Premier League - United claim point at Villa

Aston Villa held 10-man Manchester United to a 1-1 draw in an entertaining Premier League clash at Villa Park.

Carlos Cuellar gave Villa the lead on 19 minutes before United found themselves the beneficiaries of yet another own-goal, this time by James Collins, just four minutes later.

Despite playing two-thirds of the game with 10 men following Nani's first-half sending off for a poor challenge on Stiliyan Petrov, United matched, and even bettered Villa for large periods and could easily have emerged from the Midlands with all three points.

As it was, United passed up the chance to overhaul Chelsea at the top of the table - the champions stay in second although the leaders' defeat to Everton mean the gap is now just a single point - while Villa remain in seventh.

But thanks to favorable results involving Liverpool and Tottenham, Martin O'Neil's side were still able to close the gap on their fellow contenders for the final Champions League spot.

Villa started the brighter, although out of the two keepers it was Brad Friedel who was first called into action, the American reacting quickly to Nani's heavily deflected free-kick to tip over the bar on eight minutes.

At the other end, the goalscoring threat of Cuellar was evident on 13 minutes, the Spaniard back-heading a set-piece inches over Edwin Van der Sar's bar. Six minutes later, another header from the right-back beat Van der Sar and the deadlock was broken.

It was an excellent piece of improvisation from Cuellar, who managed to direct his header up and over the back-peddling Dutch keeper after the ball had ricocheted at pace towards him about 12 yards out.

United responded well to going a goal down and within four minutes the champions were back on level terms thanks to, incredibly, the 10th own-goal they have benefitted from this season.

The unfortunate player was Villa centre-back Collins, who could do nothing as the ball pinged off him from Ryan Giggs's fiercely-struck volley back across the face of goal. It was the first time Villa's back line had been breached in four games.

Nani received his marching orders a further six minutes later and United could have had no complaints following his two-footed challenge on Petrov.

There was no malicious intent from the Portuguese winger, but his studs were up and with both feet off the ground - similar to the challenge which saw Liverpool's Sotirios Kyrgiakos sent off at the weekend - referee Peter Walton had little choice but to dismiss him. Nani, who has hit a rich vein of form of late, will now miss the Carling Cup final on February 28.

Again United responded well in the face of adversity and they could have taken the lead against the odds twice in quick succession soon after, when first Michael Carrick struck a sweet first-time hit that Friedel had to be at his best to keep out and then Darren Fletcher directed a near-post flick just over the bar.

Alex Ferguson decided to introduce Antonio Valencia at half-time, at the expense of Paul Scholes, and the substitute should have put United into the lead on 52 minutes, but instead of hitting Giggs's cross first-time with his left foot, he opted to take a touch before hitting it with his more trusty right. He still blazed over the bar and the chance went begging.

Still United pressed forward and, despite having a man less, the visitors enjoyed the better of possession in the early stages of the second half.

It took Villa 15 minutes to find their feet after the break but once they did the game opened up and began to ebb and flow nicely.

James Milner went close to a second for Villa after bursting into the United box from Gabriel Agbonlahor's lay-off, but the midfielder's finish did not match the neat approach play and Van der Sar was able to make the save, low down to his left.

Wayne Rooney, seeking to become the highest scoring Englishman since Alan Shearer netted 22 goals for Newcastle United in 2003-04, was his usual effervescent self although it took him until the 63rd minute to penetrate Villa's back line. When he did, bursting past Collins and into a shooting position, he could only fire high and wide.

With a quarter of an hour remaining, Rooney then brought a fine save out of Friedel with a stinging shot from outside the box.

But it was not to be an unlikely victory for United, as Villa launched a late charge to nick a winner at the death, albeit without a great deal of penetration. John Carew had a penalty appeal turned down and with that went the hosts' chances of claiming all three points and completing a league double over United for the first time since the 1954-55 season.

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