According to a report by Metro on Monday, November 9, 2026, former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has expressed serious concerns about Manchester United’s defensive performances following their 4-4 draw with Aston Villa, warning that the club could face a difficult fight to avoid relegation.

Keown made the comments after Michael Carrick’s side struggled to maintain defensive stability during Sunday’s Premier League encounter at Old Trafford, allowing Villa to regain the lead several times.

Manchester United found themselves trailing twice in the first half after goals from Alysson and Nicolas Jackson. However, Bruno Fernandes and an own goal from Youri Tielemans brought the hosts back on level terms before the break.

The defensive problems continued after half-time, with John McGinn and Leon Goretzka scoring to give Villa another two-goal advantage. United eventually rescued a point through late strikes from substitutes Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu.

The draw leaves United with just one victory from their opening 10 Premier League matches. They are currently 18th in the standings with eight points, placing them in the relegation zone.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Keown delivered a strong assessment of United’s defensive display, describing their defending as being below non-league standards. He also questioned the team’s position in the bottom three and raised concerns about the players’ motivation and concentration.

The former England international argued that United’s repeated slow starts to matches pointed to deeper problems within the squad.

Although he acknowledged the determination shown by Carrick’s players against Aston Villa, as well as their midweek victory over Roma, Keown believes their defensive shortcomings remain a serious issue.

Meanwhile, Carrick attributed the latest disappointing result to individual mistakes and poor concentration. The United manager felt his team had performed well during certain periods but admitted that costly errors continued to undermine their efforts.

He nevertheless insisted there were encouraging signs in his side’s recent performances, expressing confidence that better concentration, decision-making and confidence could help them improve their results.

The November international break now gives Carrick some time to work on United’s defensive organisation and address the weaknesses that have contributed to their poor start to the Premier League season.