19:34
That was a pulsating second half. Great entertainment. It looked as though two-goal Bruno Fernandes would be the story and the hero, but after a four-minute burst of creativity from debutant Philippe Coutinho, it’s all about Villa’s new playmaker. Jack who? United will be sick at letting a two-goal lead slip late on, but there were signs of some Rangnickian green shoots in their first-half performance, so it’s not all bad. Villa’s point moves them above Brentford into 13th, while United remain in seventh.
19:29
FULL TIME: Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United
The Premier League welcomes back a top talent in Philippe Coutinho. Supporters of Manchester United are permitted to demur.
19:28
90 min +6: The ball breaks to De Beek, who doesn’t quite catch a shot that’s deflected wide left for a corner. Villa clear the set piece.
19:27
90 min +5: The first lull of the evening. How much extra time is left?
19:26
90 min +4: For a minute, it looks as though former Manchester United captain Ashley Young will get a run out against his old mates. But Buendia is cleared to continue playing.
19:25
90 min +3: Buendia is back up but looking groggy. With the game still to restart, Sky co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe names Jacob Ramsey man of the match. That may be so, but Philippe Coutinho is the story.
19:24
90 min +2: Buendia is still getting attention. Steven Gerrard isn’t happy about the challenge, and makes his feelings known to the fourth official.
19:24
90 min +1: Matic comes through the back of Buendia, elbow meeting ear. That could easily have been a second yellow. He’s really in the last-chance saloon now. Fortunately there’s only a couple of minutes of stoppage time to go.
19:20
89 min: United make a double change. Greenwood and Fernandes are replaced by Lingard and De Beek.
19:20
87 min: Coutinho latches onto a loose ball on the edge of the United D and bobbles a shot straight at De Gea. Had his own man Ramsey not got in Coutinho’s way, United would have been in a world of trouble.
19:19
86 min: Chukwuemeka strips Fernandes in midfield and launches an attack. It comes to nothing, but the 18-year-old has looked confident and impressive since coming on.
19:16
84 min: Fred’s boot connects with Bundeia’s shoulder, but like Luiz on Fernandes earlier, it looked unintentional, if rather painful. Bundeia is soon back up on his feet.
19:15
82 min: A debut goal plus an assist: thirteen minutes that took Coutinho.
Updated
19:15
GOAL! Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United (Coutinho 81)
Coutinho is back, baby. Buendia slips a perfectly weighted pass down the inside-left channel to release Ramsey into the box. Ramsey spots Coutinho haring in from the right. He rolls across the face of goal, past a haplessly sliding Varane, teeing Coutinho up at the far stick. He knocks into an unguarded net from a couple of yards, and that’s an assist and a goal on debut!
Updated
19:12
80 min: That’s the least Villa deserve for their second-half display, and it hasn’t taken long for Coutinho to reacclimatise himself to the Premier League. Cash meanwhile suffers a rush of blood and blooters a weird ball deep into the Holte End from distance.
19:11
78 min: With the game suddenly back on, Elanga is replaced by Sancho.
19:10
GOAL! Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United (Ramsey 77)
Chukwuemeka’s first act is to exchange passes with Coutinho, who busies in from the left. Coutinho dribbles into the crowded box and slips infield for Ramsey, who slots into the top right from the penalty spot. A fine goal, and Villa are back in it!
Updated
19:08
76 min: Cash and Ramsey one-two down the right. Cash tears towards the byline, and flashes a cross through the box. Watkins can’t get much purchase on a header, and the ball sails out to the left.
19:07
74 min: A free kick for Villa, 35 yards out, just to the left of centre. Everyone lines up on the edge of the United box. The set piece is worked wide to Cash on the right, who crosses into the mixer. The ball nearly breaks to Coutinho, who is denied a dream start in a Villa shirt when Matic pokes the ball away from him, launching it at speed to De Gea, who kicks away. The ball’s swung back in again, Watkins eyebrowing a header wide left from close range. Villa have been much improved since the restart, but it doesn’t looks as though it’s going to be their night.
19:04
72 min: Digne drives down the left and earns a corner off Dalot. Coutinho races across to take the corner … and scuffs it straight to Fernandes at the near post.
19:03
70 min: Greenwood nearly races clear down the inside-right, but is ushered away from danger by Mings, and is denied the opportunity to shoot. That’s fine defending.
19:02
69 min: Sanson sets about a pile of water bottles as he storms off, kicking them hither and yon, then plonks himself down on the bench with a face on.
19:00
68 min: That’s Sanson’s last contribution. He’s replaced by Coutinho, who returns to the Premier League after a four-year hiatus.
18:59
GOAL! Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester United (Fernandes 67)
Fernandes takes out his frustration on the ball, and how! Sanson’s poor pass back down the United right wing is snaffled by Fred, who shuttles infield for Fernandes. He takes a touch and lashes an unstoppable shot into the top right. A bad mistake by Sanson, but how Fernandes made him pay!
Updated
18:58
65 min: Fernandes falls to the floor. Luiz then stands on the back of his leg. It looked accidental, the Villa man’s gaze elsewhere, but that’s clearly not the opinion of the United captain, who has been on a rolling boil for a while.
