Manchester United’s six-game winning streak was brought to an end as Radamel Falcao earned his side a hard-fought 1-1 draw at 10-man Villa. The hosts went ahead courtesy of a fabulous finish from Christian Benteke, but they couldn’t hold on to their lead and eventually it was honours even at the final whistle. Had United won the clash, it would’ve been the first time they won seven times on the spin, since April 2011.
Amazing capture from the game today. Source: manutd.com
Here are four talking points from the game:
Man United title talk is premature
Following last weekend’s 3-0 triumph over Liverpool, fans and media alike immediately included the Red Devils amongst the title talk. United’s fantastic form has led to a lot of chatter lately of them being legitimate title contenders, but it’s too soon. United failed to maintain momentum and may feel that they should have left Birmingham with the three points. These are the sort of matches champions should be winning and United simply cannot afford to drop points for the remainder of this year. Complacency also got the better of them and it wasn’t smart to get carried away over six victories on the bounce. False hope has to be banished and new dawns have to be a part of their philosophy. Injuries have hampered their season and they’ll need to keep their strongest starting 11 fit in order to catch table-toppers Chelsea and confidence had to be restored following the dismal tenure under David Moyes. So clearly, it’s still a work in progress. United must remain focused and accept for now that a place in the top four is their current, secured limit.
Radamel Falcao is back with a bang
Source: manutd.com
The Colombian had not started a game for United since he scored the winner against Everton on October 5th. Troublesome calf complaints hindered his productivity and contribution and he was restricted to frequent appearances off the bench.
But today, he was determined to prove himself – a man on a mission – having expressed his desire to stay at Old Trafford on a permanent basis. Louis Van Gaal selected him in the starting line-up and he duly repaid the faith of his manager.
Exceptional wing play from Ashley Young down the left hand side led to the Englishman whipping in an outstanding delivery for El Tigre to head home.
A trademark goal.
The 28 year-old also dropped deep to support the midfield and linked up well with the likes of Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney and his partnership with Robin Van Persie is already showing signs of promise as there was a brilliant understanding between the two, before the Dutchman was subbed off.
Brad Guzan, Jores Okore and Ron Vlaar step up when it matters
It would not be foolish to suggest Ron Vlaar was eager to impress his former Holland coach, Louis Van Gaal. Perhaps he was playing for a move to M16. After all, the January transfer window is fast approaching.
The captain lead by example rallying his team-mates on and performed exceptionally. Villa looked lost without him at occasions this season and his dominant presence is truly appreciated. He kept his compatriot Van Persie at bay and was committed to every cause.
Jores Okore was a menace at the opposition end when arriving late into the area, comfortable in possession when searching to combine with Fabian Delph and even had a catalogue of tricks and skills in his locker.
Brad Guzan could do nothing about Falcao’s equalizer, but that didn’t stop him from making some crucial saves throughout the encounter. His distribution was accurate, too; and his aerial ability was excellent when dealing with set-pieces.
An all-round wonderful display from the Villa rear-guard.
Aston Villa is a genuine threat on the counter-attack
When Gabby Agbonlahor received his marching orders in the 65th minute for a reckless challenge on his former teammate Ashley Young, Manchester United had a one man advantage for nearly half an hour and it seemed as if the floodgates would open and it would be goals galore for the visitors.
However, it was the exact opposite.
Villa didn’t stay compact sitting back and absorbing the pressure. They were pushing and probing and had two great opportunities to win the match late on.
First, an astonishing long-range effort from Leonardo Bacuna that went narrowly wide of the post and finally Benteke looked to play in the onrushing Carlos Sanchez but thanks to a heroic piece of last-ditch defending from Phil Jones, United fortunately escaped.
A spirited performance from the Villains in the final third, venturing forward with purpose and almost capitalizing on United’s error-prone make-shift 3-man defence.
Extraordinary ending to a captivating contest at Villa Park.
Ökari Wambunya
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