Manchester United frustrated as Aston Villa’s Calum Chambers grabs draw

Manchester United appeared to be ending their two-week summer tour of Thailand and Australia with victory and a perfect record of four wins from four before David de Gea went missing at an added-time corner and Calum Chambers crashed home the equaliser for Aston Villa in Perth.

If this rightly delighted Steven Gerrard, their manager, Erik ten Hag can also be pleased with a return of three wins, a draw, 13 goals scored and three conceded. United’s new manager will detest the way De Gea and the defence did not wish to claim the ball more than Chambers but this was a stark reminder that the side’s rebuild has a long way to go.

Villa had been kept at arm’s length before the break by United’s quality attacking before rallying admirably in the second half. Not impressive, though, was a surface that was quasi-treacherous throughout as illustrated by United’s opening foray: Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes combined but slipped on a pitch that had taken heavy rain.

The weather had come close to forcing a postponement. Ground staff had required rollers and hoover-like machines to clear the water but the pitch, which had four rectangles of turf dropped into it, remained boggy and the danger of injury was obvious.

Thankfully, this did not occur. Instead, Harry Maguire, after being booed during Tuesday’s win over Crystal Palace in Melbourne, was one of United’s better performers. The captain went near to an opener when leaping forcefully to meet a Shaw corner from the right. Emiliano Martínez beat the header away but Villa’s goalkeeper and teammates were warned.

Gerrard had talked of his side “turning the dial” up after Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Brisbane Roar so the sight of Matty Cash dummying Rashford before firing at De Gea’s goal will have pleased. United’s No 1 dived and missed the ball, but it blazed wide of his right post.

Sancho, one of the brightest United lights during the fortnight, launched a barrelling run from halfway that scattered those in Villa livery. The wide man looked up, decided no pass was on, and let fly, forcing Martínez to tip the ball away to his left.

Aston Villa players race to close down Jadon Sancho, who scored Manchester United’s first goal. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP

The domestic element made this a game with edge. More than once Villa players crashed into United’s, as when John McGinn upended Fernandes and Diego Carlos did the same to Rashford.

United, more intent on playing, decorated the contest with a goal via the kind of free-flowing sequence that has been the mark of them on this trip. Martial, dropping deep, tapped the ball to Fernandes, who fed Rashford along the left. Shaw whirred past, took a weighted pass and chipped to Sancho, who coolly lifted a foot to volley home.

As half-time approached torrential rain hit, lashing the players, and United doubled the lead. Sancho drifted along the right and popped the ball over. Rashford’s effort was mis-hit but a deflection off Cash beat Martínez for an own goal. Rashford greeted this with an emotion missing from his face last term: joy.

Gerrard sent on Leon Bailey for Danny Ings at the interval and within five minutes he scored. He motored along the right and made Victor Lindelöf appear amateurish by beating the Swede and De Gea on a diagonal angle with a 20-yard finish to make it 2-1.

This was admirable from Villa and they had the ascendancy, De Gea soon having to make a fingertip save when another Bailey effort ricocheted off Martial.

United were in need of an out ball and when they fashioned one menace was present in how Sancho skated down the right, hesitated, then pinged in a delivery for Martial Villa barely scrambled away.

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As encouraging for Ten Hag was the sight of Rashford barging into Ezri Konsa near the defender’s penalty area in the type of high-press action the Dutchman demands. Villa, too, were in the mode Gerrard would want. An Emiliano Buendía ball released the dangerous Bailey but when he rounded De Gea, Maguire was there to make a classic last-man goal-saving clearance.

For the closing phase, Ten Hag changed all his outfield players. This made United a little ragged and, as the wind became strong enough at one point to blow a plastic chair on to the field, Chambers stepped up.