By 
Sublime goals from Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings were enough to grab a point at Old Trafford in a game that Aston Villa could have won.
Words: Regan Foy | @findfoy
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Post-win at Villa Park on Monday, Aston Villa travelled to the Theatre of Dreams for the first time since 2016 to face Manchester United.
It took just forty-six seconds for Jack Grealish to be fouled, as Andreas Pereira tripped the midfielder in his own half.
Harry Maguire was shown a yellow card for throwing Anwar El Ghazi to the ground in the 8th minute.
Jack Grealish scored one of the goals of the season in the 11th minute as an over-hit cross found him on the left hand side of the box, before he weaved into the box and curled his foot around the ball – which nestled in the top corner.
Anwar El Ghazi was forced off shortly after with a self-inflicted injury, and was replaced by Trezeguet.
In end-to-end stuff, with Aston Villa the better side, it was not until the 21st minute that Tom Heaton was forced into his first save of the game – and even then it was a routine one.
Fred was booked in the 23rd for a foul on Jack Grealish as he looked to break – the fourth foul in the game so far – and his fiftieth of the season.
Aston Villa thought that they’d scored the second of the game in the 29th minute as Trezeguet bundled the ball into the net – but Jack Grealish was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up by a trailing leg.
Daniel James was left in a heap by Wesley in the 35th minute and continued to hobble for a short period afterwards.
A bit of a kerfuffle between Tom Heaton and Tyrone Mings conceded a corner five minutes before the end of the first half, which was played short before being whipped into the back post – where Marcus Rashford waited to head into the net – via the post and Tom Heaton’s back.
Trezeguet did exceptionally well in the 44th to get a strike away – which thundered off the crossbar.
Ferederic Guilbert was booked for a foul on Brandon Williams in added time – meaning he is now suspended for the Chelsea game midweek.
There was not much to talk about in the opening eight or so minutes of the second half – both sides getting forward but offering little in terms of chances.
Manchester United had a shout for a penalty in the 56th as Juan Mata was felled in the box by Frederic Guilbert – but this was immediately waved away by the referee.
Brandon Williams was booked in the 61st minute for pulling Trezeguet’s shirt.
Jack Grealish nearly had the opportunity for a second in the game as Trezeguet played an outside-of-the-boot pass towards the back post but the Aston Villa captain just couldn’t get there.
Manchester United went a goal up in the 65th minute as a ball into the box was headed by Wesley – which turned into an assist for Victor Lindelof at the back post who looped his header over Tom Heaton.
Tyrone Mings scored his first Premier League goal directly afterwards following a corner. The corner found its way to Matt Targett who flicked a ball over the Manchester United defence to find Tyrone Mings, who was played onside by a trailing Brandon Williams, before the centre-back scissor kicked it past David De Gea.
The first Manchester United substitute of the game arrived in the 74th minute as Juan Mata was replaced by Jesse Lingard.
There was another kerfuffle, or a scramble in the box in the 78th minute – resulting in Martial poking the ball over the bar from around a yard away.
Luke Shaw replaced Brandon Williams in the 79th. A minute later, Aston Villa made a change as Conor Hourihane was replaced by Henri Lansbury. A minute after that, Anthony Martial was replaced by Mason Greenwood.
Tyrone Mings looked to clear Harry Maguire’s header off the line in the 87th minute – but the Manchester United man was adjudged to have fouled Ezri Konsa in getting to the ball.
Luke Shaw was booked in the 90th for a foul on Jack Grealish. There were four minutes of added time.
In the 92nd, Frederic Guilbert made a fine tackle to deny a goalscoring opportunity which then resulted in a corner which bounced in and out of the Aston Villa box – with Ezri Konsa clearing it away three times.
The last effort of the game followed a Henri Lansbury foul – but after 97 minutes of football, the game ended in a draw.
