“The magician is back” – The Internet reacts to Aston Villa 2-2 Man Utd, a story of revenge
It was a story of revenge at Villa Park on Saturday as Aston Villa fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United in the Premier League.
Aston Villa went into the game looking to do the Premier League double of Man Utd having won the previous meeting at Old Trafford 1-0, a match that was all about Bruno Fernandes. In what was a very close affair at Old Trafford, Kortney Hause had given Aston Villa the lead in the 88th minute which would ultimately be the winner.
But it might not have been. In the third minute of injury time Man Utd were awarded a penalty when Hause was adjudged to have handled the ball inside his own area. Man Utd’s first league penalty of the season, many had expected Cristiano Ronaldo to take responsibility following his arrival but Fernandes, who had been so reliable from the spot, pulled rank.
18+, UK only. Deposit and place a minimum £10 cash bet at single or accumulated odds of 1/1 or greater and we will give you 1 x £5 in free bets plus an extra 3 x £5 Free Bets the following day. Applies to first cash bet only. Free bets credited as 4 x £5 bets to use on 3x Any sport & 1x Virtuals. Cashed Out, Void or Draw No Bet wagers do not qualify for this promotion. 1 x £5 Free Bets are credited upon qualifying first bet settlement, other free bets credited by midday the day after your first bet settles. 7-day free bet expiry. Available once per customer. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion. Full T&C’s apply.
18+ only. Use code BET30. New Players Only. Minimum stake $/€/£ 10, minimum odds1.5, stake not returned.1X wagering the winnings from the free bet. Wagering occurs from real balance first. Wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only, wagering starts from real funds. Free bet is valid for 7 Days from issue. Max conversion: $/€/£ 200. Excluded Skrill deposits. Withdrawal requests voids all active/pending bonuses. Full Terms Apply
18+ only. £10 min. deposit required. 1 x £10 qualifying bet required. Qualifying bet must be placed on selection with min. odds of 1.8 (4/5). 4 x £5 Free Bets will be credited once the qualifying bet has been settled. 1 x Free Bet valid for any Football Match Result market. 1 x Free Bet valid on any Football Correct Score market. 1 x Free Bet valid on any Horse Racing market. 1 x Free Bet valid on any Tennis market. Free Bets valid for 7 days once credited. T&Cs apply.
Perhaps affected by the pressure, Fernandes went for power rather than his standard hop, skip and jump method, and blasted the ball into the Stretford End. Cue frustration and bemusement at the miss, not to mention Emiliano Martinez’s celebration, having a little dance in front of the fans.
After the game, as many players do nowadays, Fernandes used social media to post a message to his followers and Man Utd supporters to apologise for his penalty miss.
“Nobody is more frustrated and disappointed than me for missing the penalty and the consequent defeat,” he wrote.
“I’ve always assumed my responsibilities and I’ve always embraced them under pressure in moments like this. Today, I failed. But I took a step forward and faced the challenge with the same ambition and responsibility as when, on the many other occasions, the ball ended up in the net.
“Criticism and contrasting opinions are a big part of football. I’ve learned to live with it, even using them to drive me on, and I consider it all a very important part of my commitment to never stop trying to improve and to become the best player I can possibly be, for me and the team.
“Today I once again took the responsibility given to me almost since I joined United and I will take it again without any fear or dread whenever called upon.”
Fernandes may have been forgiven by fans for his miss, but Martinez had made an enemy of Man Utd. Which only made the return fixture at Villa Park much sweeter for the Red Devils – the earlier moments at least.
How to Bet £10, Get £20 with Live Score:
- Join LiveScore Bet (here’s the link)
- Deposit and place a £10 bet
- Get two free bets*
*New members. £10 min deposit & bet on sportsbook, placed & settled at 1.5 min odds within 14 days of sign-up. Win part of E/W bets. 2 non-withdrawable £10 Free Bet Tokens: accept in 7 days, valid for 7 days from crediting (ex. E/Ws & Multiples), stakes not returned. Click here for Rules & Exclusions. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org
In the sixth minute of the game, Fernandes gave Man Utd the lead after a quick-thinking free-kick. Alex Telles had lined up to shoot but instead had the slightest of touches on the ball to allow Fernandes to run with it. The Villa defenders were not aware of the danger and allowed Fernandes to shoot, though it wasn’t the greatest of efforts.
Martinez seemed to have things under control but he was affected by Edinson Cavani’s (onside) presence in front of him and fumbled the ball, through his legs and into the back of the net. Karma was a word quick to everyone’s lips.
I believe they call this ‘karma’ pic.twitter.com/sfLIxvHV3l
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) January 15, 2022
Beware the karma of the Football Gods pic.twitter.com/jGukEV37OF
— ⚽️442oons⚽️ (@442oons) January 15, 2022
That's what we call karma. 😂 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/dJbWNFNgDa
— Stretty News (@StrettyNews) January 15, 2022
https://twitter.com/LJxmes/status/1482406979066896393
Nah, Bruno had the chance to send Twitter into meltdown if he celebrated like this infront of Martinez.
Such a shame! #AVLMUN
⚽🦹♂️🔵 pic.twitter.com/Im0vaK6cyi
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) January 15, 2022
It was the ultimate personal redemption arc from Fernandes, who has now scored in each of his three appearances at Villa Park (adding a second later in the match), and also perhaps a return to earth for Martinez – who is still one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Emi Martinez has made just his second error leading to a goal in a Premier League game.
◉ vs Leicester (2021)
◉ vs Man Utd (2022)He won’t want to see that one again. 😩 pic.twitter.com/eqb7e9NycV
— Squawka (@Squawka) January 15, 2022
Not everyone had Martinez in their crosshairs though…
But the game wasn’t done there as Villa came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 courtesy of goals from Jacob Ramsey and one Philippe Coutinho on his debut. Because who else?
The magician is back 😍😍😍🙏🙏🙏 #coutinho
— Lucas Leiva (@LucasLeiva87) January 15, 2022
68': Philippe Coutinho is subbed on
82': Philippe Coutinho scores to make it 2-2.An instant impact on his return to the Premier League. pic.twitter.com/XEiZUMXWO6
— Play Squawka Selector for Free (@Squawka_Live) January 15, 2022
Philippe Coutinho with a goal and an assist on his Aston Villa debut! 😱
— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) January 15, 2022
Coutinho scored on debut vs. United? pic.twitter.com/gd2zJyNYaO
— Muhammad Butt (@muhammadbutt) January 15, 2022
Philippe Coutinho’s Jesse Lingard renaissance begins.
— Jake Entwistle (@JakeEntwistle) January 15, 2022
Swear that Coutinho was designed and built to work in our holy Premier League
— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) January 15, 2022
Coutinho is a little too old to be the little magician anymore, so I present to you:
The Wizard of Villa Park & the new Little Magician 🪄#AstonVilla #AVLMUN #avfc #AVL #Villa pic.twitter.com/GCB1plPC6E— Football Report (@FootballReprt) January 15, 2022
1 – Philippe Coutinho didn't manage a goal or assist in any of his seven Premier League appearances against Manchester United while playing for Liverpool (480 minutes), but netted Villa's equaliser just 14 minutes into his debut for the club. Dream. pic.twitter.com/0b0JEDVf4U
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 15, 2022
Coutinho doesn’t have the best record against Man Utd, failing to score in his previous seven Premier League appearances against the Red Devils before and only managing two in 11 across all competitions (one for Barcelona in the Champions League and once in the Europa League for Liverpool).
But it had to be the former Liverpool man, for Reds legend Steven Gerrard’s Villa, to keep Man Utd’s underwhelming form going.
