EPL 2022-23: 'Man United needs to be sharper' - Ten Hag livid post loss against Villa

Manchester United suffered a shocking 1-3 defeat to Aston Villa in the EPL on Sunday. While it has suffered a minor setback in a tight top-four race, Erik ten Hag was livid and has called for his side to be sharper.

It came out of nowhere for fifth-placed English giants Manchester United, which travelled to take on Aston Villa at Villa Park in Birmingham on Sunday. The visitors plunged to a 1-3 loss in the first game in charge of Unai Emery for the hosts, as the Red Devils' poor record against the Spaniard continued. While Leon Bailey (7), Lucas Digne (11) and Jacob Ramsey (49) scored for the Villans, the latter's own goal handed United the consolation. Meanwhile, visiting head coach Erik ten Hag was livid with his side's lack of competition, admitting it "unacceptable" and calling for his boys to be sharper.

Talking to BBC, ten Hag cited, "We lost the game at the start of the first and second half, and that is not acceptable. They looked fresher and more ready. We need to be sharper. The result is apparent. It never lies. Today we were not good enough. We didn't get the right organisation. We created chances and good chances at 2-1. But, you are disappointed to concede at the start of the second half."

Meanwhile, United defender Luke Shaw admitted that the side was expecting a top start from the hosts, as he said, "We knew they were coming out with a new manager and a new feeling. We did expect it. But, in games like this, you will lose if you start slowly in the first 20 minutes."

"We were not good enough. We have always got to believe we can win games even when we're 2-0 down. We conceded early in the second half, and it's a mountain to climb after that. If you watch the game back, you'll see we made a sloppy start. They were finding spaces and pockets and turning with ease. That is not good enough. We didn't deserve to win," concluded Shaw.