The games are coming thick and fast now, with United now heading into the third successive week consisting of a midweek fixture. First of all, however, Aston Villa stood in the way of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men in the second of four consecutive matches at Old Trafford.
The United boss opted to maintain the side that beat West Ham last Sunday in its entirety, thereby wholly changing the team that started on Wednesday night. Despite Axel Tuanzebe's unavailability, Dean Smith stuck to a back five; Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins provided a threatening partnership at the head of the pitch.
United started brightly as they returned to league action at Old Trafford, with an early forward surge signifying the possibility of positive things to come. Bruno Fernandes placed the ball narrowly over the crossbar after a fluent move, resulting in a cut-back by Luke Shaw down the left hand side to feed the Portuguese international. There was refreshing fluidity about the United system in the opening exchanges, with Pogba licensed to float around from his supposed left midfield position. The Frenchman often joined Fernandes ahead of the pivot, with Mason Greenwood pushing higher to support Cristiano Ronaldo.
Greenwood was undoubtedly the biggest threat for United as the game got into its groove, proving absolutely fearless in his bid to take the game to the Villa defence. He proved more than content to face players up and take them on, consequently becoming the reds' dangerman for a prolonged phase.
Although United pressurised their opposition, it was Villa who had the best early opportunity. The two wing backs were very threatening, with Shaw's left hand side having trouble dealing with Matty Cash. It was Cash who opened up United, playing the ball across to Matt Targett who somehow blazed over with an open goal gaping in front of him. The home side were given a huge let-off.
United responded well to such a glorious chance for Villa, with Greenwood almost catching them out on the break; to the home fans' dismay, Emi Martinez denied the youngster after he cut inside and let fly as opposed to squaring the ball to the open Fernandes. There was some avail for both sides as the game opened up, with United displaying a desire to cause trouble in response to some promising Villa phases. The visitors defended very well under pressure, making numerous important blocks. However - once again - it was Villa who had the best opportunity within a frantic phase. Harry Maguire played a sloppy pass back to David de Gea, with the latter consequently ceding possession to Watkins before recovering to make a crucial recovery save. The game was right in the balance, with United becoming increasingly frustrated by Villa's organisation - the eagerness in possession did begin to diminish.
Things just got worse for United as Shaw - booked moments earlier - had to be replaced at around the half-hour mark with an apparent muscular issue. The left-back received treatment not too long prior to the change, eventually replaced by Diogo Dalot. Shaw has become integral to our system both defensively and offensively, so it's a big blow to see him face a potential spell on the sidelines. After all, Alex Telles looked shaky in the defeat to West Ham on his return from injury last Wednesday.
For a phase following the alteration, there was more joy for Villa as United's pressure dropped off significantly. There was a distinct lack of service for Ronaldo up front, with the visitors figuring out and counteracting the attacking patterns of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men. Control of the game was completely lost in the middle, with Scott McTominay and Fred offering a real lack of presence and quality in the engine room.
Although their foothold had deteriorated somewhat, United still managed to force Martinez into action before the pause. Maguire's header was saved by the Argentine following a freekick, with Pogba subsequently heading just wide from a corner as the buildup play stepped up a notch once more.
Villa closed the half with considerably less attempts, but had the better of the chances. United once again struggled to find sufficient end product and provide enough service in the final third despite some encouraging buildup. From 15 shots attempted, only two were on target from the reds.
As the second half got underway, United's grip on the game slipped further; they substantially struggled to shift the ball into progressive areas, with far too much messing around in possession within their own half. Space proved difficult to come about, with the amount of structural disarray on display causing large amounts of congestion. As a result, United became massively liable to Villa's press and were forced into making a number of errors. The midfield became very overrun - United were losing the battle.
Things only spiralled further downwards; having lost Shaw in the first half, Maguire begun to struggle with a seeming impact knock in the calf area following an innocuous collision with Ings. The captain tried to continue, not appearing too limited or struggling to too great an extent. However, after a few subtle errors came to the fore as the struggle grew, Solskjaer deemed it necessary to introduce Victor Lindelof (hopefully as a precautionary measure). Two of the three substitutions were used for injuries, with two crucial players lost. Things weren't going well.
Villa took advantage of United's struggles, hopping once more into a spell on the front foot. The reds offering near to no threat, with zero poise as passes were misplaced and the tempo grew gradually slower. Some positive things happened down the left flank, but United looked continually limited on the right through the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka making too many errors and slowing the play down drastically. Villa were playing at a much better intensity, with De Gea forced into action to deny a powerful strike from Watkins to keep United just about intact with their opposition. Some moves towards the Stretford End marginally threatened the away side, but there was still plenty lacking.
It took until about 10 minutes remained for Solskjaer to make his final change, with Edinson Cavani replacing McTominay for his return. Martinez was tested, but the chances still weren't clear-cut. A goal didn't look likely for United, with Villa still creating the better of the opportunities.
Ultimately, United paid the price for the underwhelming level they showcased. Substitute Cavani allowed his man Kortney Hause free from a corner played to the near post, with the centre back heading in at the front post. There were arguments that Watkins was offside in De Gea's eyeline, but VAR deemed the Villa striker to have moved from the position of obstruction early enough. It was deserved for the visiting contingent, with United failing to keep a clean sheet for the 15th time in 16 outings.
Moments later, though, the goalscorer conceded a penalty for handball at the opposite end. There was a golden opportunity for a United lifeline, but would it be Fernandes or Ronaldo to take? The former stepped up but - despite his usual reliability - he fired the ball into the Stretford End. He went for power under pressure, getting it horrifically wrong. The end of his tenure as penalty taker could be nigh.
Really, the miss epitomised United's day. It has to be admitted, the reds never had control of the game. Despite considerably more efforts, it was Villa who always looked the most likely to go ahead. There was no real aim within the United system, with disorganisation apparent in every department.
The stats read that United have managed to produce 55 shots in their last two matches, with 24 off target and only 10 on target; a substantial 21 of the 55 shots have been blocked. During the 180 minutes, there have only been 16 shots and 11 chances against us. Despite a staggering 40 chances within the two games, United haven’t scored and have conceded twice. It has been a week to forget for Solskjaer and his side.
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