Aston Villa 0 Man Utd 1 - analysis

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After this defeat to the Red Devils you could forgive Alex McLeish for wanting to enlist the help of Villa's club chaplain in a bid to reverse his luck.

The former Blues boss will no doubt be aware of Barry Fry infamously urinating in all four corners of the St Andrew's pitch in an attempt to lift a gypsy curse.

But it was rumours of a sprinkler of the garden variety in the Villa Park pitch causing an injury to Jermaine Jenas which had McLeish fielding one of the more bizarre questions he will face in a post-match press conference.

Jenas, who was making his first start for Villa, broke down with an Achilles injury after an awkward stumble without being under pressure from any Manchester United players.

Goalkeeper Given had earlier limped out with a hamstring injury as he as he cleared the ball into touch while United's Javier Hernandez had also left the pitch on the stretcher damaging ankle ligaments without being challenged.

That United are now unbeaten in 16 visits to Villa Park in the Premier League stretching back to August 1995 alone is enough to warrant McLeish attaching crucifixes to the floodlights as Fry did at Birmingham in an effort to break his own hoodoo.

And to further compound the problems for McLeish, Charles N'Zogbia completed an unwelcome hat-trick of misery for Villa's summer signings after it emerged he had been axed from the match day squad for a disciplinary matter.

The French winger had breached club rules after failing to turn up for medical treatment which will do little to dampen the rumours that he has struggled to settle at the club and not fully integrated with this team-mates.

You almost half-expected Alan Hutton to be sent off for a reckless tackle and earn himself a three-match ban during the contest to quadruple McLeish's problems such was the Villa manager's luck.

McLeish had selected an attacking line-up that – on paper at least – appeared to be brimming with energy and enthusiasm as Barry Bannan, Marc Albrighton, Chris Herd and Jenas formed a new-look midfield.

But despite a bright start Villa were back to their timid selves in the first half as United enjoyed the bulk of possession before they took the lead in the 20th minute.

A slick move saw Patrice Evra slid the ball into Nani down United's left flank and he outpaced Alan Hutton and curled a low cross into the box.

Phil Jones ghosted in the penalty area unmarked and got in between Stephen Warnock and Richard Dunne to direct the ball past the helpless Given.

Villa were indebted to Given, moments later, when Antonio Valencia's cross from the right was met by Nani but his goal-bound header was parried by the Ireland international.

The home side began the second half with a much higher tempo as they kicked towards the Holte End but it was United who always looked the more likely to score with Wayne Rooney and Nani both striking shots from distance.

Villa's best chances predictably came from set-pieces as they twice went close to equalising in the space of 10 minutes.

Bannan's corner was flicked on by Dunne for Emile Heskey but he failed to test United keeper Anders Lindegaard as he headed wide at the back post.

The ball was cleared to Dunne from another corner shortly after and his up and under was met by the head of James Collins but Anders Lindegaard was able to tip the attempt over the bar.

Rooney blazed over the bar in the 87th minute after a neat one-two with Michael Carrick while Danny Welbeck had the ball in the net shortly after but the linesman had already flagged.

Heskey had a good chance during a late surge of pressure from the home side but the collective groans of the claret and blue faithful were audible as the bulk of a 40,053 crowd left in their droves before the final whistle to contemplate yet another defeat to United.

Last season's 2-2 draw against United at Villa Park was heralded as the day that the club's angelic faced youngsters had arrived.

In light of the injury blows, McLeish will desperately be praying for his young stars to come good again over the next few weeks and months.

And with a tough run of fixtures leading up to Christmas, McLeish will be hoping for some divine intervention, or failing that some money from reverend Lerner's collection box to spend in January.