Jose Old Trafford return could be painful for Reds
THE Special One will be relishing his return to Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho visits on Wednesday with Tottenham, a year after he was axed at Old Trafford.
He has won all three games since becoming Spurs boss and knows his former club and successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are there for the taking.
This draw made it three games without a win for the Reds, who have regressed since Mourinho was sacked on December 18 with the team in seventh spot.
They are now ninth, eight points off fourth place, with just four wins in their last 18 league games, a team with no identity and few prospects of anything changing under Solskjaer.
They have two clean sheets in their last 25 league outings, are 22 points adrift of leaders
Liverpool and just six off the relegation places, a gloomy scenario that shows no sign of improving.
Against that backdrop, a rejuvenated Mourinho will arrive with a point to prove and, with United in such wretched form, few would bet against him making it four wins from four.
There is no respite for the Reds, with a derby trip to champions Manchester City three days later.
Even with City stuttering, it is hard to see United, on current form, taking anything from that.
Villa, with a solitary win in their previous 41 league games against yesterday’s hosts, took full advantage by going on the front foot from the start.
They were fully deserving of skipper
Jack Grealish’s stunning opener after nine minutes. There seemed little danger when
Grealish retrieved the ball on the edge of the area, with Andreas Pereira tracking him. But Grealish shifted the ball on to his right foot before curling a sublime angled shot over David De Gea and into the top corner.
It was an exquisite finish from Grealish for his fifth goal of the season, and one which stunned the home crowd into silence. United toiled throughout the first-half, with no fluency to their play, but equalised three minutes before the break through a fortuitous own goal. Pereira whipped in a superb cross and Marcus Rashford’s glancing header rebounded off Tom Heaton’s right-hand post, hit the keeper on the back and went over the line. United showed greater purpose after the break, yet still lacked any kind of conviction in the final third. There were sporadic moments of attacking promise, such as in the 61st minute, when Anthony Martial and Dan James combined, only for the latter to over-hit the final ball.
Villa should have punished that wasted opportunity a minute later, when substitute Trezeguet’s cross was deflected into the path of Grealish, with only De Gea to beat.
Perhaps Grealish thought he was offside, which would explain the lack of conviction with a shot he sliced wide, but he was onside and it proved a key miss.
Two minutes later, United were ahead, Fred’s cross was flicked on, with Victor Lindelof rising at the far post to score with an angled header.
The lead lasted two minutes, Villa’s 64th minute equaliser coming with Tyrone Mings’ first Premier League goal.
The home defence rushed out as Matt Targett curled the ball in and Mings swept a majestic volley into the net, Brandon Williams playing him onside.
Wednesday cannot come soon enough for Mourinho. For United, it could prove a very uncomfortable homecoming.