Diogo Dalot insists Manchester United must learn from their slow starts to both halves after they cost them dearly in losing to Aston Villa.
United were 2-0 down inside 11 minutes at Villa Park and after Jacob Ramsey's own-goal got them back into the contest on the stoke of half-time, they conceded again just four minutes after the break.
Dalot lamented the slow starts as a major problem for United to solve. With Unai Emery taking charge of the hosts for the first time there was a vibrant atmosphere at Villa Park and the two early goals made life harder for United.
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The right-back was even more disappointed with the nature of the third goal, however, with United squandering the momentum they had built up just before half-time.
"We knew today was going to be a difficult game, we didn’t start the way we wanted, the first 10 minutes, then, especially the first five minutes of the second half. It’s a lesson for us for the next games, we have to start much quicker and sharper," Dalot told MUTV.
“It went against our plans, we wanted to come to the second half with control of the ball, score as soon as possible, but it was the opposite, it’s a lesson and a moment we have to look back and learn from it."
Emery's appointment and pre-match unveiling gave Villa a boost and Dalot admitted United then played into their hands with the sluggish opening.
“That’s why we had to start with energy, we knew they wanted to bring the crowd with them, they did it and we let them gain confidence during the first 15 minutes," he said.
"Then we started to have the ball and some control, created some chances, we could have gone to half-time with at last a draw, but we should have started really, really better the second half, don’t concede that goal, it was decisive.
“That goal [just before half-time] helped us give a lot of extra energy for the second half, but we didn’t start the way we wanted in the second half, we shouldn’t have conceded that goal. They defended well and it was hard to find spaces."
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