Aston Villa 0-0 Man Utd: Player Ratings and Match Highlights

Aston Villa and Man United played out a 0-0 stalemate on Sunday, with both sides perhaps suffering from a European hangover. Erik ten Hag’s future is hanging in the balance after a 3-3 draw against Porto in the UEFA Europa League, and his side are now five games without a win.

They started the game fairly well and Marcus Rashford had the first chance, replicating his impressive runs into the Porto box from midweek, cutting inside and bending a shot, but could only meet the gloves of Emiliano Martinez. Morgan Rogers went close early in the seventh minute as Villa broke through the United defence, but his effort fizzed just past the post.

It was a quiet start at Villa Park, but the Red Devils surprisingly controlled proceedings. Alejandro Garnacho was an energetic spark for the visitors, but they left themselves vulnerable at the back every time they pushed forward.

Villa looked to make the most of that, and Jaden Philogene went close in the 20th minute on his first Premier League start, trying his luck from range, but his effort flew just past the post. Garnacho went closest for United in the first half in the 38th minute when he broke forward down the left flank and fired towards goal, but Martinez claimed the ball. The two sides were starting to get a feel of the game heading into half-time.

Ten Hag was forced into two changes during the break, with Matthijs de Ligt replacing the injured Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof coming on for Noussair Mazraoui, perhaps for rotation. The Red Devils made a bright start to the second half, and Rashford nearly broke the deadlock in the 48th minute with a fierce effort that flew over Martinez’s crossbar.

It was Villa’s turn to go close in the 56th minute when Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers linked up well and left Jonny Evans out of position. Watkins broke forward and unleashed a powerful shot that nearly gave Andre Onana problems. Emery’s side started to gain momentum after a lackluster showing in the first half. Rashford was fortunate to still be on the pitch after receiving a booking for a foul on Matty Cash before going high on Leon Bailey; his second foul was arguably worse than the first.

The game appeared to be petering out until the second minute of added time when Villa had a golden opportunity to nick all three points. The ball fell to Pilogene at the back post after a clumsy attempt to clear by De Ligt but Dalot put in a brilliant block to keep the scores level. A

Aston Villa
Statistics
Man United

11
Total Shots
10

1
Shots on Target
4

54
Possession (%)
46

6
Corners
3

11
Fouls
12

1
Yellow Cards
5

Match Highlights

Aston Villa Player Ratings

Emiliano Martinez – 6/10

Was forced into several saves but overly, nothing too much to worry about with United timid in attack and had command of his area whenever the Reds put the ball in the box from set pieces.

Matthew Cash – 6/10

Was effective going forward but struggled when Garnacho switched to the right. His pace gave Dalot problems on the overlap. He tried linking up with Bailey but his teammate wasn’t at the races.

Ezri Konsa – 6/10

Forced off in the 12th minute after picking up a knock, which places doubts over his participation with England during the international break. Diego Carlos replaced him in the Villans’ backline.

Pau Torres – 7/10

The Spaniard was comfortable at the back, with Rasmus Hojlund rarely given a sniff while also showing composure in possession. He put out fires when the Red Devils tried breaking forward.

Lucas Digne – 5/10

Villa is usually a threat from set pieces, but he spurned several free-kick opportunities with poor balls into the box.

Ross Barkley – 5/10

Was given an opportunity to impress with his first start of the Premier League campaign but failed to get a foothold in the game.

Youri Tielemans – 6/10

The Belgian tried getting Villa ticking with his control of possession but couldn’t replicate his fine form so far this season.

Morgan Rogers – 8/10

Looked like making something happen every time he got the ball, driving forward at the Red Devils’ defence with purpose. He’s excelling with Watkins as Emery’s side’s main attacking outlet, and his display today maybe has Lee Carsley regretting not calling him up for England’s UEFA Nations League fixtures.

Leon Bailey – 6/10

The Jamaican winger tried using his speed to glide past the United defence, but his end product was disappointing. He was the least impactful of Emery’s forwards and came off in the second half.

Jaden Philogene-Bidace – 7/10

Emery brought the young English winger into the starting lineup for only the third time this season, and he was bright on the left flank up against Mazraoui. His energy and persistence caused United problems and perhaps gave his manager food for thought regarding his status in the team. He nearly broke the deadlock in the dying moments but his effort struck Dalot.

Ollie Watkins – 6/10

The English striker is keeping the in-form Jhon Duran out of the team, and he’s linked up well with Rogers. He nearly opened the scoring in the 56th minute. He struck just over Onana’s bar after a neat one-two with his fellow countryman. The England international was somewhat quiet by his standards but that was a reflection of the game on the whole.

SUB – Diego Carlos – 6/10

Came on for Konsa and was up against Rashford and Garnacho but did well alongside Torres in Emery’s defence. The Brazilian put in several important interceptions, including one that prevented Garnacho from striking at goal.