18:56
63 min: Buendia slips Watkins into the Villa box down the right. Watkins tries to pill back for Ings in the middle, but can’t force the pass through. It’s a fun, open game, this.
18:55
62 min: Ramsey weaves his way down the middle, past Fred and Matic, and is crudely bodychecked on the edge of the United box. The referee contentiously waves play on, which, with the denizens of Villa Park furious, may then explain why he declines to book Luiz for a fairly obvious tug on Fernandes.
18:53
61 min: Fred slips Greenwood away down the right. Greenwood enters the box, reaches the right-hand corner of the six-yard box, and drags a shot across the face of goal and out for a goal kick. After a sluggish start to the second half, United are beginning to find their higher gears.
18:52
60 min: Cash carelessly gives away the ball on the edge of his own box. Elanga snaffles it, shifts it right to left, and sends a forensic low drive inches wide of the left-hand post. Martinez was beaten.
18:51
59 min: Greenwood glides in from the right and has a crack from distance. The ball takes a flick off the back of Mings and out for a corner on the left. Fernandes takes, swinging it viciously towards the near post. Watkins clears.
18:49
57 min: Just as the United press worried Villa in the first half, the home side are hassling the visitors in the second. United are making mistakes they weren’t making earlier. A loose pass in midfield allows Villa to swarm and counter, Buendia slipping Digne into acres down the left, Digne lashing an ambitious shot into the side netting.
18:47
55 min: Digne skins Dalot down the left and cuts back for Buendia, who meets the ball first time and aims for the top left from the edge of the box. He doesn’t quite catch it, and it’s an easy claim for De Gea.
18:46
54 min: Villa have enjoyed 75 percent of possession since the restart. They’ve notably upped the tempo.
18:45
52 min: Watkins accidentally catches Fernandes, who goes down dramatically. Watkins attempts to lift his opponent back up. Fernandes takes offence and a brief tussle breaks out. It’s all over as quickly as it starts. Fernandes isn’t happy, though. He was caught, but it didn’t look malicious.
Updated
18:43
50 min: Fernandes sends Greenwood into acres down the right. Mings does very well to slow Greenwood down. Greenwood eventually tries to slip Fred free but it’s a difficult pass and Martinez comes out to claim.
18:41
49 min: Ramsey sashays in from the left flank, exchanges passes with Sanson, and fires towards the bottom left. De Gea gets a strong hand to it and tips away.
18:40
48 min: Matic, already on a booking, clips Buendia to the floor. It’s not enough for a second yellow, but the United midfielder is walking a tightrope now.
18:39
47 min: The impressive Elanga enters the Villa box from the left and pearls a shot towards the near post. Martinez parries well and Villa clear. The 19-year old Swede looks the real deal.
18:38
46 min: Fernandes slides in ludicrously on Sanson and goes into the book. A completely pointless challenge, on the halfway line, his opponent going nowhere.
18:37
Villa get the ball rolling for the second half. Poor Konsa hasn’t been able to continue; he had a quick runout during half time and went straight back down the tunnel, shaking his head sadly and holding his side. He’s replaced by Hause.
18:24
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18:22
HALF TIME: Aston Villa 0-1 Manchester United
United started well, and took the lead through Bruno Fernandes, whose shot went straight through Emiliano Martínez, a shocker for the ages. Villa improved as the half went on, but they’re missing the artistry of John McGinn. Will we see Philippe Coutinho in the second half?
18:21
45 min +5: Telles romps down the left into acres of space. He pulls back to nobody, and Ramsey hacks clear.
18:19
45 min +4: Elanga’s low drive is deflected wide left of the Villa goal for a corner. Villa deal with the set piece easily enough.
18:18
45 min +2: Konsa is up again, but still doesn’t look happy. Villa will wait until the break to make a decision on whether to sub him off or not.
18:16
45 min: Konsa is still down. There will be at least three added minutes.
18:15
44 min: Elanga dribbles in from the left. He enters the box and takes a heavy touch, allowing Konsa to slash clear. Konsa immediately crumples to the floor, that hip still bothering him.
18:13
43 min: Cash curls in low and hard from the right. The ball goes all the way through to Digne, bombing in from the opposite flank. Digne hits it first time, and creams it, but straight at De Gea.
Updated
18:12
42 min: Now Elanga whacks Konsa on the hip. No booking for that, either, though the challenge was less egregious than Cash’s. Nevertheless, Konsa felt that, and takes a while to get back up, still holding his side.
18:11
41 min: Cash comes through the back of Elanga but for some reason avoids censure. He’s very fortunate not to go in the book.
18:11
39 min: Digne crosses dangerously from the left. Varane clears under intense pressure. Buendia nearly releases Cash down the right with a first-time flick. Not quite. Then another phase, as Ramsey, Digne, Ings and Luiz combine cutely down the left. Some crisp passing, but nothing opens up. A clear improvement on what’s gone before, though the bar was set low.
18:08
37 min: Villa pin United back for the first time this evening. Bundeia orchestrating much of their play. United hold firm, but this is much better from the home side.
18:06
36 min: … Buendia meets the ball at the near post, flashing a header straight at De Gea, who nevertheless reacts well to block. Villa have finally turned up.
18:05
35 min: Villa win their first corner of the evening, out on the left. That leads to a corner on the right, and from that …