Manchester United lost 1-2 to Aston Villa and Bruno Fernandes will miss the next game due to injury! Troubles keep piling up, Amrabat must strengthen the squad.

Manchester United lost 1-2 away at Aston Villa, ending their recent four-game unbeaten run and slipping to 7th in the Premier League standings. Their captain Bruno Fernandes and young prospect Kobbie Meno both suffered injuries. Meanwhile, Villa relied on the in-form English midfielder Morgan Rogers’ brace to claim their 10th straight victory, positioning themselves as potential challengers for the Premier League title.

Although British media speculated that Ruben Amrabat might switch to a four-defender formation, he ultimately stuck with the 3-4-3. This was likely due to a shortage of midfielders, as Meno suffered a calf injury during the last training session before the match and was left out of the squad. It was described as a “minor issue,” but he missed what was probably his best chance to start. Amrabat said, “He will recover in a few weeks. For now, we need to focus on the players available.”

After kickoff, the two strikers became the center of attention, unfortunately not for good reasons. Villa’s Watkins was virtually invisible, while Manchester United’s €85 million signing Sheshko squandered several chances. He had two clear one-on-one opportunities with the goalkeeper, one of which was saved by Emiliano Martinez.

Just a minute later, Sheshko made an even worse mistake by giving away a throw-in to the opposition. This was Sheshko’s first start since November 1st, but in 14 appearances, he has only scored twice. Even more disappointing, he was completely outmatched by former Manchester United player Lindelöf.

The match took a dramatic turn just before halftime. First, Bruno Fernandes was fouled with a scissor tackle by Amadou Onana, but referee Michael Oliver did not make a call, prompting Fernandes to angrily confront his opponent. This incident is believed to be the cause of the Portuguese midfielder’s subsequent injury and substitution. During the game, Fernandes was seen frequently holding his right thigh.

At the 45th minute, Rogers dribbled past Lenny Yaro on the left wing and then unleashed an unstoppable world-class shot, curling the ball into the top right corner of the net. Sena Lamens could only watch as Villa took a 1-0 lead over Manchester United.

Fortunately, it wasn’t just Manchester United’s defenders having a tough time; Villa’s Matty Cash also struggled. Patrick Dogu pressed aggressively in the front, poking the ball from Cash into the box, where Cunha followed up with a curling shot into the far corner to equalize. The teams went into the break tied 1-1.

Lisandro Martinez came on as a substitute to play a defensive midfield role, while Bruno Fernandes slowly made his way back to the bench. After the match, Amrabat confirmed Fernandes would definitely miss the Boxing Day home game against Newcastle United. “It might be a soft tissue injury, and I think he might have to miss some matches,” Amrabat said. “But I’m not certain; he’s always been very fit, so he should recover well.”

During his time at Manchester United, Fernandes only missed two matches at the end of the 2023/24 season due to a knee injury, and he also missed one game because of illness. However, now the “Iron Man” is sidelined at the team’s most critical period, perhaps reminding everyone that at 31 years old, he is no longer young.

Shortly after the second half began, Rogers almost replicated his first-half goal. Yaro again failed to stop him, and the Villa star scored once more past Lamens, putting Villa 2-1 ahead of Manchester United. This was Rogers’ seventh goal of the season, and he has helped his team win with two-goal performances three times, twice in recent weeks. Emery was ecstatic, taking off his jacket and waving it around.

Manchester United had a chance to equalize again, but Dogu’s cross from the left found Cunha, who headed the ball wide, failing to achieve a brace like Rogers.

Amrabat wanted to boost the attack but only had Zirkzee and young academy players Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacy available. They came on, with Fletcher and Lacy making their debuts, but were unable to change the outcome as the 1-2 scoreline held until the final whistle.

In the last 30 meetings between Villa and Manchester United at Villa Park, the home side has only beaten the Red Devils three times. But Emery’s team has transformed, and even though their overall play isn’t outstanding, they have players who can decide matches — a hallmark of a strong team. According to statistics, the expected goals (xG) from Rogers’ two shots in this game totaled just 0.07.

Villa is now 10 points ahead of Manchester United, a significant gap. After winning three matches in October, Amrabat’s Manchester United has only won twice in their last eight games.

At Friday’s press conference, Amrabat insisted that Manchester United would not sign new players in January just to cover absences. However, after this match, he may have to reconsider. Without reinforcements, United’s midfield will be limited to Casemiro and Ugarte, the latter of whom performed poorly again in this game.

Ugarte either lost possession easily at defensive midfield or kicked the ball straight out of bounds. Data shows that in the nine matches he started this season, Manchester United have never won, with one draw and eight losses, earning him the nickname “jinx.” This recalls the Brazilian defensive midfielder Kleberson, who between January 2004 and May 2005 started 10 matches with the Red Devils, resulting in seven draws and three losses, becoming a notorious flop in club history.

After the match, Amrabat insisted Manchester United deserved at least a draw: “I believe we were the stronger team today. We were unlucky, and Bruno’s injury affected us, but even without him, the team performed better during the game. We should have achieved a better result, but tomorrow no one will remember that because the result is what matters most.”

The Manchester United manager is confident the team can cope with Bruno Fernandes’ absence: “It’s really strange. This year, especially at this time, we’ve faced many problems. After Kobbie (Meno) got injured, Bruno also dropped out. But we have to find ways to deal with these difficulties. Jack Fletcher has completed his first match, which is good news, and so has Shea Lacy. So, we will work hard to find solutions and then prepare for the next game. There are no excuses; we must win the next match, and we will do our best to achieve victory.”