Hosting Aston Villa offered Manchester United a chance to build on their stirring 3-2 comeback against AS Roma.

It also presented the perfect opportunity to send Villa packing from Old Trafford with a sixth successive defeat.

Few fixtures could have offered a better stage to end a Premier League winless run of more than two months and climb clear of the relegation zone.

Unfortunately, though, United had to settle for a dramatic 4-4 comeback draw in a chaotic battle at the Theatre of Dreams, where Bruno Fernandes, Youri Tielemans, Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu all found the back of the net.

There was plenty to pick over from this wild encounter, and here is what we learned as United and Villa shared the spoils at Old Trafford.

Lacey’s treatment

Lacey’s electric performance against AS Roma should have earned him a start against Villa. The Carrington product came off the bench and lit up United’s right-hand side; his fearlessness proved the catalyst for the Red Devils’ 3-2 comeback win.

That goal left him with two contributions in just 110 minutes. The kid had clearly earned his chance, yet Carrick once again consigned him to the bench.

Amad was decent enough, but Lacey’s cameo delivered a sharper reality check. Leaving him out against Villa felt disappointing and demoralising. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Lacey deserves trust because he offers something different.

Carrick must start trusting these in-form youngsters. First it was Leny Yoro; now it’s Lacey, with fans crying out for the obvious selection. It cannot continue this way. Persist, and the young players will conclude Carrick does not trust youth, exactly the justification JJ Gabriel needed when he chose to leave.

Cunha deserves his flowers

Watch Cunha in the moments after United concede and before they equalise, and you see every trait a United player needs.

The Brazilian creates something from nothing. Even when the side struggles, you look to him to change the game.

Without Cunha, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma could all have finished in a United defeat. Against Aston Villa, the 27-year-old was key to the first-half turnaround, winning the penalty that let Bruno Fernandes equalise and give the Red Devils a foothold.

Senne Lammens needs to step up

We have rightly hammered the defenders for letting him down, yet Lammens could certainly have done better at times.

The first two goals United conceded carried clear fingerprints of his poor goalkeeping. He keeps punching the ball back into dangerous areas for opponents to score and fails to make the simple saves expected of him.

The Belgian arrived with praise for saving penalties, but in a United shirt he has yet to show that. Every United player is in a difficult period right now, but individuals can still raise their standards. Lammens must rediscover the early form that first impressed, because his recent displays have been concerning.

Not starting games well

Against Atlético Madrid, Como (both halves), Roma (from the 11th minute), and again today in both halves, United have repeatedly started poorly and set new unwanted records.

Villa’s two early goals, just three minutes and 40 seconds in, marked the earliest United have ever trailed 2-0 in a Premier League match.

A bad start throws the game plan off course. By half-time, United had found their rhythm at 2-2, only to concede two more early goals after the break. Those strikes destroyed the momentum they had built and massively dented any chance of a win.

United must improve how they start matches.

Left-back struggles

Roma exploited the gaps on United’s left flank for their goals on Tuesday. Villa’s opening goal came from the same channel the Serie A side targeted.

Diogo Dalot at left-back has never worked and never will. He proved a major let-down today, culpable for the first goal and then for the sloppy tackle that conceded the penalty. United are paying dearly for failing to sign a proper left-back; one can only hope INEOS have learned the lesson.

With United stuck in the relegation places, Ineos must now ask themselves whether Michael Carrick is truly the man to turn this around.

Next come Liverpool away, Brentford at home and Newcastle away. Those are testing assignments, and without a decisive change of direction, Ineos may soon find themselves with nowhere left to hide if they have backed the wrong horse.

Featured image by Carl Recine via Getty Images