United hold on for underwhelming goalless draw at Villa

Manchester United have had their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign after being held to a goalless draw away to Aston Villa.

Erik ten Hag’s side have amassed just eight points from their opening six fixtures and sit 14th in the table heading into the international break.

Bruno Fernandes came the closest to breaking the deadlock in a game of few chances and little quality as he struck the crossbar from a free-kick.

Aston Villa’s best chance of the game came in added time as Jaden Philogene was picked out in space at the back post, but his goal-bound effort was blocked by Diogo Dalot.

This was the first time in eight matches in all competitions that Unai Emery’s side failed to find the back of the net, but they are unbeaten in the league in five and go into the international break one spot off the top four on goal difference.

Erik ten Hag raised a few eyebrows with his team selection as his first-choice centre-back partnership of Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez dropped to the bench in place of Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans.

While Maguire was forced off at half-time through injury, these changes brought a first clean-sheet in four matches in all competitions for United after conceding six in their previous two.

In an opening period that saw just two shots on target, Marcus Rashford had the brightest moment of the half early on as he cut in and forced a relatively routine save from Emi Martinez.

Morgan Rogers was Villa’s liveliest player in the first 45, picking up some clever pockets of space and driving at the United back four but he failed to convert this territory into any clear-cut chances.

The 22-year-old had the hosts’ best chance before the interval as he shifted the ball onto his right foot just inside the box but his effort failed to trouble Andre Onana going wide of the near post.

The game’s only moment of real quality come after the hour mark when Fernandes struck the crossbar from a curling free-kick from 25 yards, which had Martinez scrambling.

Rashford, who was fortuitous not to pick up a second yellow for a foul on Leon Bailey, was denied by Agentina’s No. 1 on a second occasion after a similar cut-in and strike to his effort earlier in the game.

Both sides had chances in the closing stages as Philogene saw his left-footed strike blocked by Dalot when a goal looked certain after some more woeful defending from De Ligt.

This, just moments before Alejandro Garnacho squandered a two-on-one counter attack opportunity as he failed to avoid Matty Cash with his attempted ball to Fernandes.

But in truth, based on the abysmal lack of quality seen in the final third in this game, anything other than a goalless draw would have been flattering to the attack of the winning side.