Premier League: Dull draw at Villa Park

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Aston Villa 0 - 0 Manchester United

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping that the hard-fought draw at Aston Villa eases some of the intense pressure surrounding his role.

Dull draw at Villa Park - 1

In contrast to recent performances, United showed signs of the resilience that had been sorely lacking during the home defeat to Tottenham and the defensive frailty witnessed against Porto in the Europa League.

Ten Hag called upon experienced defenders Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans to bring stability to the backline, though Maguire was forced off with an injury just before half-time.

Marcus Rashford twice tested Villa’s goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, while United captain Bruno Fernandes came closest to scoring with a second-half free-kick that rattled the crossbar in front of the Holte End. Substitute Antony also drew an impressive acrobatic save from Martinez with a long-range effort.

Meanwhile, United’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, had a relatively quiet evening but made an excellent save to deny a powerful shot from Villa’s Youri Tielemans.

Dull draw at Villa Park - 2

Let's explore the best reaction to a dull draw at Villa Park

For her article on the Super Reds News blog, Olivia Taylor said: "Against Villa, we showed signs of the resilience that had been sorely lacking recently. Evans was superb. We just lacked a bit of quality in the attacking third."

Liam, a Manchester United season ticket holder, added: "It was far from a dazzling display, and for large stretches, the match was stuck in a mire of mediocrity. However, the players United did fight for their manager and had the better chances to secure the win."

Peter Thompson, an Aston Villa fan, told us: "That wasn't a great performance from us. It's not surprising though. That match against Bayern Munich took a lot out of everyone."

Jamie, another Villa fan, added: "I thought we lacked the snap and aggression that marked the win over Bayern, with even the second-half introduction of talisman substitute Jhon Duran, the match-winner against the Germans, unable to lift the mood despite being brought on to huge applause. Fans did our best to rouse the side but it was to no avail."

Location: Birmingham, UK

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