Manchester United’s Struggles Continue: Another Winless Match Heightens Ten Hag’s Pressure
Manchester United’s winless streak extended to five games following a disappointing 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, adding to the mounting pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.
Bruno Fernandes came closest to scoring with a second-half free-kick that struck the crossbar, but United has now failed to find the net in their last three Premier League outings, leaving them in 14th place with just two victories from their opening seven matches.
Aston Villa, currently fifth, missed an opportunity to break into the top four after their impressive midweek win against Bayern Munich. United’s struggles intensified after a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Tottenham last weekend, putting Ten Hag’s position in jeopardy. A chaotic 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday further complicated matters, as United squandered a two-goal lead.
In response to the team’s recent performances, Ten Hag made significant changes, dropping centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt. He reinstated Harry Maguire and veteran Jonny Evans to the starting lineup. Both teams displayed signs of fatigue, resulting in a lackluster match.
Ten Hag faced further challenges as he had to reshuffle his defense at halftime due to injuries to Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui, bringing on De Ligt and Victor Lindelof. Rashford, who had been a key threat, nearly received a red card for two bookable offenses but was substituted to avoid further complications.
Despite Fernandes’ red card against Tottenham being rescinded, he came closest to breaking the deadlock with a free-kick that hit the bar. Villa’s substitute Jhon Duran, a proven scorer off the bench, failed to ignite a sluggish performance from his side, which did have a late opportunity when Jaden Philogene’s shot was deflected wide.
With a mere eight points from their first seven league games, United is experiencing its worst start since 1989. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe was present at Villa Park, and with the international break approaching, the club must decide whether to continue backing Ten Hag or consider a change.
Tottenham’s Collapse
In another match, Tottenham’s lead evaporated in a shocking second-half collapse against Brighton, where they conceded three goals in just 18 minutes to lose 3-2. Manager Ange Postecoglou lamented, “It is a terrible loss for us — as bad as it gets.” Despite Brennan Johnson and James Maddison scoring for Spurs, familiar defensive failings were exposed once more, marking Postecoglou’s worst defeat since taking charge.
Chelsea Held to a Draw
Meanwhile, Chelsea, sitting fourth, settled for a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. Forest initially took the lead through Chris Wood but played the final minutes with ten men after James Ward-Prowse received a second yellow card for handling the ball. Late-game chaos ensued when a confrontation erupted between players, leading to Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella receiving a yellow card that rules him out of their upcoming match against Liverpool, alongside fellow defender Wesley Fofana, who was also booked.
