Report: Manchester United 0 – 1 Aston Villa
Manchester United lost at home for the first time in the Premier League this season as Aston Villa claimed all 3 points at Old Trafford.
Gabriel Agbonlahor scored the only goal of the game to frustrate the champions on home soil. The closest United came was when Wayne Rooney smashed the cross bar in the first half.
United had the chance to draw level with Chelsea at the top of the Premier League after the blues drew 3-3 with Everton earlier in the afternoon, but the defeat now sees United lying 3 points adrift in the race for the title.
The goal came after Agbonlahor rolled the ball to the unmarked Ashley young on the right wing. The striker continued his run into the box and young duely picked him out at the near post for him to nod the ball past the helpless Tomasz Kuszczac. Either one of Fletcher or Brown could be blamed for not marking Young and Agbonlahor respectively, but the key factor was that even with the return of two central defenders, United still looked disorganized at the back.
It could have been doubly worse minutes later after Fletcher dwelt on the ball with Agbonlahor breathing down his neck. The striker won the ball from the Scotsman and was bearing down on goal. Only a crucial touch from the onrushing goalkeeper prevented his pass from reaching the unmarked Emile Heskey.
It wasn’t all Villa, United were creating chances of their own but struggled to find a cutting edge in front of goal.
Rooney’s attempts to get United back into the game saw him dive shamelessly in the Villa penalty box and he was rightly booked for his troubles.
His frustration got worse moments later after he excellently controlled Evra’s low cross only to smash it against the crossbar from point blank range.
Sir Alex Ferguson had seen enough at half time and sent on Michael Owen for the uninspiring Giggs.
Dimitar Berbatov was also introduced later in the game, but had an equally limited effect as his strike partner. Rooney was once again the offender, Berbatov had made a great run into the box, but Rooney’s through ball was woefully overhit and Brad Friedel had no trouble coming to collect it.
Berbatov himself was the man at fault moments later after Michael Carrick burst into the box and cut the ball back. It should have been the equalizer, but the Bulgarian failed to connect with it.
In the end it came down to poor passing in the final third for United. They dominated almost the entire second half, but the killer pass that unlocks defences was the missing component in a very frustrating day for Sir Alex. It wasn’t made any better by the woefully poor time keeping by referee Martin Atkinson, but the United manager will keep his feelings to himself if he wants to avoid serving out the remainder of his suspended two match touchline ban.
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