It was a helter-skelter contest at times and either team, in truth, could have won it. Indeed, the visitors to Old Trafford had the ball in United's net twice, only to have both of their attempted equalisers - by Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins - disallowed by the officials. 

The eighth-minute opener by Reds midfielder Scott McTominay therefore proved to be the winner, and the industrious Scotland international has since added to that distinction by topping the Man of the Match poll in our Official App.

McTominay, who also scored the only goal when United beat Watford at this stage of the competition last season, picked up 55 per cent of the vote.

His nearest challenger was David De Gea; the winner of our last two Player of the Month awards was picked out by 22 per cent of fans following another clean sheet.

McTominay's two Man of the Match accolades this season have come very close together - he was previously top of the poll for the Burnley game at Old Trafford, in which he also broke the deadlock as the Reds ran out 3-1 winners.

No other players in the victorious side against Villa broke into double figures, but Raphael Varane's seven per cent gave him a comfortable lead over the remainder of the pack.

The summer signing from Real Madrid coped admirably with the blood and thunder of his first-ever FA Cup tie, and that bodes well for the next round - against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on the weekend of 5 and 6 February - and also United's very next game, as the Reds take on Villa again but this time away from home and in the Premier League.

Completing the top five in our Man of the Match contest were Fred - the creator of McTominay's goal - and Bruno Fernandes, who captained the side in the absence of the injured Harry Maguire.