PERTH, Australia — Manchester United were denied a 100 percent record on their tour of Thailand and Australia after conceding a last-gasp equalizer in a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in Perth.
Jadon Sancho’s third goal of the summer and a Matty Cash own goal had put United 2-0 up at the break. Leon Bailey pulled one back after half-time but Erik ten Hag’s side were still looking for a way to record their fourth straight win before Calum Chambers headed home in the dying seconds.
After heavy rain in Perth, the match was only given the go-ahead three hours before kick-off following an inspection.
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The pitch, used by Leeds and Crystal Palace 24 hours earlier, made it difficult for the players to keep their footing, but United still dominated the first half thanks in large part to another impressive performance from Ten Hag’s front three, Sancho , Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.
Harry Maguire, who received a much warmer welcome here than he did in Melbourne, went close with an early header that was brilliantly saved by Emiliano Martinez before Sancho made the Villa keeper dive down to his left after carrying the ball from 40 yards.
Finally, Martínez was defeated after 25 minutes.
Rashford held onto the ball on the left, waited for Luke Shaw’s overlapping run and Sancho volleyed home a cross from six yards. The pitch was only made worse by a deluge of rain midway through the first half, but by the time the half-time whistle blew, United had extended their lead.
MAN UNITED’S FIRST GAMES
August 7 Brighton (H)Aug. 13 Aug. Brentford (A) 22 Aug. Liverpool (H) 27 Sept. Southampton (A) 1 Leicester (A) Sept. 4Arsenal (H)
Sancho broke away down the right and crossed for Rashford, who reached Cash and looped it into the net.
Ten Hag kept the same XI on the pitch for the start of the second half, but it was Villa who made the better start.
Barely five minutes had passed when Bailey, on as a half-time substitute, ran at the United defence, cut inside Victor Lindelof and curled a shot around Maguire and into the bottom corner.
It looked to be just a consolation for Villa after an uneventful second half, but in the second minute of stoppage time, Chambers rose higher to tap in a corner from the right.
It means United end their tour with three wins and a draw from their four games following wins over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace.
The squad will return to Manchester on Sunday before the next friendly against Atlético de Madrid in Oslo on Saturday.