Aston Villa 2-2 Man Utd: Red Devils fail to take victory home after a 2-0 lead

Game is over and the final score is Aston Villa 2-2 Man Utd. Here is the match report.

Match Report

Aston Villa came from two goals down to rescue a point against Manchester United at Villa Park on Saturday evening, as Philippe Coutinho marked his debut with a goal.

Bruno Fernandes was the beneficiary of a horrendous Emi Martinez mistake as he gave United the lead just six minutes in, before he added a second for Ralf Rangnick's side halfway through the second half. Yet, Villa fought back to grab two goals in the space of four minutes and draw level, first through Jacob Ramsey and then Coutinho.

Manchester United began the game as the better team and made their early dominance pay with a goal. A quick, inventive free-kick from 30 yards out saw the ball laid off to Bruno Fernandes, who got a shot away that Martinez fumbled into his own net.

That early goal provided a boost for Ralf Rangnick's side as they began to really take control of proceedings, with Anthony Elanga impressing on his first Premier League start and Mason Greenwood causing a lot of problems for the Villa defence.

Villa grew into the second half and forced David de Gea into some impressive saves, yet United went into the half-time break with their one-goal lead intact.

The early period of the second half was an end-to-end affair, as Villa would have a good chance followed by one for United, but Bruno Fernandes' second goal silenced Villa Park briefly. Morgan Sanson gave the ball away inside Villa's half and Fred got to it before picking out Fernandes, who took a touch and sent a shot towards goal that hit the underside of the crossbar and beat Martinez.

Coutinho's introduction

Philippe Coutinho was ready to come on just before Fernandes grabbed United's second, but his introduction saw the crowd at Villa Park get reinvigorated again.

It took just nine minutes for Villa to cut the deficit. A well-worked move from Villa, which started with Tyrone Mings carrying the ball forward from the back, saw Fred try to pinch the ball off of Coutinho in the United box, but the ball dropped at the feet of Jacob Ramsey, who took a touch and fired past De Gea.

Then, four minutes later in the 81st minute, Villa grabbed an equaliser through Coutinho. Emi Buendia, who had an excellent game, played a well-weighted pass into Ramsey's path, which he then sent across goal and Coutinho was there to fire into the back of the net from close range.

It felt like Villa were going to go on and grab a winner, but in the end they had to make do with a point.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

5' GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Man Utd (Bruno Fernandes)

12' Elnaga's header wide out

19' Greenwood's shot stopped

26' Yellow Card! Digne booked

28' Greenwood's long shot wide out

33' Greenwood's shot stopped

35' De Gea makes good save

43' De Gea makes decent save

47' Elanga's shot stopped

49' Ramsey's shot stopped

55' Buendia's shot too straight

60' Elanga's shot inches wide

66' GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 Man Utd (Bruno Fernandes)

76' GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Man Utd (J. Ramsey)

81' GOAL! Aston Villa 2-2 Man Utd (Coutinho)

Line-ups

Aston Villa XI: E. Martinez, Digne, Ings, Sanson, Mings, O. Watkins, Buendia, Ngoyo, M. Cash, Douglas Luiz, J. Ramsey

Subs: Young, Coutinho, Steer, Hause, Targett, C. Archer, C. Chukwuemeka, Tim Iroegbunam, Kaine·Kesler

Man Utd XI: Cavani, Matic, De Gea, Alex Telles, Lindelof, Varane, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Dalot, Greenwood, A. Elanga

Subs: Heaton, Mata, Jones, Maguire, Lingard, Dean Henderson, Van de Beek, Sancho