David de Gea says Manchester United can have no excuses for their surprise defeat to Aston Villa, despite boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arguing the visitors winning goal should have been ruled out.
Kortney Hause scored an 88th-minute goal at Old Trafford to inflict a second successive 1-0 home defeat on United, who missed a glorious chance to at least rescue a point when Bruno Fernandes missed a stoppage-time penalty.
The 28 shots United attempted was their most in a league game without scoring for five years, but Solskjaer felt his side were hard done by as an offside Ollie Watkins was standing close to David de Gea when Hause headed in.
Rather than blame the officials and VAR, though, De Gea accepted that United should have done more to pick up the three points that would have seen them end Saturday top of the Premier League.
It s a very disappointing day for us, De Gea told MUTV. But I think there are no excuses today.
We were playing at home with confidence and if we want to win big trophies like the Premier League, we need to win these types of games.
United have now conceded in each of their last eight league games at Old Trafford, their longest such run in the top flight since February 1972 (also eight games).
While Solskjaer was upset Hause s winner was allowed to stand, De Gea was less incensed.
We conceded from a set-piece and I saw the replay and probably it s offside. [Watkins] was very close to me. Again that happens, he said.
It s a hard one to take. Now we have to be ready for the next one.
Villa s victory was their first at Old Trafford since December 2009 and boss Dean Smith insisted his side were good value for the three points.
We have suffered a lot as Villa fans in this stadium and have been very closely linked over the past few years, he said.
People will look at it and say it s a big win, but for me it s more of a big accomplishment. I thought we deserved the win. We stood determined.