SUB – Jhon Duran – 5/10

The man of the moment after his heroics against Bayern Munich came on in the 63rd minute as Emery looked to liven up his side with their in-form frontman. He couldn’t conjure up his usual impact as the dull affair wore on.

SUB – Ian Maatsen – 5/10

Would have expected a starting role after joining Villa from Chelsea in the summer but didn’t make an impact in the latter stages.

Man United Player Ratings

Andre Onana – 7/10

Didn’t have much to do but was reliable when called upon and continued his fine form this season. He made an excellent stop to deny Tielemans in the second half and the Cameroonian is one of few United players who can hold there head high amid this disappointing start to the campaign.

Noussair Mazraoui – 7/10

The Moroccan right-back showed urgency on the right to try and get Garnacho going and was also helping United control the game during the first 45 minutes. Ten Hag’s decision to bring him off was a surprise, given he was one of his side’s better performers.

Harry Maguire – 6/10

Put in a dogged display to follow up on his heroics against Porto after missing out on a call-up to the England national team. He may have been under consideration to replace Konsa in the Three Lions team until he sustained an injury. He’d fared well against Watkins, although he did give away a clumsy foul, which resulted in a booking.

Jonny Evans – 8/10

Ten Hag’s decision to bring the veteran defender into his starting lineup raised some eyebrows. However, the Northern Irishman made some excellent tackles in the first half to keep Watkins and Rogers at bay. He was United’s best performer, constantly staying on his feet and ensuring Villa didn’t ease their way into Onana’s box.

Diogo Dalot – 6/10

He did his job for the most part during the first half, with Villa showing little threat, but he did step out of position occasionally. Playing in a makeshift left-back position is a tough ask, and he couldn’t deal with the pace of the Villans.

Kobbie Mainoo – 6/10

It’s been an uninspiring start to the season for Mainoo after his breakout 2023-24 campaign, but he showed glimpses of his ball-playing abilities and also wasn’t afraid to put a tackle in. He had struggled with fitness issues heading into the game and came off for Casemiro late on.

Christian Eriksen – 6/10

The Dane has been an unlikely regular starter this season, and his ball-playing abilities helped United transition, but the only problem is his lack of pace, allowing Rogers to flourish in the middle of the park when the hosts countered. He looked more comfortable alongside the more energetic Mainoo than he did Casemiro against Porto, trying to pull the strings with the Red Devils’ starlet.

Alejandro Garnacho – 7/10

The Argentine had started the season on the bench but he’s always shown attacking intent and was lively throughout at Villa Park. He switched over to the right after Rashford was withdrawn and gave Cash and Carlos a headache, nearly causing the latter to convert into his own goal.

Bruno Fernandes – 5/10

He would have missed the game had his red card against Tottenham Hotspur not been overturned, but he struggled to make an impact for the most part. That was until his exquisite free kick that clipped the crossbar. United fans will be wondering where their talismanic captain is as his frustrating start to the season continues.

Marcus Rashford – 6/10

A lack of a left-footed left-back on the overlap is an issue for Rashford. He did go close early on and tried breaking forward but lacked the potency displayed against Porto. He picked up a yellow card for a foul on Cash and was perhaps fortunate to still be on the pitch after clipping Leon Bailey. He cut a frustrated figure when brought off shortly after that tackle.

Rasmus Hojlund – 5/10

The Danish forward displayed his pace several times but was rarely involved in United’s attacking play, with most of it coming through Rashford and Garnacho. It showed frustration with a lack of service, which has been the story of his Red Devils career.

SUB – Matthijs de Ligt – 5/10

There’s been no issue with De Ligt’s heading abilities which were on display after he entered the fray, preventing the pacey Villans attackers from forging their way into the United box. His issues lie with the ball on the ground, giving away silly fouls and struggling with the pace of Villa and perhaps Premier League football.

SUB – Victor Lindelof – 6/10

Came on for his first appearance of the season and rarely put a foot wrong in a makeshift right-back role.

SUB – Antony – 6/10

Showed enthusiasm after coming on for Rashford and went on several impressive runs that Digne had a hard time dealing with. Forced Martinez into a save with an effort from range.

SUB – Joshua Zirkzee – 4/10

After arriving from Bologna in the summer, many anticipated he’d share the goalscoring burden with Hojlund and Rashford, but he looked devoid of confidence. The Dutch striker constantly gave possession away, and something isn’t quite working for the young forward.

SUB – Casemiro – 6/10

Brought a sense of calmness to the United midfield and tried spreading the play out wide.

Man of the Match

Jonny Evans

The 36-year-old was tasked with keeping one of the Premier League’s best attacks quiet, and he did just that with a confident display that helped Ten Hag’s side come away from Villa Park with a point. He flew into tackles, used his aerial dominance and even tried breaking forward on occasion. His manager has come in for hefty criticism as of late but the decision to start the three-time Premier League champion proved the right one.

Evans might have played himself into a regular run in United’s starting lineup given Lisandro Martinez’s poor form at the start of the season. He might have just played an important role in keeping his coach in the job.