Manchester United and Aston Villa clashed in a stalemate on Sunday lunchtime, hardly a must-watch fixture for anyone tuning into that, as both sides were defensively sound, attackingly wasteful and ultimately incapable of breaking down their opponent. Villa were in control for large spells, but United remain on their winless streak, and with neither side getting above 0.56xG and 0 big chances between them, it’s one to put behind us and take a point.

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Teams

United went with an interesting XI, opting for Maguire-Evans at centre back with De Ligt and Lindelof on the bench, perhaps suggesting again that injuries and selection of the back four is far from settled at the club. In the midfield, a pairing of Eriksen-Mainoo was arguably an attacking choice, but with tweaks needed to help the attacking outlets, they couldn’t do much against in this stalemate.

For Villa, they lost Konsa to injury early on which will be a concern with some big games to come this season, meanwhile they resorted to their bench later on with Duran capable of bagging goals from the bench, and Maatsen made a late cameo which means he is still not near the starting XI despite the potential we’ve seen from him over the last year.

Aston Villa: Martinez, Digne (), Torres, Konsa (Carlos 12′), Cash (Maatsen 85′), Philogene-Bidace, Tielemans, Barkley, Bailey (Duran 63′), Rogers, Watkins

Subs: Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Swinkels, Buendia

Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Evans, Maguire (De Ligt 46′), Mazraoui (Lindelof 46′), Eriksen, Mainoo (Casemiro 85′), Rashford (Antony 64′), Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund (Zirkzee 64′)

Subs: Baindir, Martinez, Amad, Ugarte

Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United

A quiet but tense afternoon at Villa Park ended in a goalless stalemate, as Aston Villa and Manchester United played out a 0–0 draw. The hosts edged possession, but neither side could fashion a truly clear-cut opportunity for much of the game. United’s defence held firm, and Villa’s attacking efforts lacked the final spark needed to unsettle the Red Devils.

United’s best chance came in the second half when Bruno Fernandes curled a wonderful free-kick just wide of the top corner, rattling the crossbar with Emi Martínez beaten. Shortly after, Antony fired a rebound toward goal but dragged his shot off target. At the other end, Villa threatened deep into stoppage time: Jaden Philogene looked certain to score, but Diogo Dalot made a crucial block with his back to preserve the clean sheet.

In post-match comments, Unai Emery admitted Villa “missed some energy,” suggesting that their midweek exertions may have taken a toll. The draw left Villa sitting well in the top half, while United’s tally of eight points from seven games highlighted a woeful start to the season, their worst opening in the Premier League era.

Talking Points

Manchester United’s 0–0 draw at Villa Park stretched their winless run to five matches, adding to an already difficult start to the 2024–25 season. With only eight points collected from their opening seven league fixtures, United’s form has dipped well below expectations. Even though they managed to leave Villa Park with a clean sheet, the point did little to ease concerns about a team that has struggled to build momentum through the early weeks of the campaign.

Naturally, the spotlight continues to intensify on Erik ten Hag, whose position grows more precarious by the week. Every game now feels like a referendum on his future, and while United showed defensive discipline, the overall performance did little to quiet the noise. The run of poor results, including the inability to beat sides they would normally expect to overcome, has fuelled doubts about whether Ten Hag can turn things around quickly enough to satisfy the club’s hierarchy and supporters.

On the pitch, United once again looked limited in their attacking threat, a recurring theme during this winless spell. Clear chances were scarce, with Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick against the bar and a late blocked effort representing rare moments of genuine promise. Beyond that, Villa largely kept United at arm’s length, and the visitors struggled to create anything convincing in open play. The lack of sharpness in the final third remains a major concern, especially at a time when confidence in the team is already fragile.