European hangover. Fighting the tide of a new manager bounce. Several injuries. Simply a team still developing that will lose out of the blue every now and then.
There are plenty of justifiable reasons for Manchester United's 3-1 defeat by Aston Villa on Sunday that stop the loss from being a disaster of epic proportions. There's certainly no need to declare panic stations. It's going to be an arduous, bumpy road if Erik ten Hag is going to get the club back to the top and there will be many mishaps along the way.
One only needs to look at Arsenal this season to see that patience and steady progress can work. It may feel like the Gunners have come from nowhere to be Premier League title challengers but Mikel Arteta has been in charge for nearly three years and they have not all been rosy. Many times things looked bleak and his head seemed to be on the chopping block. The club held its nerve and it is paying off.
