Aston Villa completed a spirited second half comeback against Manchester United in tough weather conditions in Perth to draw 2-2 in a pre-season friendly.
Jadon Sancho and an own goal from Matty Cash gave a dominant United a deserved half-time lead. But substitute Leon Bailey dragged a Villa side that had been very poor for 45 minutes back into it with a goal and top performance, before Calum Chambers headed in a stoppage time equaliser.
After heavy rainfall in Perth, the pitch at Optus Stadium had been subject to a pitch inspection a couple of hours before kick-off and it was clear from early in the game that the turf was going to start cutting up, making playing condition a challenge.
The first real chance of the game saw Emiliano Martinez make a stunning save to deny Harry Maguire. Martinez also had to be alert to deny a low Sancho effort as the drove into the box and the Villa defenders backed away. The United winger had otherwise been a little quiet on his right flank but popped up unmarked in the box to break the deadlock midway through the first half.
It was Luke Shaw’s overlapping run beyond Marcus Rashford that really made the chance, clipping the ball into the box for Sancho to coolly volley in.
The rain soon started pouring again but it didn’t dampen United’s spirits because they were still on the front foot and doubled their lead shortly before half-time. The ball over the top to Sancho sent Villa defenders running back to their own goal, with Rashford’s wayward shot taking a decisive deflection off Cash in his attempt to block.
Villa lacked energy in the first half and seemed to be playing at half pace in defence and up front, pushing Steven Gerrard into more half-time changes he might have been planning to. There was an immediate upturn in performance, with Bailey pressing in a way Danny Ings hadn’t.
Bailey did more in his first five minutes on the pitch than Villa’s entire attacking output in the whole first half. The Jamaican winger deserved his goal to reduce the deficit to just one, finding the bottom corner, and continued to provide a threat that had been totally absent before he came on.
United hadn’t made any changes at the break and were on the backfoot. When Bailey was released down Villa’s right and rounded De Gea, it looked as though it would be 2-2 until Maguire’s last ditch slide diverted the ball behind for a corner.
Gerrard made six more changes midway through the second half, with Ten Hag following suit quickly after and making 10, swapping out every outfield player. The mass substitutions and increasingly soft pitch did affect the rhythm of the game.
Villa always remained the more likely to score the next goal and eventually got it when Chambers rose highest with the last touch of the game to nod in from a corner.
GK: David de Gea – 5/10 – Tested much more after the break. Will have been disappointed with the way the equaliser went in.
RB: Diogo Dalot – 6/10 – Never really in much danger.
CB: Harry Maguire (c) – 7/10 – Went close to opening the scoring with a header that was well saved. A goal-line block later preserved the lead.
CB: Victor Lindelof – 5/10 – Done by Bailey’s quick feet for Villa’s goal.
LB: Luke Shaw – 6/10 – Made the opening goal with his overlapping run.
CM: Donny van de Beek – 6/10 – Looked to get into the box from midfield that appears to be a specific instruction from Ten Hag.
CM: Fred – 6/10 – Having a good pre-season overall.
AM: Bruno Fernandes – 7/10 – Pulled the stings behind the front players and was key to opening goal.
RW: Jadon Sancho – 8/10 – Had a quiet start to the game but scored the opener and then made the second.
ST: Anthony Martial – 6/10 – Linked up the play well in central areas.
LW: Marcus Rashford – 7/10 – Won’t get credited for the second goal but it was his shot that forced the own goal. Had a hand in the first too.
