Manchester United would have closed to six points behind Chelsea in fourth if Aston Villa had been beaten. Instead, after a sluggish opening-half display, they and their visitors engaged in a kind of high-speed ping-pong following which a draw felt the right outcome.

The breathless fare made a fine spectacle but for Ole Gunnar Solskjær the bottom line is that United have won only four of 14 league games this season. So unless Spurs, on Wednesday, Manchester City (Saturday) and Everton (Sunday-week) are beaten then Solskjær will not better the 24 points from 17 matches José Mourinho had accrued before being sacked on 18 December last year.

There was, then, the wider context of the Portuguese’s disillusionment with life at United and a similar sentiment from the executive towards him. But to hear Solskjær state afterwards that United’s ninth position – after the poorest start since 1988-9 – is not a “concern” was to wonder precisely what will be scrutinised if the results against Spurs and City disappoint.

Juan Mata was Solskjær’s sole change from the 3-3 draw at Sheffield United, while Dean Smith’s XI was the same that beat Newcastle on Monday as he hoped to record a first Aston Villa win here since December 2009.

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Jack Grealish controlled the early parts of the contest from his left-sided berth and opened the scoring with a peach of a strike. Anwar El Ghazi crossed from the right and the ball sailed to Villa’s captain on the left. As Andreas Pereira stood off, Grealish moved inside and placed a curler beyond David de Gea.

If this brought cries of “Super Jack” from the Villa faithful, El Ghazi injured himself in the move as he was replaced by Trézéguet. United were stunned yet Fred showed a flash of class when dribbling out of a cul-de-sac along the right, motoring forward, then sliding Anthony Martial in. The No 9’s shot was straight at Tom Heaton but here was some encouragement.

Defensively there was little, though. When the disappointing Harry Maguire hesitated Grealish hit Wesley with a ball virtually on De Gea’s goalline: Trézéguet finished the follow-up but this was ruled offside. Wesley appeared to be the guilty party.

Villa were, simply, proving to be quicker and slicker. United’s issue was a lack of control and vision. But Fred then took a short corner to Mata who relayed the ball to Pereira. His cross, from the right, was met by Marcus Rashford and his header hit a post, pinballed off Heaton and that was 1-1.

Despite this, Solskjær surely ordered his team to wake up in his interval chat and the contest now became a relentless back-and-forth exchange. United got hold of the ball and roved upfield, winning a corner. Villa moved toward towards De Gea’s goal and the move foundered. A neat Mata back-heel teed up Fred but a 20-yard effort was scuffed.

United were in a marginally higher gear. Brandon Williams claimed the ball and passed to Daniel James. The Welshman’s sprint down the left was followed by a cross but no teammate connected. This lack of edge in front of goal was costly when Rashford, Williams, Mata and Fred interchanged passes and the latter dinked Martial the ball. A quality first touch and he was clear but one was lacking. Better from the Frenchman came when dazzling feet had him in and Heaton was grateful to save.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Marcus Rashford celebrates after his header went in off Tom Heaton. Photograph: Tom Purslow/Manchester United via Getty Images

United were a blur of red. Mata’s penalty shout was turned down when clashing with Frédéric Guilbert, James overhit a pass to Martial close to goal, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka warmed the keeper’s fingers. From the corner United scored. It was taken short and when Fred pinged the ball in the unfortunate Wesley flicked on and Victor Lindelöf headed in.

Old Trafford erupted but within 120 seconds all but the Villa contingent were silenced. After a corner, Matt Targett chipped a ball to Tyrone Mings and that was the equaliser.

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Solksjær threw on Jesse Lingard for the close, then Luke Shaw and Mason Greenwood a little later. And while they peppered Villa’s area, Martial’s lob over the crossbar was a golden chance and Villa might have also grabbed a winner via a late break.

Smith was left praising the excellent Grealish. Of the No 10’s hopes of a first England call-up the manager said: “He’s pushing the people who choose the squad every time he pulls on a Villa shirt and that goal topped it. What he needed to improve on was goals and assists and he’s starting to do that now. For the first half of the game he was controlling it.”

This is what United lack: control. Solskjær needs to quickly find a way for them to start exerting it.