Manchester United lost Bruno Fernandes through injury during a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa after a frustrating Sunday evening in Birmingham.
Aiming to disrupt a nine-game winning run at the home of the one-time European Cup champions, Ruben Amorim selected his first December XI without a trio of his AFCON stars.
Despite controlling the vast majority of the opening half, Villa took a surprise injury-time lead through a moment of brilliance from the in-form Morgan Rogers.
Although Matheus Cunha levelled proceedings within minutes, the loss of Fernandes with a suspected hamstring injury sent a chill down the spines of the United faithful.
Rogers netted his second after the restart, once more against the run of play, before Cunha failed to convert a golden opportunity from five yards as his side pressed forward impressively.
The result intensifies Villa’s claim in the title race, while Ruben’s men drop to seventh and three points outside the Champions League places, on a day where their performance deserved so much more.
Manchester United undone by Morgan Rogers at Villa Park
United arrived in Birmingham with a remarkable record of just one defeat at Villa Park in 30 years.
Still, the challenge of unsettling Unai Emery’s side was far from straightforward, with Villa embracing the momentum from nine consecutive wins in all competitions.
Early exchanges were mixed, with Cunha coming within inches of opening the scoring before Rogers threatened with a sublime flick following a passage of sustained home pressure.
But Amorim’s game plan surfaced early, and a congested midfield began dictating affairs through the combined efforts of several players, fortifying the efforts of Manuel Ugarte and Fernandes.
Benjamin Sesko will feel he should have capped his team’s quality with a deserved goal midway through the half, before Emi Martinez replicated his World Cup Final heroics to deny the onrushing attacker.
Nonetheless, the fulcrum of the significant talking points came in the final five minutes, beginning with the harrowing sight of Bruno pulling up to grasp his hamstring.
Although he remained on the field, things got worse for Ruben when a largely anonymous Villa took the lead in injury time courtesy of another moment of brilliance from the ever-excellent Rogers.
The former Middlesbrough man cut inside Leny Yoro from wide, before placing an inch-perfect effort into the far corner beyond the reach of Senne Lammens.
Truthfully, it would have been a crime for the Reds to return to the dressing room without something for their efforts, and a Patrick Dorgu pressure resulted in Cunha equalising moments later with a composed finish inside the area.
To the surprise of many, Lisandro Martinez replaced Fernandes at the break, inevitably leading to widespread conversation about his suitability in the engine room.
But the Argentine settled quickly to command his area, enjoying the enhanced responsibilities and threatening with a long-range effort within 10 minutes of his introduction.
Despite reclaiming their early dominance and looking the likelier to add a second, United were suckerpunched by the brilliance of Rogers once more.
A hopeful Youri Tielemans delivery ricocheted into the path of the onrushing 23-year-old, before Villa’s leading man guided another side-footed effort past the helpless fingertips of the Belgian shotstopper.
Similar to the opening setback, the guests responded well and should have levelled within minutes, only for Cunha to head wide from five yards inexplicably.
Ruben responded by introducing Joshua Zirkzee and Jack Fletcher with 20 minutes left, reinforcing his intent to construct through transition while remaining loyal to the club’s academy traditions.
He built on this during the final quarter when 18-year-old Shea Lacey made his senior bow to a chorus of applause, emerging on the grandest of stages following a stellar footballing education.
The youngster showed no signs of stage fright, testing Martinez from distance with a curling effort within minutes of his arrival.
A red wave continued to press for a deserved equaliser, and came close from a set piece in injury time when the impressive Mason Mount grazed the upper netting with his effort.
But the Premier League is a cruel beast, and on a day when the travelling supporters deserved at least a share of the spoils, a lack of clinical finishing once more ruled over a promising display.
United will now dust themselves down ahead of back-to-back Old Trafford outings, with Newcastle the guests on December 26.
What are your thoughts after a frustrating defeat at Villa Park? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com.
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