Aston Villa captain John McGinn has criticised his team-mates’ game management after they twice surrendered a two-goal cushion in Sunday’s chaotic 4-4 draw at Manchester United. Unai Emery’s visitors appeared on course for all three points at Old Trafford before conceding twice in stoppage time against their struggling hosts.
Scottish midfielder laments costly collapse
McGinn admitted the Villans only had themselves to blame after missing the chance to climb the Premier League table against out-of-form United. Strikes from Alysson and Nicolas Jackson inside three minutes and 40 seconds marked the earliest the hosts had trailed 2-0 in the competition. It was also the fastest two-goal away lead since Chelsea managed it after two minutes and 53 seconds at Everton in August 2014.
Defensive lapses undermine fast starts
Despite their electric opening, Villa allowed Bruno Fernandes to convert a penalty before former team-mate Youri Tielemans equalised in the 44th minute. The away side then restored their two-goal buffer early in the second half when Diogo Dalot fouled Alysson for McGinn to score from the spot in the 48th minute before Leon Goretzka netted five minutes later.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day afterwards, McGinn rued his team’s inability to see out either half: “We have to manage these moments better. Not a lot of teams will come here 2-0 and give goals away.
“We have to defend better in those positions. In the last 10 minutes of each half, we have to manage better.
“We have a lot of inexperienced players but a lot of talent, and that’s why we score goals. It doesn’t matter if United are low on confidence; you’re always up against it.”
Stoppage-time madness leaves skipper stinging
Rather than cruising to victory, the Midlands outfit were undone in added time by substitute Patrick Dorgu, who set up Joshua Zirkzee to make it 4-3 before rising highest to head Fernandes’ cross past goalkeeper Zion Suzuki for a dramatic equaliser.
Reflecting on that late capitulation and how Emery will react over the hiatus, the Scotland international added: “The third goal was really poor and gave them a lot of encouragement to score. We lost two points. We threw it away. The last five minutes were just madness. It’s going to sting.
“The manager is a winner; he’ll be hurting the way we are. We go play international football, but he’ll dwell on it for two weeks.”
Sunderland clash follows international break
With the Premier League now pausing for the November international break, Emery will have a fortnight to address his side’s late defensive vulnerabilities before hosting Sunderland on Saturday, November 21. Securing maximum points at Villa Park will be vital to ensure Sunday’s late collapse does not derail their top-half ambitions. Meanwhile, Michael Carrick’s relegation-threatened United face a daunting trip to arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield 24 hours later.
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