Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that a hard-fought draw against Aston Villa at Villa Park will ease the mounting pressure on his position.
With the club’s co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in attendance, United showed more resilience than in recent performances, particularly in the defensive collapses against Tottenham at home and Porto in the Europa League. Ten Hag turned to experienced defenders Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans to bolster the backline, although Maguire was forced off with an injury just before half-time.
Marcus Rashford tested Villa’s goalkeeper Emi Martinez twice, while Bruno Fernandes came closest to breaking the deadlock with a second-half free-kick that rattled the crossbar. Substitute Antony also forced Martinez into an acrobatic save from long range.
On the other end, United goalkeeper Andre Onana had a relatively quiet evening, though he did make a key save to deny a powerful shot from Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans.
Despite failing to secure a victory, Ten Hag will be hoping that Ratcliffe and United’s hierarchy saw enough improvement to keep faith in his leadership. However, the draw leaves Manchester United without a win in their last five matches, increasing the pressure on the Dutch manager.
The match was far from a classic, with long spells of mediocrity, but United managed to fight for their manager and created better chances to win. Ten Hag’s focus on improving defensive solidity, after the poor performances against Spurs and Porto, led to his decision to pair Evans and Maguire at center-back, leaving Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez on the bench.
The veteran duo performed admirably, with Evans particularly standing out, even after Maguire’s early departure.
Villa, who had impressed in their midweek Champions League victory over Bayern Munich, lacked the same intensity against United. Despite the introduction of Jhon Duran, who had been the match-winner against Bayern, Villa couldn’t find the spark needed to break down United’s disciplined defense.
The subdued atmosphere at Villa Park, a stark contrast to the electric scenes during the Bayern win, reflected the home side’s inability to replicate their midweek heroics. Despite Villa’s efforts, they relied heavily on goalkeeper Emi Martinez, who had more saves to make than United’s Onana, though neither keeper was severely tested.
In the end, Villa and their animated manager Unai Emery seemed content with the draw. While the result may not have been what Villa fans hoped for, it capped off a positive week in their continued development under Emery.
Meanwhile, Manchester United head into the international break on the back of a steady, if unspectacular, result. Ten Hag will hope this brief respite gives the club’s decision-makers time to reflect before their next Premier League fixture against Brentford at Old Trafford.
source – BBC
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