Such was Unai Emery’s disbelief, the Aston Villa head coach stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel while the game was still being played. Emery was visibly appalled by his team’s defending in their chaotic 4-4 draw with Manchester United, when Villa conceded twice in stoppage time, and he had every reason to be.
Emery, though, should not be alone in wondering what on earth his players were thinking. United’s defending was similarly hapless throughout the game, with this eight-goal thriller representing a remarkable comedy of footballing errors. This was not a triumph of attacking quality, but rather an inability of both sides to do even the basics of top-level defending.
Here, Telegraph Sport ranks all eight goals at Old Trafford in order of defensive incompetence.
Yoro assists Villa’s fourth (2-4)
Only Leny Yoro can explain why he chose to power a header towards the top corner of his own net in the 53rd minute of this match. The United centre-back had not realised that the ball was drifting harmlessly out of play, or that there were no Villa forwards within his immediate radius. United goalkeeper Senne Lammens did well to prevent an own goal, but Leon Goretzka bundled in the rebound.
Incompetence score 5/5
Suzuki flaps at crucial moment (4-4)
Zion Suzuki has started this season wonderfully, following his £30m move from Parma, but this was a horrible moment for the Villa goalkeeper. He completely misjudged the last-minute corner, stretching out his left hand but making no contact with the ball. Patrick Dorgu gleefully nodded it home to earn a point for United.
Incompetence score 4/5
Dalot’s lazy leg (2-3)
This was a horrible afternoon for United full-back Diogo Dalot, who struggled badly in the left-back position before he was hooked after around an hour of action. His worst moment came just two minutes into the second half, when he dangled a leg at Villa winger Alysson inside the penalty box. A stupid tackle, deservedly punished when John McGinn converted the resulting penalty.
Incompetence score 4/5
Jackson accepts gift from Lammens (0-2)
There were less than four minutes on the clock when Nicolas Jackson made it 2-0 to Villa, courtesy of some dreadful handling by Lammens in the United goal. Rather than pushing Alysson’s shot away from goal, Lammens allowed the ball to squirm in the other direction. Jackson, two yards out, could hardly believe his luck.
Incompetence score 4/5
Alysson gives Villa the lead after 60 seconds (0-1)
United started the game dreadfully, conceding after only one minute, and the duo of Dalot and Lammens were particularly at fault. Dalot’s positioning provided Alysson with enormous amounts of space, and the United full-back then extended a half-hearted leg at his shot rather than blocking the effort with his body. Lammens, meanwhile, suffered the goalkeeping indignity of the ball going clean through his legs.
Incompetence score 3.5/5
Kamara opens the door to United (1-2)
With the score at 2-0 and Old Trafford becoming increasingly mutinous, Villa were in the perfect position. And then Boubacar Kamara changed the flow of the first half with a reckless sliding challenge on Matheus Cunha. A needless tackle, poorly executed. Bruno Fernandes scored the subsequent penalty.
Incompetence score 3.5/5
Zirkzee gives United hope (3-4)
This was a collective failure of man-marking. When Dorgu produced a low cross in the 92nd minute, Villa had seven defenders in the penalty area. But none of them were in position to either stop the cross reaching Joshua Zirkzee, or to block his low shot. It was no surprise that Emery was furious.
Incompetence score 3/5
Tielemans strikes against his former club (2-2)
Of the eight goals, this was perhaps the only one in which the quality of the attacking outweighed the shoddiness of the defending. Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui combined effectively on the right wing for United, before Mazraoui picked out Youri Tielemans with a smart cut-back. Villa’s forward players were perhaps a little slow to get back, but this was an impressive goal. In that regard, it stood alone on an extraordinary afternoon.
Incompetence score 2/5