Manchester United's most noticeable positive in the draw against Porto was the performance of Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund.
The "Red Devils" had a dream start in their away match at the Dragao Stadium. They opened the scoring in the 7th minute thanks to a solo run past two players, then finished into a tight angle by Rashford. This was the English striker's fourth goal this season.
In the 20th minute, from a pass from Christian Eriksen, Hojlund shot the ball hard into a tight angle, leaving goalkeeper Diogo Costa unable to react. This was the first time the Danish striker started this season after suffering a hamstring injury.
So after scoring, Hojlund ran to the touchline to celebrate with David Binningsley, the physiotherapist responsible for his rehabilitation.
United have struggled to score goals since Ten Hag's arrival and if the Dutchman is to turn things around, he will need Rashford and Hojlund to maintain that form, especially with summer signing Joshua Zirkzee still struggling to settle in.
Ten Hag's early withdrawal of Rashford and Hojlund shows that he will need these two strikers to be fit against Aston Villa. This will be a match that Man United cannot afford to lose.
In addition to the highlight in the attack, Man United also showed their fighting spirit against Porto. Losing 2-3 and having only 10 men after Bruno Fernandes' red card, Man United still did not give up.
Their efforts were rewarded with Harry Maguire's stoppage-time equaliser. There are clearly plenty of issues to address, but at least Ten Hag can point to some glimmers of spirit at the moment.
After four consecutive games without a win, Ten Hag will need their players to show courage when they visit Villa Park. Unai Emery's team just had a memorable match in the Champions League after defeating Bayern Munich.
It is worth noting that, under pressure heading into the match against Porto, Ten Hag switched to a midfield of Eriksen, Casemiro and Fernandes. These are all players who have performed well in Ten Hag's first season at Old Trafford. Therefore, it would be no surprise if Maguire were to start at Villa Park.
Despite rescuing a point against Porto, United have yet to find their winning touch. They have won just three games this season, with their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City at Wembley last May now a distant memory.
Ten Hag's side have suffered humiliating 3-0 home defeats to Liverpool and Tottenham in the Premier League, and Maguire's goal against Porto at least saved them from another painful defeat.
But their problems remain. They are conceding too many goals and have a group of players who are not performing well. Ten Hag must somehow boost the team's morale before it is too late. What if Man United go five games without a win?
