While Cristiano sits on the bench, the player who exasperates CR7 against Aston Villa

A very moving silence was perfectly observed. United have a lot of the ball early on and Martin Dubravka, on his United debut in goal for the hosts, gets an early touch with a routine clearance. Aston Villa start with both strikers in Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings right up front but they're not playing narrow, they're playing right between the defenders and really split up.

Villa goalkeeper Martin Olsen has to sprint across his box and produce a centre-half style sliding challenge to keep it away from Bruno Fernandes and send it away for a corner. But the corner for United comes to nothing with Tyrell Malacia misjudging a cross and sending it harmlessly behind. The ex-United man Ashley Young is defending well.

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Tyrell Malacia makes underlapping runs on the inside of the Aston Villa full-back. Not one Villa player goes with him. Erik ten Hag will look at full-back reinforcements in January with Aaron Wan Bissaka still out. Diego Dalot moves inside and into midfield when Manchester United have the ball, similar to Joao Cancelo at Manchester City.

Donny van de Beek clatters into Ludwig Augustinsson but the United man gets away with it as referee David Coote gives him a lecture but keeps his cards in his pocket. Nothing too testing for either goalkeeper to do in a quarter of an hour of football that will be remembered by absolutely no one. Big opportunity for Scott McTominay to play in Marcus Rashford.

Offside goal 

He could've gone high or wide and Rashford would've been in behind the high Aston Villa line. It's a sloppy, poor pass from McTominay that just found the feet of the Villa defender. The ball is in the net but the flag is raised. Fred had made a bright run and played through a lovely pass to Marcus Rashford, who crossed for Fernandes but Rashford had moved too early and was offside.