Manchester United Halted at the Hawthorns

Manchester United’s six-game winning streak came to a screeching stop as a 10-man Aston Villa side was hard to break through and resulted in a 1-1 draw.

The Red Devils' effort was mediocre, at best, which didn't help their cause.

Watching their performance against the Villains, one woulda thought it a miracle how they rang up a half-dozen triumphs on the trot. Maybe Luis van Gaal’s was wondering the same thing.

It was Christian Benteke’s sick curler that handed a lead to the underdogs:

Now it’s Bend It Like Benteke.

Why it always takes a goal or two for this edition of the Devils to up the ante is a question for the ages. When they finally found a higher gear, United’s El Tigre -- Rademel Falcao -- popped the equalizer.

It was beginning to look like Christmas for the Devils.

Then came this tackle by Gabriel Agbonlahor that the referee claimed had straight red written all over it:

Yellow? Yes. Pink? Debatable. Red? In finishing school, maybe.

Maybe the ref was punishing Ashley Young for leaving Aston Villa.

In the end, the score was all square, the match was effectively a win for Villa and a loss for United. With Devil rivals City winning their match, the scenario for second place looks blurry, let alone the prospects for a Premier League title.