Ten Hag breathes sigh of relief as Manchester United grind out barren draw at Aston Villa

Manchester United earned a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday, easing pressure on under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.

The point could buy Ten Hag time after recent setbacks, including a humiliating home loss to Tottenham and Thursday’s Europa League draw in Porto.

United created few clear-cut chances, with Bruno Fernandes’ second-half free-kick hitting the bar. Villa’s Jaden Philogene nearly snatched a late winner, but Diogo Dalot’s block secured the draw.

Ten Hag made four changes from the Porto draw, including a defensive switch to Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire. The United boss cited “rotation” as the reason.

The draw leaves United with just two wins from seven Premier League matches, but the point may alleviate some pressure ahead of the international break.

Villa, fresh from their Champions League win over Bayern Munich, looked tired and failed to replicate their midweek heroics.

Manchester United will look to build on this result after the international break, while Aston Villa aim to recapture their European form.