In years gone by, Old Trafford has been known to produce some of the Premier League’s best matches - and that was once again the case on Sunday evening.
Manchester United appeared to be heading for a defeat against Aston Villa, but two stoppage-time goals secured a 4-4 draw after being two goals behind on two separate occasions.
Michael Carrick will undoubtedly be pleased with the result given the circumstances, with his side showing tremendous fight to prevent yet another defeat.
How United's draw with Aston Villa played out
United’s defence has looked extremely fragile during certain games this campaign, and their fragility was once again on show just four minutes into the meeting last night.
Goals from Alysson and Nicolas Jackson put the visitors two goals ahead, leaving Carrick’s men with a mountain to climb if they were to secure all three points.
REUTERS/Jon Super
However, parity would be restored just before the break, with Bruno Fernandes and former Villa man Youri Tielemans both managing to get onto the scoresheet.
Despite the excellent work to get the game level, the Red Devils would throw away the advantage just seven minutes into the second period - as Unai Emery’s men stormed into a 4-2 lead.
Carrick’s men securing another comeback seemed highly unlikely, with the confidence no doubt bruised after the hard work being done after such a short period after the interval.
However, substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu would secure a late draw for the Red Devils and deny Villa all three points for the fourth consecutive season.
Man Utd's poor performers against Aston Villa
For a prolonged period this campaign, full-back Diogo Dalot has been one of United’s worst performers, with his showings continuing to see him receive criticism from the fanbase.
The Portuguese international once again failed to deliver against Villa, and was at fault for at least two of the four efforts - as he was caught out of position for the opener and conceded a penalty for the third.
REUTERS/Jon Super
He also came out second best in 57% of the ground duels he entered, and could only complete 33% of the dribbles he attempted - highlighting his lack of positive impact at either end of the pitch.
Dalot certainly wasn’t the only defender who was unable to produce his best display at Old Trafford, with centre-back Leny Yoro having a rare off day this evening.
The Frenchman emulated his teammate in being at fault for an opposition goal, as his defensive header rebounded back into the area and allowed Goretzka to tap home from close range.
Away from his mistake, his struggles were also evident in his inability to win any aerial battles, whilst also being dribbled past on two separate occasions.
Why one United star was worse than Dalot & Yoro
The late goals from Zirkzee and Dorgu will certainly allow the United fans to feel the happier of the two fanbases, but it may paper over some of the cracks within Carrick’s squad.
Dalot and Yoro were two players who certainly failed to deliver the goods this evening, but they weren’t alone in struggling to produce the performance expected from a Red Devils starter.
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Bryan Mbeumo is another player who undoubtedly falls into the aforementioned category, after once again being tasked with featuring in a somewhat unnatural centre-forward role.
The Cameroonian led the line for Carrick’s men during the 4-4 draw, but his stats from the encounter showcase his struggles within attacking areas.
The 27-year-old featured for 83 minutes of the contest, but could only register a measly tally of just 21 touches - a figure lower than that of goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
His lack of quality was further evident in his tally of six times possession lost - which ultimately led to him gifting the ball back to the opposition every 3.5 touches he registered.
Mbeumo’s inability to deliver the goods was further highlighted by his tally of zero chances created, which also saw him complete just one pass into the final third.
When trying to pick out a teammate with a cross, he was also unsuccessful, as he failed to complete any of the four crosses he attempted into the Villa 18-yard box.
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Bryan Mbeumo - stats vs Villa
Statistics
Minutes played
Touches
Passes completed
Possession lost
Crosses completed
Chances created
Duels lost
Passes into final third
Shots on target
The attacker was also outfought without the ball at his feet, as he only won one of his nine total duels - resulting in him winning just 11% of the battles he entered.
As a result of his showing, Mbeumo was handed a measly 3/10 match rating, with the Cameroonian desperately needing to be dropped after such a display.
There’s no denying he’s a high-quality option for Carrick, but he’s currently struggling in the number nine position - which has contributed to his run of five games without a goal.