Man Utd 0 Aston Villa 1: Bruno Fernandes misses last-minute penalty as Solskjaer’s title hopes take huge dent at home
KORTNEY HAUSE may have been the hero but there was no doubt who left Old Trafford as the villain.
Hause marked his first Prem start of the season with the brilliant headed goal which gave Aston Villa the unlikeliest of wins.
Yet he would have ended the afternoon with his head in his hands – if it hadn’t been for the wildest of penalty misses from blundering Bruno Fernandes.
Barely a minute after Hause had escaped Edinson Cavani to flick in Douglas Luiz’s corner, his careless left hand gifted Manchester United the chance of undeserved salvation.
Referee Mike Dean hesitated, then pointed to the spot… and everyone waited for Cristiano Ronaldo to step up and save the day.
Yet instead fellow Portuguese star Fernandes, the regular taker before Ronnie rejoined, kept the job. You suspect that won’t last any longer.
Because he blazed his spot kick horribly high of the crossbar and Villa had shown exactly why those who rate United as genuine title contenders couldn’t be more wrong.
Aside of one early shanked chance from Fernandes – it really wasn’t his afternoon – and a flicked point blank header wide from Paul Pogba, they were woeful all game.
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Instead all the best chances went to Villa, and if Matt Targett hadn’t played more like his brother Off – think about it – they would have been ahead long before they eventually were.
Targett arrived unmarked at the far post when Matty Cash drilled in the most delightful of deliveries but blazed his first time strike over the top.
Not quite as far as Fernandes eventually did, admittedly, but still a woeful miss.
And not far behind in the blundering finish stakes was striker Ollie Watkins, who twice was left with only David de Gea to beat, yet couldn’t manage it.
Jacob Ramsey blew another when he slipped when bang in front, or Villa would have been out of sight before they did go ahead.
And to cap a miserable day for United, they also lost Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire to injuries that made a bad afternoon even worse.
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