Manchester United remain locked in a relegation battle after a chaotic 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left them in the Premier League’s bottom three and increased the pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
United twice fought back from two-goal deficits, with late substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu scoring in stoppage time to snatch a point. Yet the result extended their winless league run to eight games — their worst stretch in Premier League history — and left them with just one league win all season.
The deeper problem is clear: United keep starting games disastrously. They have conceded first in 10 of 15 matches across all competitions this season, including three times inside the opening 10 minutes. Against Villa they fell 2-0 down within five minutes and then conceded two more early in the second half. They are the first team in Europe’s top five leagues to ship 30 goals this season.
Carrick’s inability to stop the early collapses and bring stability has left him extremely vulnerable. With only one win in 10 Premier League games — the club’s worst start in over 50 years — many believe he is out of his depth. Senior figures had hoped he could steady the ship before the international break, but one point from the last three games and nine goals conceded have only intensified the scrutiny.
Fans continued their protests against the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, displaying banners calling for new owners. Sections of the crowd also turned on players, with Diogo Dalot’s substitution greeted by ironic cheers after another difficult afternoon.
Whoever is in charge when United face Liverpool later this month will first need to end the damaging habit of falling behind early. Without that change, the threat of relegation will only grow more real.