Manchester United have been dealt a gutting blow to their Premier League title challenge as they suffered their first defeat of the season against Aston Villa.
The visitors were aggressing against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side and reaped the rewards in the closing minutes as a bullet header from Kortney Hause proved to be enough to secure the three points.
Bruno Fernandes had the chance to rescue a point for his side with a 93rd-minute penalty but the 27-year-old midfielder saw his effort sail over the bar – an uncharacteristically poor penalty from the Portugal international.
The defeat now means United have lost three out of their last four games, with the only victory coming against West Ham last week when Jesse Lingard’s 89th-minute strike won the game for the Reds.
Solskjaer has now insisted his squad will bounce back from the setback as they prepare to face Villarreal in the Champions League – a repeat of last season’s Europe League final.
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“Every time you’re defeated, you have to stand up for yourselves, stand up for your team, fight for your team and we will,” he is quoted as saying by the official Manchester United website.
“The boys will. It’s a big game [on Wednesday], Champions League night and we know we’ve started that group badly so we’ll be ready.”
United’s shock defeat to Young Boys puts Solskjaer in a precarious position, with last season’s exit from the group stages still looming over his head. Victory over Unai Emery’s side would go a long way towards overcoming the early criticism of his side this campaign.
Ole should react by bringing Tuanzebe back from loan, after the behaviour of their players, give them nothing