Manchester United twice came from two goals down to
salvage a remarkable 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday, a result that
could help save manager Michael Carrick's job.
Stoppage-time goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick
Dorgu rescued a point, but United will spend the two-week international break
in the relegation zone.
Carrick's side conceded twice inside the opening four
minutes as Alysson and Nicolas Jackson punished errors from goalkeeper Senne
Lammens. Alysson's shot slipped between Lammens' legs with just one minute on
the clock. From another tame Alysson effort less than three minutes later,
Lammens could only parry the ball to Jackson, who scored his sixth goal in his
last six league games. It was the first time in Premier League history that
United found themselves 2-0 down inside four minutes.
The Red Devils rallied to level by half-time. As in
their game against Roma, the fightback began when Matheus Cunha won a penalty,
which Bruno Fernandes converted. Youri Tielemans then drilled in a low shot
past Zion Suzuki just before the break, his first goal since moving to Old
Trafford from Villa. The comeback followed a thrilling fightback from 2-0 down
to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday, which had given Carrick a
lifeline.
This time, however, more poor defending handed Villa
two more goals in the first eight minutes of the second half. Diogo Dalot dived
in to bring down Alysson, and John McGinn converted the penalty, making amends
for a miss from the spot in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Fulham. Moments later,
Leny Yoro headed a McGinn free-kick onto his own crossbar and Leon Goretzka
forced the ball over the line in the ensuing scramble.
There was still a final twist. Zirkzee's cool finish
reawakened the crowd, and in the 96th minute Dorgu pounced after Suzuki failed
to connect with a Fernandes corner, earning United a point.
Carrick was handed a stay of execution after a 3-0
home defeat by Bournemouth a fortnight ago, but he now faces an anxious wait to
see whether the United board will bring in a replacement before a daunting trip
to Liverpool on November 22. Former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and ex-Bayern
Munich and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann are among the leading contenders if
Carrick is dismissed. "We haven't won enough games, but I expect to move
forward and keep working on the things that we've been working on," Carrick
told Sky Sports.
United slipped into the relegation zone on Saturday
for the first time after August in 40 years, and the draw keeps them in the
bottom three with just eight points from 10 games.
Fans again directed their anger at the club's owners
before the match. A banner read: "We don't want a new stadium, we want new
owners," as protests against a possible move away from Old Trafford grow.
After Villa's second goal, supporters turned on the players, chanting that they
were not fit to wear the shirt. Protests against the Glazer family continued
during the closing stages.
Villa manager Unai Emery said he was disappointed but
that the team must move on. "It is very important to analyse (the game)
deeply," he said.
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