“Sir,” said Louis van Gaal in that way of his that you know is immediately going to be followed by some sudden storm or withering put-down. “We have won seven matches in a row. That is the wrong question, I think.”
The Manchester United manager likes to tell his questioners that they have asked the wrong question. Or that he has already answered that question.
But this time he was wrong on both counts. Plus Van Gaal also, which is quite a turn-up for a man who is so meticulous in all he does, was wrong in his statistics.
United have only won six Premier League matches in a row. Not seven. This draw, more fortuitous for United than for Aston Villa, who were harshly reduced to 10 men when Gabriel Agbonlahor was red-carded for a challenge on Ashley Young midway through the second half, stalled any momentum United might have felt they were gathering for an improbable title challenge.
And it was Van Gaal who had mentioned the title. He raised it.
It was also Van Gaal who had compared his team’s failure to win at Villa to Manchester City’s result earlier in the day. He had watched part of the first half of that lunchtime kick-off, in which City were poor against Crystal Palace, but Manuel Pellegrini’s team still ran out 3-0 winners.
“They could have been behind and struggled until half-time and in the end it is 3-0. That is the difference,” Van Gaal said. The difference being, therefore, that the champions found a way. They found a way to win. That quality eluded United – so the question he objected to? It was surely his team have to now find that way.
If Van Gaal misunderstood or simply chose not to accept that then that is his prerogative but he knows United were not good enough. They have found a way in the past when playing poorly (although he said they played well). But not here.
“When you want to be a part of the title race you have to win these type of games,” Van Gaal said. “It was not good enough to catch the victory here.”
So are United title challengers? “No, because you have seen that you have to win these matches and we didn’t win,” Van Gaal said. “But it is still a long time to go and Chelsea have to go to Stoke City.”
There is still a long way to go but even if Chelsea lose at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow night they remain seven points ahead of United – instead of just five. If they win it is a daunting 10 points, with City seven points ahead of United.
Van Gaal’s team missed a chance to try and apply some pressure going into the festive fixtures. It was not good enough.
There is still too much chaos in their play; too much fragility in defence. The game’s dominant performers – goalscorer Christian Benteke, who adds so much power and presence, Fabian Delph in midfield and defender Jores Okore – were all in claret and blue.
United’s best player? Again for all of Wayne Rooney’s clever passing and ball retention in midfield and, for Radamel Falcao completing 90 minutes, in his first start for two months, and scoring with a stunning header, their best player was goalkeeper David de Gea.
The pivotal moment of the match was not Agbonlahor’s dismissal – which Villa are expected to appeal after manager Paul Lambert revealed that goalkeeper Brad Guzan had informed him that Young had admitting he had fouled the striker and not the other way round – but another remarkable save by De Gea.
It came as Benteke looked set to claim his second goal and take Villa even further ahead. The striker’s rose to meet Delph’s corner, again easily outmuscling United’s anaemic defence, and powered a header goalwards only for De Gea to arch his back and tip the ball over.
United immediately responded with Young, against his former club, and booed remorselessly, with that booing raising a few decibels after the sending-off, skipping past Matt Lowton and crossing for Falcao. The Colombian jumped high to meet the ball and thump a trademark header back across Guzan and into the net. It was an outstanding goal.
But what a passage of play. Then Agbonlahor hurtled towards Young and the players collided. Agbonlahor’s foot was not up, he caught Young – or was he caught by him? – and in fairness the United midfielder did not over-react. But referee Lee Mason did. Red card.
“If that’s a red card then you may as well pack up the game of football,” Lambert said. “Brad Guzan has spoken to Ashley Young after the game and he admitted that he fouled Gabby.
“I’m not worried whether he [Young] made a meal of it or not. It’s two lads who have gone in for the ball. He admitted it [the foul] to Brad Guzan. Whether that helps or not that is not a red card.”
The sense of grievance for Villa – shorn of seven players by injury, suspension and, in the case of Tom Cleverley, on loan from United, ineligibility – grew. They had been dominated in the opening quarter but had decisively snatched the lead.
A free-kick was won and was swung in by Delph for Benteke to pull away from the hapless Jonny Evans. The Belgian chested the ball down, shifted it, Evans stood off and Benteke curled the ball around him leaving De Gea unsighted. The goalkeeper stood rooted as the net rippled.
Robin van Persie, who disappointed, failed to capitalise on a fine pass by Rooney although he forced Guzan into a parry and the Villa goalkeeper scooped out a header from one substitute, Tyler Blackett, before repelling a drive from another, James Wilson, but United struggled.
Instead it was Villa, who had matched United in a 3-5-2 system which Lambert suggested was the way ahead for them, who went close with substitute Leandro Bacuna firing a fierce effort narrowly over.
It was a shot of defiance and a confirmation that Villa, at the least, deserved a point.
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