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Manchester United held to draw by Jack Grealish inspired Aston Villa

Marcus Rashford of Man Utd scores their 1st goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa  - Offside
Marcus Rashford of Man Utd scores their 1st goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa - Offside

 

6:44PM

United below Sheffield United, level with Burnley

6:25PM

FULL TIME!

It's a draw! Fair result. Pfffffffffttttttt what even are Man Utd these days?

6:22PM

90 mins +2 - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

Villa blocking every path to goal. United running out of time.

6:19PM

90 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

United keep running at goal, Villa doing well to stop the danger. Shaw comes across to foul Grealish for the cumulative total of the 87363839th time and Grealish is furious about it. He was about to burst away on the counter so you can kinda see where he's coming from.

6:16PM

87 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

Grealish tries to catch out De Gea by shooting from the touchline directly from that free-kick but hits the roof of the net. That would have been some goal. Always worth having a go - you never know what might happen. It's as if Villa's analysts have decided De Gea is bad at defending high shots over his head. Grealish's first goal was effectively a lob too.

6:14PM

85 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

United attack on the right, James chips to the penalty spot and Fred heads at goal. Directly at the goalie. Fred leaves a bit on McGinn, Grealish is fouled near the touchline.

6:12PM

83 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

Shaw is on for Williams. Hourihane is replaced by Lansbury.

A loose pass is played to Rashford and suddenly United can break. He makes a first time pass towards Martial, who doesn't read it, move or control... and the chance is gone. Martial goes off for Greenwood, who I genuinely think is a better player.

6:09PM

80 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

Fred bundles his way into the box, falls over, the ball rolls forwards, Martial follows it into the six yard box, Ngoyo falls over as though fouled (he isn't) and from about two  yards out, Martial scoops the ball over the bar. He's trying to just lift it into the roof of the net but has actually missed the entire goal. Deary me.

6:07PM

78 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

United attack by running at players with the ball, Villa counter and Wesley plays a dreadful pass to lose possession. Fairly end to end stuff, neither side has control of the game at the moment.

6:05PM

75 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

Lingard is about to come on, probably for Mata. Pereira could be taken off too with Mata dropped deeper into midfield. Cancel that - it is Mata who comes off.

6:02PM

72 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

United have slowed things down again since taking the lead. They were all over Villa until scoring and have gone back to playing like they did in the first half.

5:59PM

70 mins - Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2

Villa almost score again immediately after but a shot at the near post is gathered by De Gea. With some power on it that would surely have found the back of the net.

Pereira tries one from 25 yards which flies over the bar. Play is stopped as Martial clashes heads with Luiz.

5:57PM

VAR says: GOAL!

The goal stands!

Mings onside
Mings onside

Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 2 

5:56PM

GOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!

VILLA EQUALISE! But I think it's offside. VAR checking it. Mings turns the ball in but there are a heap of players offside - is Mings one of them?

5:54PM

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!

UNITED TAKE THE LEAD!

Man Utd 2 Aston Villa 1

It's been coming! A corner is played short, Fred crosses in, headed on and loops to Lindelof at the back post. He pushes the header back across goal into the top corner!

5:54PM

63 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

Grealish turns, finds McGinn, who finds Trezeguet wide, who crosses on the outside of his foot and GREALISH MUST SCORE! No! It's as if Grealish can't believe the ball has come through to him inside the six yard box and he reacts a split second late.

United attack up the other end and Wan-Bissaka absolutely slams an effort at goal. It's turned behind for a corner.

5:51PM

62 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

Villa are really struggling to get into this one now. United are playing the ball long early then chasing the ball in numbers, trying one-twos around the area to open up space and winning the midfield battle by bypassing it!

5:49PM

59 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

Martial goes close! He shifts the ball onto his left foot inside the area but is denied by the goalkeeper. United are getting numbers in the box but can't quite find a way through. It's a much better performance than in the first half.

5:46PM

57 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

United attack down the left, James crosses into the middle and the ball appears to come off a Villa arm but play continues. James tries to work himself a shot outside the area but is blocked. United are attacking more dangerously by defending much deeper. It's the old style counter-attack ways of the 90s.

