The friendly match between Manchester United and Aston Villa had come to an end, and the result was exactly what many critics had been predicting for weeks.
Manchester United's attack? Brilliant. Their defense? Absolutely shambolic.
The Red Devils had won the match 6-4, a scoreline that perfectly summed up the state of their squad. Every single attacker had contributed—Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a hat-trick, David Jones shone with two goals and an assist, Marcus Rashford added a goal and an assist of his own, and Antony had delivered two assists to his teammates. Even the midfield had looked solid, with Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba each registering an assist.
Yet, despite all that attacking brilliance, there was no ignoring the glaring issue at the back. The team had conceded four goals. Not just four goals—four goals to a single player. Ollie Watkins, the English-born Aston Villa striker, had run riot against United's backline.
Decimated them. Exposed them. Embarrassed them.
