Video: fan protests and three goals in a quarter of an hour: a fiery start to the United and Aston Villa clash

Aston Villa start strongly: Manchester United fight back

Manchester United fans did not have to wait long for another shock at Old Trafford. With protests against the club's management already in full swing, Aston Villa came flying out of the blocks in this final match of the Premier League's tenth round, scoring twice inside the first four minutes to leave the hosts reeling from the off.

Alison Edward opened the scoring in the first minute, catching the United defence cold and silencing the stands with a lead that stunned everyone inside Old Trafford.

Three minutes later, Villa struck again. Nicolas Jackson made it two in the fourth minute, compounding United's misery and leaving them with a mountain to climb almost before they had kicked a ball.

That brutal opening only cranked up the tension inside the ground. United fans had organised protests against the management before kick-off, raising banners demanding change, only to watch their team fall two goals behind in the opening four minutes.

The scoreline piled fresh pressure on manager Michael Carrick and the hierarchy alike. With supporters already seething at the slump in results, the protest atmosphere curdled into something far darker the moment the whistle blew.

United hit back, though. Bruno Fernandes pulled one back from the spot in the 16th minute, Matheus Cunha having been brought down inside the box, and suddenly the hosts were in the game and the crowd roared back to life.

That penalty stirred memories of United's Champions League clash with Roma, when the English side trailed by two without reply before storming to a thrilling 3-2 win. On that night too, the comeback started from a Bruno Fernandes penalty.

Sure enough, United drew level before the break. Youri Tielemans, the former Villa man, lashed home the equaliser in the 44th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box.