Aston Villa’s new manager, Unai Emery, will be looking to adapt the team to his ideas and get them back to consistent results. This task begins when Aston Villa welcome Manchester United to Villa Park on Sunday at 15:00 GMT.
Match Preview
Can Unai Emery Turn Aston Villa’s Form Around?
After opening his Aston Villa career with a thumping 4-0 defeat away to Newcastle, Unai Emery will be looking to avoid another heavy defeat and to show results immediately when they host Man United at Villa Park.
Emery will be looking to tighten the rearguard of the Villa side by giving them a fine balance in defence, midfield, and attack.
The Spanish tactician will also be looking to add aggression to Villa’s approach, especially when out of possession. Against Man United, they will defend in numbers while being adventurous when they with the ball in counter-attacks.
Can Man United Extend their Unbeaten Run in the League to Six Matches?
Erik Ten Hag’s side are in the middle of a good run of form and results. The Dutch tactician will be looking to extend this run of form when his side travel to Villa Park on Sunday.
Man United are outside the top four by a point, and they will be looking to take advantage of any other results this weekend to return to the top four.
Although they failed to top Group E after six rounds of fixtures, they will be buoyed by their form, and Ten Hag’s charges will be confident ahead of the clash against Aston Villa.
Form Guide
Aston Villa
In the 13 rounds of fixtures Aston Villa have played this term, they have won three times, drawn three matches, and lost 7 times.
Villa have scored 11 goals in this run while conceding 20. This highlights their weaknesses in defence and their lack of cutting-edge in offensive areas.
Thus far, Aston Villa have collected 12 points; they sit 16th on the table, level on points with Southampton in the drop zone. They are also just 3 points ahead of bottom-of-the-table Nottingham Forest.
This run of form led to the firing of Steven Gerrard and the hiring of Unai Emery.
Man United
After a sorry start to the season, Man United have steadied the ship and embarked on a good run of results. Overall, after twelve rounds of fixtures in the league, the Red Devils have won seven times, drawn twice, and lost three times.
They have scored 17 goals and conceded 16 in the process. They have collected 23 points, and they are currently 8 points off the top of the table and just a point behind fourth-placed Newcastle.
In their last five outings, Man United have won three times and drawn twice; they have hauled 11 points and dropped just 2. Erik Ten Hag will be looking to extend this run of form on Sunday when they meet Aston Villa.
Possible Starting Lineups
Aston Villa
D. Martinez; A. Young, T. Mings, E. Konsa, M. Cash; D. Luiz, L. Dendoncker; L. Bailey, E. Bunedia, O. Watkins; D. Ings
Man United
D. de Gea; D. Dalot, H. Maguire, L. Martinez, L. Shaw; Casemiro, C. Eriksen; A. Elanga, B. Fernandes, M. Rashford; C. Ronaldo
Players to Watch
D. Luiz
The midfield battle will be crucial in this match as both teams will seek to control the tempo and disrupt the buildup of the opponents. Douglas Luiz will be important for Villa as they look to wrestle control of midfield from Man United n Sunday.
The defensive midfield has made 12 appearances for Villa in the league this season. His importance is in screening the back four, starting attacks, and winning possession back.
M. Rashford
Rashford has four goals in 12 appearances for Man United this term. The England striker has seen an upturn in form in recent matches. This was highlighted in his performance against West Ham last weekend when he struck the winning goal.
Rashford’s pace will be important to Man United as they look to inflict damage on Aston Villa on Sunday.
Prediction
Aston Villa will look to control the game through a defensive structure. With two banks of four, Villa will cede possession while posing a tactical threat on the counter.
Man United will look to dominate the game through possession, especially in the midfield areas. They will look for fast passing lanes to create chances.
Man United will have enough to win the three points at Villa Park.
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