A cohort of Manchester United supporters recently expressed their dissent toward the Glazer family's ownership and called for a complete divestiture, both in the lead-up to and during the club's encounter with Aston Villa on Sunday.

Friday was the third, and what is expected to be final, deadline for interested parties to make offers to buy the club.

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe both submitted offers to the Glazers, who have faced fury from United fans since their leveraged takeover in 2005.

Fan group The 1958 has led renewed protests against them for the past year and held another before Sunday’s Premier League home match against Villa.

Leaving central Manchester, the march continued on to Old Trafford as fans displayed a giant banner reading "Full $ale Only."

Smoke from flares outside rose through the concourses and filled the air inside Old Trafford as the players warmed up.

The 1958 called for an 18-minute boycott of the match – "one minute for each year the Glazers have driven our club into the ground."

There were some visible empty seats at kick-off but Old Trafford was largely full.

Chants against the owners were heard from the outset of the game and footage has emerged of manager Erik ten Hag briefly holding a green and gold scarf – a symbol of anti-Glazer feeling – after Sunday’s 1-0 win as they neared a Champions League berth.

Asked if background anger could make things harder for his side, the United boss said: "We felt really that the fans were behind us.

"So, we have to focus to be successful because that’s what the fans expect and they can expect.

"They have to rely on us, so we will focus on that.

"I’m sure when we keep performances like we do all season, the fans are behind us and there’s a lot of energy and I think a really strong bond between the fans and the players."