Manchester United managed to secure a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, potentially giving embattled manager Erik ten Hag some breathing room as speculation swirls about his future. After a disappointing home loss to Tottenham and a lackluster Europa League draw against Porto, the Dutchman faced mounting pressure, which only intensified ahead of the trip to Villa Park.

Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, present at the match, avoided questions about Ten Hag’s position before the game, while the United squad managed to grind out a point against Unai Emery’s in-form side. Although the Red Devils have just two wins from their first seven Premier League matches, the result seemed to ease some of the tension ahead of the upcoming international break.

Both teams appeared drained from recent European fixtures, with Villa far from the form they showed in their midweek Champions League win over Bayern Munich. United captain Bruno Fernandes came closest to breaking the deadlock when his second-half free-kick hit the crossbar. Villa nearly stole the victory in stoppage time, but Diogo Dalot’s crucial block on Jaden Philogene’s shot kept the game scoreless.

Ten Hag made four changes from the Porto match, including the notable decision to bench defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez in favor of Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire. The manager cited “rotation” as the reason for the switches, just as he did when he took off top performer Marcus Rashford during the Porto match. Rashford started brightly in the Midlands, driving forward from midfield and testing Villa’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot.

Villa had their own early opportunity when Morgan Rogers hit the side-netting under pressure from Evans. An early defensive change saw Diego Carlos replace Ezri Konsa, but it did little to disrupt Villa’s flow as the teams remained evenly matched in the opening stages. Philogene came close to breaking the deadlock with a long-range effort that whistled past the post, and Maguire saw his appeal for a penalty dismissed after a quick VAR review of a potential handball by Rogers.

United’s traveling fans cheered their team on as they dominated spells of possession, though they struggled to break through a Villa side that looked either inhibited or simply fatigued. Alejandro Garnacho had a shot saved just before halftime, and Maguire was forced to exit the game after sustaining an injury. As a result, De Ligt and Victor Lindelof replaced the injured Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui for the second half.

Rashford continued to pose a threat, with a powerful 20-yard strike tipped over the bar shortly after the restart, but Villa soon began to look more dangerous. Matty Cash missed the target and saw a cross cleared, while Youri Tielemans’ long-range shot forced a good save from United’s goalkeeper Andre Onana. Ollie Watkins, gaining confidence, fired over from a tight angle, and Wednesday’s standout performer Jhon Duran joined him on the field, lifting the home crowd.

United made several substitutions of their own, including the withdrawal of Rashford, who had narrowly avoided a red card for a foul on Leon Bailey minutes after being booked for a challenge on Cash. Ten Hag’s rejigged lineup kept pressing for a breakthrough, and Fernandes’ curling free-kick in the 68th minute rattled the crossbar. Substitute Antony missed the rebound, while his left-footed shot later in the game was well-saved by Martinez.

As Villa offered little in attack, it appeared United might snatch a win, but the home side almost grabbed a late winner after a lengthy delay for the referee to fix his communication equipment. Rogers delivered a dangerous cross to the back post, where Philogene’s shot was blocked heroically by Dalot, ensuring the match ended in a stalemate.