Match report: Villa v United (2024)

by

Matthew Brown

After a battling first half, in which both sides had a handful of chances and the hosts saw the majority of the ball, we went closer to grabbing a winner in the second period, as Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes each saw strikes rebound off the woodwork.

While we could not find a decisive goal, our defensive line stood firm at the other end to keep Villa frustrated, as we were forced to settle for a point on the road.

FIRST HALF

The teams were welcomed to the pitch by a vociferous Villa Park atmosphere and the lights show on the pitch beforehand demonstrated the high-profile nature of the contest that lay ahead.

Erik ten Hag made four changes from our midweek draw to FC Porto, including two at centre-back, where Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans returned to the team, and we also welcomed back Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho further forward.

There were decent early strikes from both sides, befitting this game’s status as a potential Premier League cracker.

One man keeping his spot was Marcus Rashford, who showed the same signs of danger he displayed early on in Portugal, when he raced past Ten Hag, watching on from the touchline, and all the way into the area, where his shot was batted clear by Emiliano Martinez.

At the other end, some inside the arena thought Morgan Rogers had opened the scoring when he let fly from the edge of the area, but instead saw his shot land just wide of Andre Onana’s bottom-left corner.

An enforced early substitution, Diego Carlos replacing Ezra Konsa, saw the game quieten somewhat, with only a long-distance Jaden Philogene strike – sailing wide of the far post – threatening in the way of goalmouth action.

The United back line looked resolute, as the game remained tight for the most part, with Jonny Evans making some key interventions, notably dispossessing Ross Barkley, when he looked set to pounce in the area. Villa had the greater share of possession, but couldn’t forge their way into the area, and we looked the more likely to net before the interval.

Alejandro Garnacho briefly popped up on the left flank and drew a near-post stop from Martinez, and Rasmus Hojlund did well to best Pau Torres in midfield shortly afterwards, but was unable to get the return pass he needed from Rashford, as a gritty first half ended level.

SECOND HALF

The Reds made two changes at the break, with Victor Lindelof – on his first Premier League appearance of the campaign – and Matthijs de Ligt emerging in place of Noussair Mazraoui and Maguire.

We started the half well with both De Ligt and Lindelof playing their part in our defensive line pressing higher up the pitch. After Mainoo was closed down in midfield, De Ligt was quick to win his duel and return the ball to his team-mate, who in turn fed Rashford to drive to the edge of the box and shoot. His effort required a magnificent Martinez fingertip to send it onto the crossbar, before Garnacho fired wide from the resulting corner.

The home side came alive again with a couple of efforts from distance, as Cash was cleverly found by Tielemans from a short corner, but the Polish international cut across the ball and fired well wide. Tielemans took up the mantle a few minutes later when teed up, unmarked, from a corner on the opposite side, forcing Onana into his best stop of the afternoon to keep out his curling first-time effort.

Ollie Watkins fired a shot over from the angle not long afterwards, before the much-heralded arrival of fellow attacker Jhon Duran, but our back line remained solid in the face of the challenge posed by Villa’s in-form man.

The Reds mustered a couple of efforts from range ourselves thereafter. Bruno Fernandes went closest of all, almost silencing Villa Park with a marvellous, dipping free-kick which looked destined for the top corner, but it agonisingly rebounded off the crossbar instead. Antony then took aim from distance, curling expertly towards the top corner, but Martinez was again in the way.

The game appeared to be petering out to a stalemate until a couple of dramatic moments in stoppage time. United had Dalot to thank for a heroic block as he stood in the way of a first-time strike from Philogene in the box, and our defender then raced clear with the ball from the resulting corner to set up a counter. The recipient of his pass down the right was Garnacho, who had Fernandes eagerly getting forward to his left, but the Argentine could not complete the decisive pass.

Villa might have had one more chance, after a neat move played in Rogers down the left of the box, but he perhaps opted for one pass too many by aiming to chip a cross to the back post, which ran out of play and ultimately signalled time in a fiery, yet goalless, encounter at Villa Park.

MATCH DETAILS

Villa: Martinez (c), Cash, Konsa (Carlos 12), Torres, Digne (Maatsen 84), Tielemans, Philogene, Rogers, Ramsey, Bailey (Duran 63), Watkins.

Subs not used:Gauci, Buendia, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Swinkels, Young.

Booked:Barkley 90+3.

United:Onana, Mazraoui (Lindelof 46), Maguire (De Ligt 46), Evans, Dalot, Eriksen, Mainoo (Casemiro 84), Garnacho, Fernandes (c), Rashford (Antony 64), Hojlund (Zirkzee 64).

Subs not used:Bayindir, Martinez, Ugarte, Amad.

Booked:Eriksen 3, Maguire 37, Mainoo 41, Rashford 59, Lindelof 87.

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