Manchester United have been dealt a hammer blow in their bid for this season’s Premier League crown as they suffer their first defeat of the season at the hands of Aston Villa.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side started the game brightly but their dominance eventually wained and the visitors took a foothold on proceedings.
The Villans took the lead in the 88th minute through a bullet header from Kortney Hause and a penalty miss from Bruno Fernandes just five minutes later left the Portuguese midfielder with his head in his hands.
Goalkeeper David de Gea has now delivered his verdict on the game, insisting there is no time for excuses despite suggesting Aston Villa’s goal could have been disallowed due to a potential offside.
“It’s a very disappointing day for us but I think there are no excuses today,” De Gea is quoted as saying by the official Manchester United website. “We were playing at home with confidence and if we want to win big trophies like the Premier League, we need to win these types of games.
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“We conceded from a set-piece and I saw the replay and probably it’s offside. He [Watkins] was very close to me. Again, that happens. It’s a hard one to take. Now we have to be ready for the next one.”
Manchester United have a chance to bounce back from the surprising defeat in just five days as they welcome Villarreal to Old Trafford in the Champions League.
With one loss already recorded in the group stages, the encounter is already a must-win for Solskjaer and his side if they want to improve on last season’s third-place finish in Europe’s most prestigious tournament.
