Radamel Falcao scored his second goal for Manchester United but it wasn’t enough to complete a turnaround as 10-man Aston Villa held them to a 1-1 draw.
Manchester United travelled to Aston Villa with the hope of getting their seventh win on the trot amid talk of the title but missed their chance and the 1-1 draw on Saturday was a disappointment.
They will be particularly frustrated they didn’t make more of their dominance in the first half. United saw lots of the ball but created next to nothing and although there was more urgency in the second half, Gabriel Agbonlahor’s sending off did the visitors no favours as the hosts became more defensive.
The 1-1 draw was a fair result judging from the chances both sides had. Louis van Gaal will view this as a wasted opportunity.
Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating):
GK David de Gea, 6 — There was nothing he could have done for Christian Benteke’s goal and he had next to nothing to do after that. He made a great save in the second half but otherwise the few shots on target that Villa had didn’t test him.
DF Jonny Evans, 5 — Beaten a couple of times by Benteke before the Villa man curled the ball in to the net. All game he was so slow and hesitant on the ball — he would take three or four touches before passing it on when he could have played it first time. Slowed United down.
DF Phil Jones, 6 — A fairly safe bet for United when it came to 50-50 balls in the air. He pushed forward on occasion and is looking good for his starting place if he can keep his fitness.
DF Michael Carrick, 6 — He was allowed to have a greater influence in the second half when he moved in to midfield. Didn’t do anything remarkable but helped United keep possession.
MF Antonio Valencia, 6 — Another decent enough performance from Valencia when faced with Fabian Delph, who was a tricky player to deal with. He was reluctant to take on the full back at the other end, though, which was frustrating considering he’s a winger.
MF Darren Fletcher, 5 — Van Gaal revealed this week that Carrick had replaced Fletcher as his vice-captain. If this performance was anything to go by, the decision seemed fairly obvious. Fletch isn’t a bad player but he isn’t a good one either, and didn’t really do anything. He was just another man to pass to, who either booted it up the pitch to a Villa player or played a simple ball sideways.
MF Wayne Rooney, 7 — Playing in midfield, everything went through him. He played with urgency and delivered some excellent long wide balls to the wing. Unlike some of his teammates, Rooney was always pushing forward.
MF Juan Mata, 7 — His strengths over recent weeks have revolved around his creativity but he put in a more successful defensive shift. In occasions where he would have pulled out in the past, Mata stuck his boot in.
MF Ashley Young, 7 — Despite his every touch being booed, Young played well up until the red card but then looked afraid or unsettled. When United needed to push on and make the most of the man advantage, Young wouldn’t run behind the defence and his crosses went straight to the keeper. But he did get the assist for the goal.
FW Robin van Persie, 6 — While he hadn’t been hugely involved in the game, it was still a surprise to see him substituted off with an hour played. He was incredibly reliable in possession, though, and you would always rather he was on the pitch when your team is chasing a goal.
FW Radamel Falcao, 7 — Scored the goal that earned United the point at a stage when they had been struggling to create chances. He kept the ball well for his team and is starting to look sharper.
David De Gea was powerless to stop Christian Benteke’s fine opener.
Substitutes:
DF Tyler Blackett, 6 — Looked confident on the ball and eased himself in to the game fairly seamlessly. After starting all of Van Gaal’s opening games, it’s been a while since the young defender has had a go in the team but he dealt with everything he was faced with.
FW Angel Di Maria, 6 — Lively when he came on for the last half an hour and looked as though he would be a good outlet for United. He had a couple of shots but they were fairly tame. Decent enough performance for his first game in weeks.
FW James Wilson, N/R — He had 15 minutes to leave his mark on the game but he must have only touched the ball twice.