46 min United sub: Maguire is off, presumed injured. Ayden Heaven is on – not the more experienced Matthijs de Ligt.
On Sky, Roy Keane and Ashley Young (who played for both clubs) have been giving their views. They blame Diogo Dalot more than Senne Lammens for the Villa goals. Keane thinks United are still too open at the back, but they’ve done well since going 2-0 down. “They’ve put in the running.”
They lead on shots (12-6), shots on target (5-3) and corners (4-1).
“The League should do something about it,” says Loig Allix Van Thi. About what? “Jackson’s throat-slash signature celebration is just unacceptable. End of.”
“At the stroke of halftime,” says Peter Oh, “the Telemundo broadcast I’m watching here in California showed an ad for a global fast food chain touting a new menu item called a Crunchadilla. Either my glasses aren’t on or my faith in Unai Emery is at a low ebb because I read it as Crunchdavilla.”
That was a half of two halves. Villa roared into a ridiculously easy 2-0 lead, thanks to Alysson, Nicolas Jackson and some poor keeping from Senne Lammens. But then United started playing quite well. They got back into the game by their preferred route, a Bruno Fernandes penalty, and then Youri Tielemans made it 2-2 by scoring his first goal for his new team, against his old one.
It’s been mad. It’s been Manchester United.
45+3 min Has Fernandes conceded a pen here? No – it was a high boot, and Alysson went down in a heap, but the VAR cleared it swiftly.
45+2 min Big chance for Villa! Goretzka sends a through ball to Alysson, whose neat dink over Lammens goes just wide.
45+1 min There will be three added minutes after this one.
A left-foot thump, a first goal for United for Tielemans, and United are out of jail for now!
43 min Chance for Amad! Villa lose the ball playing out and Amad’s shot is well saved by Suzuki, when it should be nestling in the far corner. But then …
42 min Yoro makes not one neat interception but two, turning defence into attack, but nothing comes of either. The camera finds Robin van Persie, looking distinguished.
40 min McGinn’s chip finds the head of Pau Torres, but he sends the ball over the bar.
38 min Manzambi wins a free kick on the corner of the box as Mazraoui makes a clumsy challenge.
35 min Tielemans, who is coming into the game, wins a couple of duels against his old mates. A moment later he plays a crisp pass to Amad, whose shot from the right goes skimming past the far post.
35 min Amad shows his brighter side by running onto a lovely chip from Mainoo, but he can’t quite pluck it out of the air.
34 min Amad fouls Maatsen rather needlessly, but in Villa’s half. In the stands, green and gold scarves are being brandished.
33 min A caption informs us about United’s home record against Villa in the league since 1956. Won 43, lost three. They’ll be doing well if they keep that going.
32 min Fernandes’ free kick eludes everybody, though Suzuki may have got a touch that went undetected. Villa get up the other end, where Mainoo is needed to put in a sliding tackle on someone.
30 min Mbeumo wins a free kick, 25 yards out on the right. And United have now gone a full 25 minutes without conceding.
28 min It’s breathless stuff now. United counter and Fernandes fizzes in a fine cross-or-shot, which Suzuki gets down to save. And then Amad goes just wide with a calm side-footer from 12 yards out.
27 min Another chance for United! Good work by Amad down the right and the ball comes out to Fernandes, whose shot is deflected just wide. From the resulting corner, Mbeumo tries a shot which is tipped wide by Suzuki. From the corner after that, Mainoo’s shot draws a save from Suzuki.
24 min Chance for United! Tielemans sends a classy switch over to Cunha, who takes one of his better long shots – curling in at the far post, until Suzuki tips it round the post. From the resulting corner, Suzuki fumbles the ball but gets away with it.
24 min Fans have not been leaving in droves, as far as I can see.
23 min Maatsen bursts down the left, only to be stopped by Amad.
21 min Jackson, showing the uses of a No 9, holds the ball up, then threatens to run in behind before being seen out.
20 min Fernandes, on the right, tries to slip in Tielemans, who may not be much enjoying his reunion so far.
19 min If any fans are planning to leave after 21 minutes, they’ll have got their money’s worth.
18 min Matheus Cunha’s week so far: two goals scored, two penalties won.
17 min Michael Carrick watched the penalty but didn’t punch the air.
Bruno sends Suzuki the wrong way.
The pen is confirmed. Two-nil down and getting a pen … ring a bell?
The Guardian
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