Chelsea after a seventh win in nine games under Michael Carrick

Villa have now lost three league games in a row and this was a damaging blow for their season

Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to score the third goal and seal a victory that should go a long way to seeing United back in the Champions League next season.

What defeat will do for Villa’s chances remains to be seen. Their Champions League dream died in this fixture on the final day of last season, and this was another damaging setback.

After that game, Amorim took the microphone in the centre-circle at Old Trafford and promised fans that ‘after this disaster season, the good days are coming’. He didn’t hang around long enough to find out, but Carrick is making good on that promise.

The new United boss made two changes to his line-up after the defeat at Newcastle 11 days ago, bringing in Diogo Dalot and Amad Diallo for Noussair Mazraoui and Sesko who paid the price for a subdued display on Tyneside.

It meant Bryan Mbeumo switching from the right wing to a more central role in place of Sesko. Carrick has effectively alternated the Cameroonian with Cunha and Fernandes, and he spent much of this game operating close to the latter.

Carrick, who was able to recall Mason Mount on the bench, said before kick-off: ‘We’ve got a good forward line to choose from. It’s getting that balance right from game to game. Over the eight games, we have had a good impact in different ways coming off of the bench.

‘There’s been a bit more time to prepare. The rhythm is slightly affected in some ways, but we have not made anything of it. It is what it is.’

Villa, on the other hand, were playing just three days after their Europa League win over Lille. Unai Emery was without Jadon Sancho, ineligible under the terms of his loan from United to Villa, but captain John McGinn was fit to start for the first time in two months after a knee injury, and returned to the starting line-up with Tyrone Mings and Barkley.

Casemiro put United ahead when he headed home from Bruno Fernandes’ pinpoint corner

Ross Barkley did level things up quickly though after a smart finish with his left foot

But Cunha restored United’s lead after yet another assist from talisman Fernandes

It was the visitors who settled more quickly with United looking a little ring rusty after having last weekend off. When they finally did come alive after the quarter of an hour mark, they lacked the physical presence in front of goal that Sesko would have provided to convert a series of inviting crosses.

Cunha delivered the first when he accelerated past Lamare Bogarde on the left and swung the ball to the penalty spot where Mings held off Diallo and Lucas Digne put it out for a corner.

An equally good cross from Dalot from the right soon afterwards was headed away by Bogarde, and after Mings’ block from Casemiro had conceded a third corner in the space of five minutes, Fernandes’ cross led to the best chance – and only effort on target by either team – of the first half.

Harry Maguire guided it back across goal and Diallo, the smallest player on the pitch, aimed a header inside the far post which Emi Martinez kept out with an excellent one-handed save.

It was the only time that Martinez, who almost moved to Old Trafford on deadline day last summer, was forced into action by United although Dalot should have done better than blast over after drifting in behind Digne to latch onto Fernandes’ pass over the top.

Senne Lammens, preferred to the United hierarchy over Martinez, had even less to do. The United defence deserve their fair share of credit for that, with Maguire and Leny Yoro both making excellent challenges on Ollie Watkins close to their own goal before half-time.

Watkins, who could also have joined United last summer had the club not signed Sesko instead, showed his frustration before half-time when he was needlessly booked for shooting at goal when he had had already been flagged for offside.

It has been a rather flat first half but United emerged with greater intensity after the interval and were ahead within eight minutes. Diallo had already fired over when Fernandes fed Mbeumo on the break and his effort was beaten away by Martinez for a corner. Fernandes swung over a cross from the right and Casemiro rose between Watkins and Digne to guide a header beyond Martinez and in off the far post.

It was the Brazilian’s sixth from a set-piece this season, the most in the Premier League. He ran straight towards Fernandes who registered his 15th league assist of the campaign and 99th in total.

Almost immediately the sunshine peeped through the clouds that had gathered over Old Trafford all day and the United fans broke into their tribute song to Carrick as the mood in the stadium brightened.

The celebrations were cut short in the 64th minute after Casemiro and Luke Shaw had failed to stop Amadou Onana having a second chance to test Lammens who tipped his effort over for a corner.

United’s first two goals were set up by Fernandes to take him to a century of assists for the club 

Benjamin Sesko continued his superb form with another goal as a substitute to make it 3-1

United had several chances to clear the danger before Shaw headed the ball out to Digne and then got a slight touch when the Frenchman played it back into the box. It diverted to Barkley who didn’t hesitate, curling the ball first-time into the far corner.

There was a VAR check to see whether Onana’s presence in an offside position in front of Lammens had impeded the United keeper, but Jarred Gillett agreed with referee Anthony Taylor that he had clear sight of the ball.

Back came United to lead in the 71st minute as Fernandes produced another assist to join the 100-club alongside Giggs and Rooney. 

Casemiro carried the ball out from the back and fed it to his captain who spotted the opportunity and threaded a brilliant first-time pass which took out three defenders and released Cunha. The Brazilian raced away from Ezri Konsa, and there was never any doubt he was going to beat Martinez one-on-one.

United clinched victory in the 81st minute when Casemiro spread the ball out to Cunha on the left and he beat Bogarde. The Brazilian’s cross was blocked by Konsa and rebounded off Bogarde to Sesko who buried his shot from inside the box. There was no way back for Villa as they suffered a sixth straight defeat at Old Trafford.