Philippe Coutinho marked his return to the Premier League in style on Saturday as he scored an 82nd minute goal to deny Manchester United all three points at Villa Park.

Aston Villa coach Steven Gerrard named new signing Lucas Digne in his starting line-up, while the Brazilian magician was on the bench. United, meanwhile, started without the talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo, who is out with a hip injury, with Cavani taking up his spot.

Also read | Premier League: Table topper Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0, extend lead

However, the hosts got off to a disappointing start after Bruno Fernandes scored a sixth minute goal to give the visitors the lead. All hope seemed lost for Villa after the Portuguese playmaker converted again in the 67th minute to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Coutinho, a former Barcelona and Liverpool player, was introduced in the 68th minute after Fernandes’ second goal. His introduction saw Villa grow into the game as the clock ticked on, and the hosts clawed their way back with a 77th minute goal from Jacob Ramsey. Coutinho struck minutes later before United could get settled, securing a much needed point for Villa.

Ralf Rangnick’s Manchester United now sit seventh in the Premier League table, with 32 points from 20 games, while Aston Villa are 13th with 23 points.

Also read | Here to win: Cristiano Ronaldo urges Man United to ‘achieve big things’

Steven Gerrard’s men, however, will take heart from their draw with Rangnick’s side as they look to bolster their squad further in the January transfer window. Early indications suggest that Villa are putting the £100 million earned from the sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City to good use, and Villa could well be on the ascendency in the months to come.

United, on the other hand, seem to be unable to come out of their rut and remain far from convincing despite the presence of several world class players in their roster.