5:43PM

54 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

Fred gives further evidence his shooting technique might not quite be at a top four Premier League club level by punting one harmlessly wide from 20 yards.

Martial controls a long pass brilliantly on the chest but his pass is loose and Villa win the ball back.

5:40PM

51 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

James is inches away from intercepting a ball played across the halfway line and if he had managed to get there, would have been able to run at a terrified Villa defence with half the pitch to himself. It feels like United are sitting a bit deeper this half, trying to invite Villa on to them. Mata breaks with Pereira but has few options, slows things down and Villa get behind the ball. United win a corner.

5:37PM

48 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

United start the half by chasing the ball then retreat into their defensive shape. No changes during the break as far as I can tell.

5:35PM

KICK OFF 2

We're back! Villa start the second half.

5:26PM

How to beat Man Utd

You give them the ball, have a deep or at least not high defensive line, wait for them to run out of ideas and punish defensive errors. This is exactly what Villa have done and what everyone does against United. They're so predictable.

5:19PM

HALF TIME

Manchester United are really, really, really medium. Aston Villa the better team by a distance here and really unlucky not to be ahead at the break.

5:16PM

45 mins - Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

Well that goal is not only thoroughly deserved but has also come from the only mistake Villa have made all game long. Hourihane nearly scores straight after but his shot across goal goes just wide of the far post.

Trezeguet makes a run from out to in across the United defence, who are easily split with one forward pass... and he goes down in the area! Williams was tracking him but the referee says no foul.

Villa keep the ball, Trezeguet is played in by McGinn and decides to have a shot despite being at a weird angle 20 yards out. It cannons off the corner of post and bar and pings away from goal!

5:12PM

GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!

RASHFORD SCORES!

Man Utd 1 Aston Villa 1

The corner is played short, Fred passes back to Pereira and his cross finds Rashford inside the six yard box. He leaps into the air and flicks a header off the inside of the post and into the back of the net.

5:12PM

42 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Villa causing problems on both wings for United, playing forward passes then backheeling first time to the player who sent the original pass their way. When United do get the ball they move up the pitch so slowly that Villa can easily get back in shape to defend against it.

There's a mistake by Mings now though, who takes too long to clear and ends up putting Rashford in at goal. Heaton comes off his line and blocks the shot at the near post, United keep the pressure up.

5:10PM

40 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

A United corner turns into a Villa counter, Trezeguet gets isolated on the left wing and United recover. United are playing this as though it's a pre-season friendly and nothing rides on it. Absolutely no intensity whatsoever in any part of the pitch.

5:08PM

38 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Ermmmm a free-kick wide right of the United box comes off Mata's hands inside the area but there's no penalty because his hands are behind his back. The handball rule is weird these days - even though that's the right call.

5:04PM

35 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

United are rubbish aren't they? So medium. How have they ended up with Fred and Pereira as their midfield? James is lying in a heap on the floor after battering into Wesley, who is substantially larger than him. It's an accident and James does tend to feel 'fouls' more than a lot of players... but I suspect he'll be OK. And he is.

5:02PM

32 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Really want to see VAR's take on that. And here it is:

grealish is offside
grealish is offside

United go forward down the left wing and Rashford pulls a shot wide of the far post with a scrappy finish after Mata has a cross deflected back towards him.

5:00PM

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAL - OFFSIDE!

Grealish gets in behind the last line, squares the ball and it's put in. The linesman raises his flag... but the replay shows that he might actually be onside. Controversial.

4:59PM

29 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Grealish the best player on the park at the moment, just floating wherever he likes. He wins a corner.

4:58PM

28 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Rashford over-hits a pass into space for Williams to run on to and United give the ball away. They're playing so slowly and without purpose, it's just tip tap chip... lose the ball. Tap tap tap slooooowwwwww tap tap tap slooooowwwww chip... lose the ball.

4:56PM

26 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Grealish is fouled again. That's the fourth time he's been taken out while bursting forward with the ball. Fred is booked.

Villa are the better team at the moment.

