Van Gaal vexed by Villa draw

Louis van Gaal fears Manchester United's failure to beat Aston Villa will prove a major blow to its hopes of winning the Premier League title.

United's slim chance of reviving its bid to become English champion suffered a setback on Saturday as it was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man Aston Villa.

Radamel Falcao's first goal since October 5 canceled out Christian Benteke's fine opener for Villa, yet the contest was later overshadowed by referee Lee Mason's controversial dismissal of Gabriel Agbonlahor for a seemingly innocuous challenge on former Villa teammate Ashley Young.