Player Ratings
Swansea
The Defence - 8/10 Michel Vorm made a number of important saves to ensure his side held on to a valuable point against the title challengers. This was his first game back after a lengthy injury lay off but United's attackers found him in fine form. The highlight of his saves was his tipping onto the bar of a Michael Carrick header that seemed destined to loop in. Tiendali meanwhile was a threat throughout the first half as he forged forwards from the back, causing Patrice Evra problems with his pace, whilst Chico also put in an assured display in spite of being booked. Ashley Williams also went into the referees notebook and was the centre of a fierce brawl after he accidentally kicked the ball into van Persie's head as he lay prostrate on the ground, though there certainly wasn't any malice. Although the Swans defence was breached, they will be ecstatic to have held on for a draw under some intense pressure in the closing stages.
The Midfield - 7/10 Swansea's midfield kept good possession of the ball and passed it around with purpose. Wayne Routledge was involved in everything positive about Swansea's midfield and he cut United's defence to ribbons with a smart through-ball to De Guzman in the build up to the equaliser. Agustian also put in a solid display, though Leon Britton and Nathon Dyer had quiet afternoons; the former was substituted midway through the second half whilst the latter could manage only the tamest of shots on de Gea's goal.
The Attack - 8/10 Michu led the line for Swansea City, and went into this game as the clubs top goalscorer with 12 strikes in an impressive season so far. He added to that tally with his equaliser today and it was the easiest goal you're likely to see this season as he pounced on a parry by de Gea to tap home with simplicity. Not to detract from his performance though, he got himself in the right areas and was a constant threat to United's defence all day.
Man United
The Defence - 7/10 United's long wait for a clean sheet continues - it has been nearly a month now since they last kept one, in their 1-0 win over West Ham on November 28th. Nemanja Vidic returned to the fold, making his first Premier League start since injury, and his presence definitely gave the visitors a more composed look. David de Gea didn't have too much to do but perhaps could have done better with Swansea's equaliser as he parried De Guzman's shot right under the feet of Michu. Phil Jones displayed his versatility by contributing to attacks and saw a clever little chip go just over Vorm's goal, though he was later booked. Evra contributed with United's only goal of the day but Evans was poor in possession and gave the ball away a few times.
The Midfield - 6/10 Antonio Valencia was lively throughout as he teased and tantalised Swansea's defence with a number of tricky inroads down the flank. Carrick saw a header tipped onto the crossbar whilst Young had an effort blocked off the line. Cleverley put in a decent display though was eventually brought off for Paul Scholes, who's only contribution to the game was to pick up a yellow card five minutes after coming on. United's midfield were guilty of a number of misses and wasted opportunities and looked quite labored. Some of the passing was substandard and they failed to compete with Swansea's possession game.
The Attack - 6/10 Wayne Rooney put in his worst performance so far this season. His first touches were dreadful and he missed a number of opportunities he'd usually gobble up. His passing was off the mark and his shooting always looked quite tame and toothless. A yellow card later summed up a disappointing afternoon for the Englishman. van Persie was only marginally better but was nowhere close to the sort of form he has been in so far this season. His corner led to United's goal and he also hit the woodwork, but he later over-reacted when an Ashley Williams clearance hit his head, causing him to lose his rag and push his face into the defenders. He was booked and lucky not to have seen red really. Javier Hernandez replaced Valencia but failed to live up to his billing as a "super sub" this time round. What did you think of the game? Share your thoughts below.