Pressure still on Man United boss Carrick despite dramatic Villa draw

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick reacts during the Premier League match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Sunday. | AFP-JIJI

By Philip O'Connor
Reuters

Nov 9, 2026

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is facing another international window filled with uncertainty after his side slipped into the Premier League relegation zone despite a sensational comeback to claim a 4-4 home draw with Aston Villa.

United is 18th on eight points after 10 games, one behind Coventry City, and for long periods of Sunday’s game looked like a disjointed, rudderless side, with collapses in concentration at the start of each half proving costly for Carrick’s men.

Alysson opened the scoring for Villa after two minutes and Nicolas Jackson added a second two minutes later, but United looked to be motoring when Bruno Fernandes pulled one back with a penalty and Youri Tielemans levelled just before the break.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.