Manchester United fires another blank in Aston Villa stalemate

Manchester United’s winless streak extended to five matches after a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, increasing the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.

Bruno Fernandes came closest to scoring with a second-half free-kick that struck the crossbar, but United’s attacking struggles continued as they failed to score for the third consecutive Premier League game. The result leaves them in 14th place, with just two wins from their first seven league fixtures.

Villa, sitting in fifth place, missed an opportunity to break into the top four after a midweek victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

United’s recent 3-0 defeat to Tottenham at Old Trafford had already put Ten Hag’s job in jeopardy, and a 3-3 Europa League draw with Porto on Thursday, where United squandered a two-goal lead before Harry Maguire’s last-minute equalizer, further fueled concerns.

In response, Ten Hag made changes to his defense, dropping Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt after their struggles against Porto, and opting for Maguire and Jonny Evans in the starting lineup.

Aston Villa, fresh off their famous 1-0 win over Bayern, also showed signs of fatigue. The game lacked energy, with few chances on either side.

Marcus Rashford, United’s most dangerous player, tested Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez with a powerful shot early on, while Morgan Rogers had a chance for Villa but shot wide.

At halftime, Ten Hag had to adjust his defense again as Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui were forced off due to injuries, bringing De Ligt and Victor Lindelof onto the field.

Rashford continued to threaten in the second half, forcing another save from Martinez, but narrowly avoided a second yellow card after fouling Leon Bailey. Ten Hag quickly substituted him to prevent United from going down to ten men for the third consecutive match.

Fernandes nearly snatched a late winner, but his free-kick rattled the crossbar. Villa’s Jhon Duran, known for scoring off the bench, couldn’t spark his side, though Villa came close when Jaden Philogene’s shot was deflected wide by Diogo Dalot.

The draw leaves United with just eight points from their first seven league games, their worst start since 1989. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance, and with an international break looming, United’s board faces a crucial decision about Ten Hag’s future.