The opening 70 minutes of Manchester United's 2-2 draw against Aston Villa saw Ralf Rangnick's side produce their most impressive display since the German's arrival.
United were brilliant both in and out of possession, yet still we sit here highlighting the negatives from the performance having failed to secure the three points.
A lack of substitutions from Rangnick ultimately led to United looking lethargic and cumbersome, and so it almost came as no surprise when Villa dragged themselves back from the brink of defeat.
The first United substitution came in the 78th minute when Jadon Sancho replaced Anthony Elanga, with Jesse Lingard and Donny van de Beek introduced with just one minute of normal time remaining.
Even when Rangnick finally decided to freshen things up it was clear he'd made the wrong move, with United's lack of control in the centre of the pitch playing a pivotal role in their downfall.
Shortly after Sancho entered the fray, United were once again cut open as the midfield pivot of Nemanja Matic and Fred failed to cut out a Villa attack, with old foe Philippe Coutinho rounding off a miserable trip to Villa Park.
While Fred wasn't at his best for the full 90 minutes, Matic's display was that of a player who can't be relied upon to produce top-class performances for a full game.
The 33-year-old used to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League when he was in his prime. At Chelsea, he starred under both Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, with his ability to shield the backline proving key to the Blues' success.
However, as the 2017/18 season approached, Matic needed a new challenge, with the best years of his career seemingly still ahead of him.
Jose Mourinho was United manager at the time and he decided to spend £40million in order to instigate a reunion with his former player.
There's no doubt that United desperately needed to bolster their midfield options, but it's become clear in the years that followed that Matic wasn't the right man for the job.
In 2015, Matic was named in the PFA Team of the Year along with five other players from Chelsea's title-winning team.
According to Opta, Matic averaged nearly four tackles, made more than two interceptions and won eight duels per 90 minutes over the 2014/15 campaign. But in 2016/17, he won only 278 duels at an average of 4.77 per 90 minutes - almost half the amount recorded the season prior.
N'Golo Kante made an average of 3.64 tackles per 90 minutes in 2016/17, the fourth-highest in the Premier League behind Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi and Everton's Idrissa Gueye. Matic managed only 1.7.
It was clear he had suffered a significant drop-off from the form he showed in 2014/15, and Mourinho's mistake in signing the Serbian midfielder is made even worse by the fact United could have made a move for a player now shining at Liverpool.
Back in 2017, Fabinho was thriving for Monaco and seemed to be a much better long-term option for United.
Mourinho was tipped to make a move for the Brazilian, however, he opted against it, with Matic drafted in to fix United's midfield. It evidently didn't work and it's a mistake that's now plaguing the tenure of Ralf Rangnick.
Matic is clearly past his best, while Fabinho continues to shine for Jurgen Klopp. It's this sort of decision-making that emphasises the problems at United. Had they made a move for the Brazilian in 2017, we'd have been spared the constant moaning about the need for a world-class midfielder.
Mourinho made a mistake in signing the more experienced player and it's an error in judgement that still haunts the club to this day.
United need a new defensive midfielder badly because, unfortunately, Matic's career at the elite level is over.
Did Mourinho make a mistake in moving for Matic instead of Fabinho? Follow our United On My Mind writer Omar Garrick on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts on the matter in the comments section below.