4:52PM

23 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Villa's defensive line is staying deep so they can't be caught by balls over the top and that's drawing United further up the pitch with possession. Once in the Villa half they don't have many options and Villa absorb and counter.

Fred does the best thing I've ever seen him do, racing to the touchline and going past Luiz with a little flick.

4:50PM

20 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Trezeguet comes on for El Ghazi. Villa moving the ball around nicely, United look fairly uninspired so far.

4:47PM

17 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

El Ghazi has picked up an injury and will need to go off. United's midfield pair don't look full of invention but they need better movement ahead of them. Mata makes a run behind the defence and Pereira finds him just offside.

4:45PM

14 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Villa are clearly targeting Wan-Bissaka - whenever he has the ball they scuttle over to put pressure on him.

4:41PM

GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!

WHAT A GOAL BY GREALISH!

Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1

Wow. That is genius! A cross hooks all the way over to the other side of the box, he takes on Pereira - who doesn't defend with any authority whatsoever - and turns him, before wrapping the ball up and over the goalie into the top corner. Brilliant finish.

4:41PM

11 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 0

Grealish curls the free-kick in but it's cleared away at the near post. James races away up the left but pulls his cross away from anyone in the box, the only option being Rashford.

United keep the pressure up, a near post clearance drops to Fred and he has a shot at goal which rises over the bar.

Villa win the ball high up the pitch by pressing Wan-Bissaka in possession again but De Gea has the ball under control soon after.

4:38PM

8 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 0

Wan-Bissaka recovers from a bad touch and United move up the pitch. Again they can't create anything and again Grealish is fouled by Pereira.

Maguire is booked for a clear pull on El Ghazi.

4:35PM

6 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 0

A nice little combination between James and Pereira nearly lets the latter run in behind the defence but Villa's last line saves the day. McGinn is getting forward quite a lot in the early stages of this match.

4:32PM

3 mins - Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 0

Grealish takes a kick early in the game and hasn't enjoyed it. Pereira catches him slightly late while chasing the ball. Fred wins himself a free-kick by his own corner flag soon after.

4:30PM

KICK OFF

United get the game started.

4:28PM

Some stunning photos coming in from Old Trafford

You could lick that sky. Would taste like Terry's chocolate orange.

General view of the sky from inside the stadium during the warm up before the match  - Credit: REUTERS
Credit: REUTERS

Speaking of chocolates, lets see if United play like a box of them tonight or resemble something like a team with the highest wage bill in the universe should.

4:26PM

Here come the players

Maguire leads out the United players, Grealish has the armband for Villa.

4:24PM

This is a great photo

David de Gea of Manchester United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa - Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Look at that sky. Perfect for a nine goal thriller! Please. I'd love that.

4:05PM

Who has the better midfield?

Normally you'd not even think about this but I'm not sure United are at all strong here today. McGinn-Luiz-Grealish is a better three than Pereira-Fred-Mata. If United aren't preparing a £50m bid for McGinn right now, tapping him up as we speak, they have gone wrong. God he's good.

3:55PM

Mata makes first PL start since October 6

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata makes his first Premier League start since October 6 for the visit of Aston Villa.

Having made 11 changes for the Europa League trip to Kazakhstan in midweek, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reverts to his first-choice players with the only change from the draw at Sheffield United being the Spaniard for Phil Jones, who after being hauled off after a disastrous 45 minutes at Bramall Lane does not even make the squad.

Luke Shaw, having started against Astana on Thursday, is included in the 18 for the first time since late August after being sidelined with a hamstring problem.

Aston Villa have named the same side which beat Newcastle on Monday.

3:54PM

TEAM NEWS: Manchester United vs Aston Villa

Man Utd: de Gea, Wan Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams, Andreas Pereira, Fred, James, Mata, Rashford, Martial.
Subs: Grant, Lingard, Young, Shaw, Greenwood, Garner, Tuanzebe.

Aston Villa: Heaton, Guilbert, Konsa, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Hourihane, El Ghazi, Wesley, Grealish.
Subs: Lansbury, Nakamba, Trezeguet, Engels, Nyland, Kodjia, Elmohamady.

Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)