Published: September 25, 2021 3:41 pm
Last Updated: September 25, 2021 3:56 pm
Viewers of the meeting between Manchester United and Aston Villa this afternoon have taken to social media, to highlight a moment which some may have missed in the buildup to Bruno Fernandes’ costly penalty miss.
Hause decides it
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men of course played host to Villa a short time ago.
After being ousted from the EFL Cup by West Ham during the week, the Red Devils headed into proceedings eyeing a bounce-back result, amid a tight battle at the Premier League’s summit.
When all was said and done, however, on the back of another concerning 90 minutes at Old Trafford, United fell to their third defeat in four across all competitions.
A solitary goal proved the difference come the full-time whistle, netted by Kortney Hause with 88 minutes on the clock.
After breaking free at the front post, the visitors’ defensive standout did superbly to nod home Douglas Luiz’s whipped corner from the left, silencing the increasingly-frustrated home crowd in the process.
VILLA GRAB A LATE LEAD AT OLD TRAFFORD.#MyPLMorning
📺 @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/eIlK13DVmO
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 25, 2021
Emi excellence
It was not Hause’s winner, though, which in fact went on to take the headlines post-match.
Instead, this came in the form of a late, late missed opportunity for Manchester United to level things up at Old Trafford.
With 93 minutes on the clock, the Reds were awarded a penalty, after Bruno Fernandes was adjudged to have been felled in the Aston Villa box.
Summer arrival Cristiano Ronaldo, in turn, was widely expected to step up and take responsibility, having long boasted a stellar record from 12 yards, particularly in pressure situations.
In a shock to both those watching on from home and inside the Theatre of Dreams, however, it was Fernandes who ultimately stepped up.
Evidently based on the eventual scoreline, the Portuguese maestro went on to fluff his lines, directing a dire effort well clear of the visitors’ crossbar, and blowing any remaining hope of a United points haul in the process.
Manchester United had the chance to tie it from the spot in stoppage time, but Bruno didn’t convert. 😳
📺 @peacockTV pic.twitter.com/xyMaOg9qqp
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) September 25, 2021
As outlined above, though, what many may have missed in the direct lead-up to Bruno’s dismal spot-kick were the mind-games played by Villa no.1 Emiliano Martinez.
As highlighted by a selection of eagle-eyed fans across social media, as it became clear that it was United’s midfield conductor, and not Ronaldo, who was set to step up from 12 yards, Martinez made a beeline for the Red Devils duo.
From here, the former Arsenal man repeatedly pointed at the latter, making clear to Fernandes that his 5-time Ballon d’Or winning teammate should in fact have been the man to take responsibility:
Martinez should make the SPOTY shortlist for this https://t.co/Q5jDBlqvXm
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) September 25, 2021
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Premier League table
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Chelsea FC | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 2 | Liverpool FC | 5 | 11 | 13 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 5 | 9 | 13 |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| 6 | Everton FC | 5 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | -3 | 9 |
| 8 | West Ham United | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| 9 | Brentford FC | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 10 | Aston Villa | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | Watford FC | 5 | -2 | 6 |
| 12 | Leicester City | 5 | -3 | 6 |
| 13 | Arsenal FC | 5 | -7 | 6 |
| 14 | Crystal Palace | 5 | -3 | 5 |
| 15 | Southampton FC | 5 | -2 | 4 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 5 | -3 | 3 |
| 17 | Leeds United | 5 | -7 | 3 |
| 18 | Newcastle United | 5 | -7 | 2 |
| 19 | Burnley FC | 5 | -6 | 1 |
| 20 | Norwich City | 5 | -12 | 0 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 5 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 5 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 4 |
| Sarr, Ismaila | Watford FC | 4 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 3 |
| Gray, Demarai | Everton FC | 3 |
| Ronaldo, Cristiano | Manchester United | 3 |
| Lukaku, Romelu | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 3 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 3 |
| Jota, Diogo | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 3 |
| Greenwood, Mason | Manchester United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 2 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 2 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 2 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 0 | 3 |
| Dennis, Emmanuel | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Cooper, Liam | Leeds United | 0 | 3 |
| Etebo, Oghenekaro | Watford FC | 0 | 3 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 0 | 1 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Raphinha | Leeds United | 0 | 2 |
| Alonso, Marcos | Chelsea FC | 0 | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 0 | 2 |
| Richarlison | Everton FC | 0 | 2 |
| Ritchie, Matt | Newcastle United | 0 | 2 |
| Westwood, Ashley | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Gudmundsson, Johann | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Duffy, Shane | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | 2 |
| Norgaard, Christian | Brentford FC | 0 | 2 |
| Rudiger, Antonio | Chelsea FC | 0 | 2 |
| Tarkowski, James | Burnley FC | 0 | 2 |
| Laporte, Aymeric | Manchester City | 0 | 2 |
| Shaw, Luke | Manchester United | 0 | 2 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Pogba, Paul | Manchester United | 7 |
| Antonio, Michail | West Ham United | 3 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 3 |
| Saint-Maximin, Allan | Newcastle United | 3 |
| Jesus, Gabriel | Manchester City | 3 |
| Kovacic, Mateo | Chelsea FC | 3 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Benrahma, Said | West Ham United | 2 |
| Townsend, Andros | Everton FC | 2 |
| Ings, Danny | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Toney, Ivan | Brentford FC | 2 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 2 |
| James, Reece | Chelsea FC | 2 |
| Gross, Pascal | Brighton & Hove Albion | 2 |
| King, Joshua | Watford FC | 2 |
| Pereira, Ricardo | Leicester City | 2 |
| Alexander-Arnold, Trent | Liverpool FC | 2 |
| Rice, Declan | West Ham United | 2 |
| Luiz, Douglas | Aston Villa | 2 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City | 1 |
