LONDON: Nemanja Vidic preserved Manchester United's unbeaten start to the season with a late equalizer Saturday at Aston Villa, while Gareth Bale's double against Blackburn helped Tottenham end a four-match winless streak in the Premier League. Vidic's 85th-minute header secured a 2-2 draw for United at Villa, four minutes after Federico Macheda's powerful strike started the fightback for the 18-time champions. United had also conceded twice in four minutes, with Ashley Young scoring from the penalty spot and Marc Albrighton netting from close range in the 76th. “We came back well but it was too late and we shouldn't have been in that position,” United manager Alex Ferguson said. “Our passing was poor. Normally we can control the match. We didn't control it.” Spurs had no such problems against Blackburn, coasting to a 4-2 victory that puts them three points behind fourth-place Manchester City, which slumped to its second successive 0-0 draw at home to Birmingham. Bolton is a place below City, with Stuart Holden's first league goal clinching a 3-2 win at Wolverhampton. Wolves are only being kept off the bottom by West Ham, which was held to a 0-0 draw by Blackpool. Newcastle's home match with Fulham also finished 0-0, while Wigan beat West Bromwich 1-0. Leader Chelsea hosts Sunderland Sunday when Arsenal is at Everton. At Villa Park, United was heading for its first loss there in 15 years against a Villa side shorn of nine players through injury or illness. Ashley Young scored from the spot after he was brought down by Wes Brown. Ferguson responded by replacing Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez with Macheda and Gabriel Obertan. But Villa went further ahead after Macheda conceded possession in the United defense. Young led the breakaway charge down the left flank and slipped the ball through to Downing, who whipped in a cross that Albrighton slid home from close range. United, though, produced a rapid response, with Macheda reducing the deficit with a 20-meter (yard) strike after Darren Fletcher back-heeled the ball back into the Italian striker's path. Nani then twisted and turned before picking out Vidic at the far post where the captain sent a diving header past American goalkeeper Brad Friedel. “If someone had seen our team before the game and said ‘Will you take 2-2?', we would have taken it,” Villa manager Gerard Houllier said.
