Man United fire another blank as Chelsea held

Marcus Rashford and his manager Erik ten Hag. [AFP]

Manchester United’s winless run stretched to five games in a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday that did little to ease the pressure on Erik ten Hag.

Bruno Fernandes hit the crossbar with the best effort from either side with a second-half free-kick but United have now failed to score in their last three Premier League games.

A point leaves Ten Hag’s men still down in 14th, having won just two of their opening seven league games of the season.

Fifth-placed Villa missed the chance to move into the top four as they were unable to repeat their heroics of beating Bayern Munich in midweek.

United’s 3-0 humiliation on home soil by Tottenham last weekend had plunged Ten Hag’s job back into peril.

A 3-3 draw against Porto in the Europa League on Thursday did the Dutchman’s case little favours as United blew an early two-goal lead to trail 3-2 before Harry Maguire’s injury-time leveller.

Ten Hag reacted by dropping centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt after their chastening night in Portugal with Maguire and veteran Jonny Evans brought back in to the starting line-up.

Villa had a far more memorable European night in midweek when Bayern were beaten 1-0 as the Champions League returned to Birmingham for the first time in over 40 years.

Both sides showed signs of fatigue as the match failed to spark into life.

Ten Hag controversially replaced Marcus Rashford at half-time in Porto after he had scored and set up Rasmus Hojlund’s second for United inside the opening 20 minutes.

The United boss said that decision was motivated by managing the minutes of his wingers and Rashford was the visitors’ biggest threat.

The England international cut inside and forced Emi Martinez into the only save of the first half with a powerful strike after five minutes.

Morgan Rogers fired wide at the other end, but United’s reshaped defence held out with little problems until the break.

Ten Hag was forced into another defensive reshuffle at half-time as Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui were forced off injured as De Ligt and Victor Lindelof came on.

Rashford forced Martinez into another good save with a blistering shot from outside the box.

But he was lucky not to be sent-off for two bookable offences just minutes apart.

Meanwhile, Noni Madueke’s equaliser rescued Chelsea in a 1-1 draw against 10-man Nottingham.

Enzo Maresca’s side fell behind to Chris Wood’s strike early in the second half at Stamford Bridge.

England winger Madueke hauled Chelsea level but the hosts couldn’t find a winner despite their numerical advantage in the closing stages.

Forest had to play the last 12 minutes with 10 men after James Ward-Prowse was sent off.

Chelsea had won their previous three league games -- and five in all competitions -- to raise hopes that Maresca is the man to lift the west Londoners out of their long malaise.

Being held by Forest was a setback but Chelsea still go into the international break in fourth place in the Premier League.

Maresca insists Chelsea are not ready to compete with Manchester City and Arsenal for the title, but they have established themselves as candidates for a top four finish.

The Italian demonstrated Chelsea’s enviable strength in depth by fielding an entirely changed starting line-up for Thursday’s 4-2 Europa Conference League win over Gent.

Chelsea were fortunate not to fall behind when Murillo’s stinging shot was palmed away by Robert Sanchez.

It took Maresca’s men until three minutes before half-time before they finally tested Forest keeper Matz Sels.