Premier League 2026/27 Matchweek 10 Recap: Man United vs Aston Villa 4-4, United Drop Into Relegation Zone

Man United vs Aston Villa: Patrick Dorgu of Manchester United celebrates scoring to make it 4-4 at Old Trafford in Manchester.

It gets worse: eight league games without a win, a club record in the Premier League era, and a manager whose name is in the papers for the wrong reasons. Will Michael Carrick still be in charge after the break? Hold that thought.

Man United vs Aston Villa 4-4: Two Down, Two Down Again, Somehow Level

The team news already hurt. Lisandro Martínez was suspended and Carlos Baleba was out with a hamstring injury, so Youri Tielemans started next to Kobbie Mainoo.

Then the football started, which was worse.

Alysson beat Senne Lammens from an angle inside the first minute. Three minutes later Lammens spilled another Alysson shot and Nicolas Jackson finished the rebound. I watched it in the morning in Utah and considered going straight back to bed.

Matheus Cunha drew a penalty from Boubacar Kamara and Bruno Fernandes scored it on 16 minutes. Just before half-time Tielemans beat Zion Suzuki from the edge of the box, against his old club. 2-2.

It lasted until just after the restart. Diogo Dalot brought down Alysson and John McGinn scored the penalty. On 53 minutes, from a McGinn free-kick, Leny Yoro headed toward his own goal, Lammens pushed it onto the post, Jackson miskicked and Leon Goretzka forced it in. 4-2.

Here is what I will tell my kids at training this week: a ball in your own box is never safe until it leaves the box. Four players touched that one and nobody cleared it. The man who scored was simply the one who kept going.

Carrick threw on Patrick Dorgu and Joshua Zirkzee, among others, and Dalot was booed off. In stoppage time Zirkzee swept one in, and in the sixth added minute Suzuki flapped at a corner and Dorgu headed the equaliser.

4-4.

Carrick told Sky Sports he expects to keep working and that the goals were avoidable. One stat says everything: United have conceded more goals than any team in Europe's major leagues this season, in all competitions. That is not a bad week. That is a defence.

Man United 3-2 Roma: The Champions League Trailer

The midweek Champions League game against AS Roma was the same movie with a happier ending. Matías Soulé and a Donyell Malen penalty made it 2-0 inside 17 minutes, and United were booed off at half-time. Bruno's penalty was saved, VAR ordered a retake for encroachment, and he scored the second one. Cunha struck on 83 and 86 minutes, then collected two yellows and a red. First win in ten games, and Cunha misses the next Champions League match.

So, is Carrick safe? The papers say United may use the break to look at a change, though nothing is official. My answer: if this team keeps starting games like this, it won't matter who stands on the touchline.

Leeds vs Tottenham 1-0: Okafor Needs 97 Seconds

At least Leeds United made me smile. Daniel Farke's side beat Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham 1-0 at Elland Road, ending a five-game winless run. Noah Okafor came off the bench on 77 minutes and scored 97 seconds later: Harry Wilson kept a long throw alive, Okafor skipped past Rodrigo Bentancur and fired past Antonín Kinský.

Our Bosnian, Tarik Muharemović, played the full match in the back three, kept a clean sheet and topped The Square Ball's fan vote for man of the match.

Jayden Bogle caught Mathys Tel on the Achilles and escaped with no card after a long VAR check. Former referee Mike Dean called it a red. It was Farke's first Premier League win over Spurs, and Leeds move to 14 points.

Around the Premier League: Arsenal Grind, City Crumble

Arsenal beat Hull 1-0 through Martin Ødegaard and lead with 27 points from 10 games. Only four teams ever had more at this stage, and all four won the title.

Manchester City lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, their third straight league defeat. Brighton beat ten-man Brentford 2-0 to go second, and Liverpool won 3-1 at Crystal Palace. Chelsea lost 1-0 at Sunderland to an Enzo Le Fée penalty, lifting Sunderland off the bottom. Palace are last on seven, with United and Sunderland on eight.

Verdicts

• Man Utd: The fight was real, but you don't get points for spirit after going 4-2 down at home. The defence is the problem, and has been for weeks.
• Leeds: A deserved win, a Bosnian clean sheet and a lucky escape on Bogle. Two out of three is fine by me.
• The big story: Arsenal aren't brilliant every week. Everyone else just keeps tripping.

Up next: Man Utd at Liverpool after the break, Sporting away in the Champions League, Brentford at home. Leeds at Chelsea. Biggest game: Liverpool vs Man Utd at Anfield.

Two weeks to fix a defence before Anfield. Does Carrick get that chance, or does United make a change? Tell me on Instagram @soccermaniak801.