Aston Villa came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Manchester United at Villa Park, ending a run of three successive defeats in all competitions for Steven Gerrard’s team.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The atmosphere was upbeat ahead of kick-off, with Coutinho being welcomed to the crowd and fellow January signing Lucas Digne making his debut in the starting lineup. <\/p>\n
However, Emiliano Martnez’s howler allowed Bruno Fernandes a sixth-minute opener, quickly dispelling any pre-match euphoria.<\/p>\n
Alex Telles teed up the Portuguese midfielder with a long-range drive that the Argentine keeper inexplicably allowed slip through his fingers after a well-worked set piece.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It provided an under-fire United squad a much-needed boost of confidence, as Anthony Elanga’s header went wide and Martnez redeemed himself by thwarting Mason Greenwood from close range. <\/p>\n
Villa, on the other hand, appeared to be a squad that had lost its previous three games in all competitions.<\/p>\n
But David de Gea produced an exceptional save at his near post to keep away Emiliano Buenda’s header from Digne’s corner, with Gerrard’s side showing signs of improvement heading into the break.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After surviving a barrage of Villa pressure at the opening of the second half, United withstood the storm and scored again in the 67th minute through Fernandes. <\/p>\n
After Fred smartly responded to Morgan Sanson’s clumsy backpass and played in the Portuguese to blast United’s second goal off the underside of the bar.<\/p>\n
The midfielder displayed his unquestionable quality on this occasion. In the 77th minute, after a fantastic free-flowing Villa move, the Brazilian went from hero to zero, unwittingly teeing up Jacob Ramsey to halve the deficit.<\/p>\n
Coutinho came off the bench to score on his debut with a tap-in after being picked out by Ramsey just five minutes later to secure a share of the spoils, which Gerrard will feel his team deserved.<\/p>\n
Watch the match highlights and post match analysis below.<\/p>\n