OLE’S HAUSE ‘Goal offside... and Villa MADE Bruno miss pen!’
BRUNO FERNANDES blew his big chance to prove that he should continue his reign as Manchester United’s penalty king even though Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Old Trafford.
Fernandes didn’t blink as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s prayers were answered in the 93rd minute, when referee Mike Riley saw Kortney Hause handle Edinson Cavani’s header.
Perhaps it was the lingering presence of rival candidate Ronaldo that spooked the usually unflappable Portuguese playmaker.
But Fernandes’ blasted effort was closer to Row Z than Emiliano Martinez’s goal.
So Villa travelled back down the M6 with their first win over United for almost 12 years thanks to Hause’s searing header a few minutes earlier.
London-born Hause was only playing because Axel Tuanzebe was ineligible to appear against the club that has loaned him to Villa.
But while 3,000 travelling fans serenaded Dean Smith’s men at the final whistle, the pressure on Solskjaer will get cranked up another notch now that United have lost three of their last four games.
The Old Trafford boss had pointed an accusing finger at
Jurgen Klopp on Friday, saying that his team were being denied penalties following the Liverpool manager’s claim that United were getting some dodgy decisions.
This time Solskjaer moaned that Ollie Watkins was offside and fouling David de Gea when Hause scored the winner, and that Villa’s attempts to psyche out Fernandes after the penalty award were out of order.
Solskjaer said: “You see the inconsistencies again with VAR, because Watkins is clearly standing on or is touching David as the header goes in.
“So he is offside or it is a foul. The linesman did well, he reported it or called it in to VAR, but they turned the decision down. So bad decisions again.
“What I also didn’t enjoy was the way they crowded the referee and the penalty spot and tried to affect Bruno.
“It clearly worked for them but that’s not great to see. But they achieved what they needed to and got what they wanted.”
Solskjaer now goes into Wednesday night’s Champions League home clash against Villarreal with a defensive crisis on his han Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire bo limped off with injuries here, wh Aaron Wan-bissaka is suspended the game.
The Norwegian will also worried about his team’s lack creativity. Ronaldo never had a sn
Maguire’s header was kept out a flying save from Martinez j before the break and Paul Pog lifted a shot over in the second ha
Villa, in contrast, should ha taken the lead when John Mcgin pass inside Shaw enabled Matty Ca to drive a cross to the far post, o for Matt Targett to blaze over fr inside the six-yard box.
But with the game drifting towa a stalemate, Villa found the kil blow. Hause’s movement l substitute Edinson Cavani standi and he met Luiz’s corner with meaty header that flew p De Gea.
United’s response s Mason Greenwood flash shot wide before Haus outstretched arm parri Cavani’s flicked header.
Fernandes had scored 21 his previous 22 penalties told for United. He can certain that Ronaldo will pect to take the next one.
Villa boss Smith said: “have had an awful lot suffering as Villa fans here. B we were aggressive and bra against their front four a
we deserved it.”
They crowded the referee and tried to affect Bruno... It clearly worked for them. They achieved what they needed to...
x Ferguson won mes 1-0 during his
Trafford reign skjaer sorts out efence, success to elude United.
third defeat in ed – two in a row
d conclusive proof he perceived
early three years aer, they are still r the consistency nce to elevate
contenders. y paid the price for
ng inability to defend set-pieces, even after the appointment of a specialist coach to address that.
Raphael Varane was recruited to add experience and greater security to
United’s back-line.
But, by Solskjaer’s admission, the France World Cup winner is still adapting, the cohesion of the back four still a work in progress.
That progress was undermined by an injury that forced Luke Shaw out of the game after 34 minutes, meaning Solskjaer is likely to be without his first-choice fullbacks for Wednesday’s visit of
Villarreal, with Aaron Wan-bissaka suspended.
Then came an even bigger blow just after the hour, when skipper Harry Maguire was forced out with what looked to be a calf injury, which he was unable to run off.
Without Shaw, Wan-bissaka and Maguire for Wednesday, Varane would be the only firstchoice defender still left able to play.
United’s defensive vulnerability resurfaced early on, when Shaw was left befuddled by a majestic John Mcginn ball in behind him for Matty Cash. The right-back met the ball and squared it across the face of the goal, where Matt Targett failed to live up to his surname by blazing over.
Five minutes later and United produced another hapless moment of kamikaze defending.
Maguire put David de Gea under pressure with a poor square pass, the United keeper clearing the ball straight to Ollie Watkins.
De Gea redeemed himself by blocking the subsequent shot, but it was further proof of United’s deficiencies at the back, even before Hause gave Smith (below) something to really cheer.
At the other end, Varane was thankful to De Gea for coming
to his rescue after Watkins skipped past him on the edge of the area, only to see his goal-bound effort repelled by United’s keeper.
Varane may have one of the most decorated CVS in
European football but that moment showed he is still coming to terms with the unique pace and intensity of the Premier League and the relentless demands it places on defenders.
And for all the formidable attacking options at Solskjaer’s disposal – Ronaldo, Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Mason
Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford – United must first get it right at the back.
Their quest to bring the title back to Old Trafford will be a futile one until they do that, as this chastening defeat proved.