Struggling Manchester United rally to salvage draw vs Villa to give coach Carrick hope

Manchester United twice came from two goals down to salvage a remarkable 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday and potentially save manager Michael Carrick’s job.

Goals in stoppage time from Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu rescued a point, but United will spend a two-week international break in the relegation zone.

Carrick’s team conceded twice inside the opening four minutes as Alysson and Nicolas Jackson punished errors from goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

The Red Devils rallied to level at half-time thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty and Youri Tielemans’s first goal since moving to Old Trafford from Villa.

A thrilling fightback from 2-0 down to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday gave Carrick a lifeline.

This time the comeback fell short as more woeful defending handed Villa two more goals inside the first eight minutes of the second period.

John McGinn converted from the spot after Diogo Dalot upended Alysson before Leon Goretzka bundled in from close range.

Yet, there was a final twist in the tale as Zirkzee steered home before Dorgu pounced when Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki failed to connect with a corner in the 96th minute.

‘We want new owners’: Carrick was handed a stay of execution after a 3-0 home drubbing by Bournemouth a fortnight ago.

However, he faces an anxious wait to see if the United board install a replacement before a daunting trip to Liverpool on November 22.

“We haven’t won enough games, but I expect to move forward and keep working on the things that we’ve been working on,” Carrick told Sky Sports.

Former Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe and ex-Bayern Munich and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann are among the leading contenders to take charge if Carrick is dismissed.

Saturday’s results saw United slip into the relegation zone after August for the first time in 40 years.

A draw keeps them in the bottom three with just eight points from 10 games.

For the first time in Premier League history they found themselves 2-0 down inside four minutes, in large part due to goalkeeper Lammens.

The Belgian allowed Alysson’s strike to slip between his legs with just one minute on the clock.

From another tame Alysson effort less than three minutes later, Lammens could only parry and present Nicolas Jackson with a gift for his sixth goal in his last six league games.

Agence France-Presse