Manchester United fought back Saturday to extend its unbeaten start to the English Premier League season in a thrilling 2-2 draw against a youthful Aston Villa team.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men looked destined for defeat at Villa Park when Marc Albrighton put Villa two up on 76 minutes, four minutes after Ashley Young had established the home lead from the penalty spot.
But United — past master of the late comeback — can rarely be discounted. Substitute Federico Macheda found the top corner of Brad Friedel’s net in the 81st minute before Nemanja Vidic’s diving header five minutes from time brought parity.
The draw was tough to stomach for Villa’s dejected fans, the home team having also hit the woodwork twice in the second half. United is now three points behind Chelsea at the top of the EPL table.
With injuries limiting his resources, Villa boss Gerard Houllier admitted he would have “taken the result” before kick off. But after seeing his young side dominate United in the second half, he said: “We think we should have won. We hit the bar, we hit the post. But even at 2-0 you’re not safe.”
Villa went ahead midway through the second half with a penalty won when Ashley Young was bundled over illegally by Wes Brown, following a lightning break by Gabriel Agbonlahor. Young picked himself up to drive the ball home, sending Edwin Van der Sar the wrong way.
An even better counter attack doubled the lead in the 76th minute, with Young feeding Stuart Downing down the left, before the former Middlesbrough man found Albrighton at the far post to thrash the ball home from six yards out.
The goalscorer was then in the right place to calmly head off his own line after Rio Ferdinand’s driven effort, before substitute Macheda halved the deficit with a superb finish.
Downing then fired a rising shot just over the bar before Nani’s dangerous inswinging cross found the diving Vidic at the far post to spark scenes of jubilation among the traveling United supporters.
