Manchester United 2-2 Aston Villa: 3 reasons why the Red Devils drew at home

Manchester United hosted Aston Villa at home on Sunday, desperately in search of a win as that would give them an advantage over the other teams in the race for fifth spot in the Premier League. On the other hand, Aston Villa came into the match on the back of some mixed results and were merely looking for some consistency.

Aston Villa started the first half of the game on the front foot, looking more likely to score the first goal of the match than United. That ended up being true as Aston Villa's playmaker and team captain Jack Grealish netted the first with a fine finish from the tightest of the angles.

For most of the match, the Red Devils seemed to be lacking decisiveness in the final third. They finally got their act together to equalize in the 42nd minute through a header by Marcus Rashford.

United carried the momentum into the second half and took the lead through a corner netted in by Victor Lindelof. But Aston Villa didn't give up and equalized through a Tyrone Ming shot in the 66th minute.

After that both sides constantly tried to get the winner, but were unsuccessful and had to settle for a draw. Here are three reasons why United failed to get the win on Sunday:

#3 Jack Grealish and his stunning goal

Manchester United v Aston Villa - Premier League

Aston Villa's skipper Jack Grealish had a stunning impact on the game. He was a constant menace for the Red Devils defense, and his early strike carried the team the entire match.

The goal he scored was a brilliant one too. Grealish got the ball from a cross by Anwar El Ghazi on the left wing. He then created space for the shot by drawing Andreas Pereira to the ball before cutting inside on his right foot to score a top corner goal that was unstoppable even for David de Gea.

The ease with which he was allowed to score the goal gave Aston Villa the confidence and belief to go forward and win the match at Old Trafford. That sense of belief was reflected when Tyrone Mings equalized just two minutes after Manchester United took the lead in the game.

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#2 Defensive mistakes cost both the sides

Manchester United v Aston Villa - Premier League

This was a day marred by defensive errors from both sides. The game was a pretty open one, where both teams had space to attack each other throughout.

For Aston Villa's first goal, Manchester United gave Jack Grealish too much space and time inside their own box to take the shot and score. That gave the away side the upper hand for the rest of the match.

Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings failed to manage a good clearance, giving Manchester United a corner. Marcus Rashford was then given a free run in the box to score, and he made no mistake.

Manchester United conceded their second goal of the match from an unsuccessful offside trap. Brandon Williams didn't follow the defensive line and helped Mings to be onside for a shot that the center half took gleefully.

If either of the sides had had a good day in defense, they probably would've taken all the three points from the game.

#1 Manchester United's front three had on off-day

Manchester United v Aston Villa - Premier League Match

The Red Devils' front three weren't clinical enough in front of goal against Aston Villa. They created chances throughout the game, only to be unsuccessful due to the lack of quality in the final third.

Daniel James was the most visible threat in the first half for the hosts, as he used his pace and link-up play to a good effect. He supplied several balls into the box, but none of the Manchester United's front-men were available to attack off them.

Marcus Rashford constantly tried to drive the team forward and run at the away side's defense. But the English international was unsuccessful due to lack of quality passes and link-up play in the final third. He didn't get many visible opportunities to shoot in the game.

Anthony Martial, on the other hand, had a great chance to win the game for Manchester United, but he scooped the ball over the goal in an attempt to lob it over the goalkeeper. Apart from that, the French international was largely invisible throughout the match.

The Manchester United forwards need to be more clinical and cohesive if they are to gather maximum points from the grueling festive period.

With this draw, Manchester United are 9th on the table with 18 points. Considering the recent sackings of Unai Emery and Mauricio Pochettino, the Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be under tremendous pressure to deliver positive results against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City - which could ultimately decide his future as the United boss.