Erik ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager remains uncertain following a goalless draw with high-flying Aston Villa in the Premier League.
United are now without a win in five matches in all competitions, and without a goal in three league games, as pressure continues to mount on Ten Hag following a largely drab contest at Villa Park.
The result leaves United in 14th spot and marks their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign, while Villa, unbeaten in their last eight games, remain in fifth.
Unai Emery will perhaps be the happier of the two managers but United can take heart from what was a more assured defensive display after shipping three goals against both Spurs and Porto last week.
Full-Time: Stalemate at Villa Park! ❌ pic.twitter.com/1yLcpbpAhJ
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 6, 2024
How it happened
Villa came into the game full of confidence after a memorable victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
But, despite the hosts benefitting from an extra day’s recovery, it was the visitors who started brightest when an error from the returning Matty Cash inside the opening five minutes presented Marcus Rashford with a chance to run at the Villa defence.
United’s number ten charged down on the penalty area, cutting in from the left before thrashing a right-footed shot that goalkeeper Emi Martinez had to palm away.
It was perhaps the best chance of an otherwise uneventful first half, one that saw Villa lose Ezri Konsa to what appeared to be a hamstring injury after just ten minutes.
The home side offered very little going forward early on, with their most promising moments coming via speculative efforts from distance.
First, Morgan Rogers, following some neat link-up play with Ollie Watkins, hit a shot that grazed the near-post side netting before Jaden Philogene, making only his third start in claret and blue, fizzed a wobble-ball that flew wide of the top corner.
However, it was United who largely controlled proceedings albeit without establishing any fluent attacking rhythm to their play.
Emery’s side, meanwhile, seemed content to be patient and frustrate their opponents.
On 36 minutes, Harry Maguire, who came into the starting line-up after his stoppage time equaliser in Portugal in midweek, was booked for a foul on Ollie Watkins before the United defender hobbled off as the half-time whistle blew.
“Strictly was last night, wasn’t it?” 😂
An interesting free-kick routine from Aston Villa 🕺 pic.twitter.com/KAVx6QOk0t
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 6, 2024
Ten Hag made two changes at the break, with Matthijs de Ligt and Victor Lindelöf replacing Noussair Mazraoui and the injured Maguire.
Three minutes after the restart, Rashford again forced a good save from Martinez when he unleashed a fierce strike, while at the other end, a slick corner routine from Villa found Youri Tielemans with space on the edge of the box but his strike drew a largely rudimentary stop from Onana.
Watkins then blasted over from a tight angle as Villa’s momentum began to grow.
Rashford was lucky to escape a second yellow card in as many minutes when he brought down Leon Bailey on the edge of the United penalty area.
Bailey was then replaced by Villa’s midweek hero, Jhon Duran, just after the hour mark but even the in-form Colombian, quickly becoming a fan-favourite in the midlands, failed to spark the game into life.
Ten Hag also dipped into his bench, totalling £333m, as he introduced Antony and Joshua Zirkzee in place of Rashford and Hojlund in the hope of breaking the deadlock.
OFF THE BAR!
A brilliant effort from Bruno Fernandes ☄️ pic.twitter.com/GjmJk5fuEE
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 6, 2024
And it was Bruno Fernandes, cutting a frustrated figure all afternoon, who went closest to doing so when his sublime free-kick cannoned off the crossbar with the outstretched Martinez well beaten.
Coming on 68-minutes, it was the game’s first real moment of quality until second half stoppage time when Villa very nearly grabbed all three points right at the death.
A fine passing move on the edge of United box culminated with the ball falling to Philogene ten yards from goal only for Diogo Dalot’s vital last-ditch block to divert the goal-bound effort wide.
