The visitors were 4-0 up at half-time thanks to goals from John McGinn, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Youri Tielemens, with Alex Mereno adding a fifth shortly after the break. United looked to have grabbed a consolation goal in added time when Vini Souza tapped home but after a lengthy VAR check, the strike was ruled out for offside.
Here's how we rated United's players as their faint survival hopes took another severe battering at Bramall Lane ...
5. Auston Trusty 3
Two of the Villa first-half goals came from the United left and he wasn't strong enough for the fifth as he lost out to Bailey right on his own touchline and Watkins crossed for Moreno at the back stick with all the time in the world to hammer home. In fairness did superbly well to get a touch on a wicked deep free-kick that Konsa would have otherwise tapped home
6. Rhys Norrington-Davies 3
Made his first Premier League start at left wing-back after a long injury absence and given the task of keeping the very lively Leon Bailey quiet, which would have tested him even without any inevitable ringrust that may have formed. Couldn't get close enough to the Villa No.31 as he curled home their third goal within the first half hour and made way minutes into the second half for Robinson after Moreno volleyed home Villa's fifth to make it a full top-flight debut to forget
7. Vini Souza 3.5
Did well to get back onto the line and head Tielemans' shot over the bar when it was destined for the back of the net but it didn't make any odds as from the resulting corner the midfielder stuck one in via the woodwork to make it 4-0. He was far from the only Blade who gave Villa too much time but as the enforcer in the side whose work is more off the ball than on it, that is more his responsibility than any of his midfield teammates. Tapped home what he thought was his first goal in English football right at the death - before it was ruled out for offside to add to United's frustrations
8. Andre Brooks 3
A chastening evening for the youngster, with United barely stringing two passes together in the time he was on the pitch before he made way a few minutes into the second half. He was the closest player to Tielemans as the ball broke to him on the edge of the box but allowed him the time to take a touch and compose himself before smashing home, when more urgency would at least have made the Villa man rush his shot a little