Another Day, Another Battle: United vs. Aston Villa
Let’s be honest, going into the Aston Villa game, hope was a scarce commodity. Villa, on a nine-game winning streak across all competitions, looked formidable. After our own defensively poor showing against Bournemouth, facing Emery’s title-challenging side felt like a huge ask.
But there’s always that tiny sliver of hope, isn’t there? United has often been Villa’s bogey team, a historical quirk that keeps you dreaming. Maybe, just maybe, there was 1% chance.
The Lineup That Filled No One With Confidence
The starting XI raised eyebrows immediately. A back three of Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven, and Leny Yoro. Dorgu at left wing-back, Dalot at right wing-back. A midfield two of Ugarte and Bruno, with Casemiro out due to yellow cards. Up front, Cunha and Mount as number 10s behind Sesko the striker.
This formation, this selection… it didn’t exactly scream “we’re going to dominate.” In fact, it screamed “we’re experimenting, and probably not in a good way.”
First Half: Possession, Goals, and a Worldie
Surprisingly, we seemed to command the game early on. Villa looked a bit tired, not their usual sharp selves. United played with a touch more confidence, holding onto the ball. The problem? We had loads of possession but did precious little with it.
Cunha had a few chances he really should have buried. Villa, however, created the better opportunities in the first 45 minutes, even if both teams had two “big chances” each.
Then, just before half-time, Morgan Rogers produced a moment of magic. Dribbling past Yoro from the left side of the box, he curled a finesse shot into the net. Lammens stood no chance. A top-class finish. Yoro could have done better marking Rogers, who is known for shooting from distance. Villa led 1-0.
United equalised quickly. Dorgu pressed Matty Cash well, forcing a turnover. Cunha picked up the loose ball, drove diagonally towards goal, and slotted it home. 1-1 at the break. Despite our perceived dominance, Villa’s quality shone through.
Second Half: Martinez Steps Up, Rogers Strikes Again
The second half saw a change many United fans have long wanted: Bruno benched for Martinez. Seeing Martinez in the CDM role, a position many dreamed of during the Ten Hag era, was finally happening.
But the joy was short-lived. In the 57th minute, Morgan Rogers struck again with a carbon copy of his first goal. Tielemans delivered a cross, Dalot was poor and lazy in marking. The ball was blocked but fell to Rogers, who again curled it past Lammens. Another top-class finish, another moment where Yoro could have been better. Villa led 2-1.
The second half was tighter. Villa didn’t create many more clear chances. United had one big chance, a Cunha header, which he missed. We lost.
The Stats Tell a Conflicting Story
Now, let’s look at the numbers from the game, as shown in the match overview (see image above). This is where things get really confusing and, frankly, infuriating.
My eyes told me we had loads of possession. The stats? A mere 43% for United compared to Villa’s 57%. So much for “commanding the game.”
Even more perplexing, the Expected Goals (xG) data shows United with 1.54 xG to Villa’s 1.33. This suggests *we* created better quality chances than Villa did! Yet, they scored two worldies and we scored one.
Villa had 3 big chances to our 2, and 15 total shots to our 12. Our goalkeeper, Lammens, made 5 saves, while Villa’s keeper made only 2. It seems Lammens was the busier of the two, despite our higher xG.
So, we had less possession, but supposedly better chances according to xG, yet we still lost. Is it bad finishing? Unlucky deflection? Or just the same old story of United finding new ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of… well, not quite victory, but at least a draw.
Managerial Decisions and Player Performance
Bruno, arguably the fittest player in all of football (or so it seems!), being benched was a big call. But Martinez at CDM? He actually did well. Disciplined, making line-breaking passes, playing cleanly. I’d love to see him play alongside Casemiro. He certainly looks a better option than Ugarte, who, frankly, isn’t good enough for United.
I wasn’t expecting a win or even a draw, but the way we lost, especially with the confusing stats, just adds to the frustration. I honestly don’t have much hope from this manager anymore.
Until next time, YANITED YANITED YANITED!
UNITED SCRIPTED. 
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