Aston Villa vs Manchester United - Premier League: Team news, lineups & prediction
Aston Villa host a resurgent Manchester United in Unai Emery's first Premier League game in charge of the Villains on Sunday afternoon.
After overseeing a 4-0 win and defeat during his two games as interim boss, Aaron Danks described last weekend as a "reset moment for us all". Emery is tasked with recalibrating a side sitting just one point above the relegation zone heading into the weekend's fixtures.
Erik ten Hag has had five months at Manchester United and is tentatively beginning to forge a team that is tricky to defeat. The Red Devils bounce into the contest unbeaten in nine matches.
Here's everything you need to know about the meeting between this pair.
Where are Aston Villa vs Man Utd playing?
- Location: Birmingham, England
- Stadium: Villa Park
- Date: Sunday 6 November
- Kick-off Time: 14:00 BST / 10:00 EST / 07:00 PST
- VAR: Peter Bankes
- Referee: Anthony Taylor
Aston Villa vs Man Utd H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Aston Villa: 1 Win
Man Utd: 3 Wins
Draws: 1
Current Form (Last Five Games)
Aston Villa: DLLWL
Man Utd: WDWWW
Aston Villa team news
Emi Martinez was forced off with a head injury, after initial checks from the medical staff cleared him to play, during last weekend's heavy defeat to Newcastle. The goalkeeper took to Twitter the next day. "It was just a scare," he wrote. "I’ll be back and ready for the next game."
Ludwig Augustinsson may join his keeper in a return to the squad after navigating a hamstring injury. Boubacar Kamara is also "at the back end of his rehabilitation" but may not face United this weekend - though he'll have another chance against the Red Devils in Thursday night's EFL Cup tie at Old Trafford.
Diego Carlos remains a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Man Utd
Aston Villa Starting 11 (4-4-2): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Buendia, Dendoncker, Luiz, Young; Watkins, Ings.
Bench: Olsen, McGinn, Sanson, Chambers, Bednarek, Coutinho, Bailey, Archer, Ramsey.
Man Utd team news
Bruno Fernandes will miss the trip to Birmingham after collecting his fifth yellow card of the campaign last weekend.
Doubts linger over three of Manchester United's forwards. Antony and Jadon Sancho missed the midweek trip to face Real Sociedad through injury and illness respectively but both have a chance of featuring this Sunday.
Anthony Martial has been sidelined since limping off against Everton at the start of October but returned to some form of training on Wednesday. Whether he will be tossed straight into the starting XI remains to be seen.
Raphael Varane, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe are all unlikely to feature prior to the World Cup.
Man Utd predicted lineup vs Aston Villa
Man Utd Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Elanga, Eriksen, Rashford; Ronaldo.
Bench: Dubravka, Malacia, Sancho, Lindelof, Garnacho, Antony, Martial, McTominay, Wan-Bissaka.
Aston Villa vs Man Utd score prediction
Emery managed to take Manchester United to penalties in the 2021 Europa League final with a Villarreal team that was decidedly stingy. The serial European winner will undoubtedly try to plug the gaps in his new defence but Ten Hag has fostered a resolute rearguard himself.
United have kept six clean sheets in their last seven matches across all competitions, conceding one Chelsea penalty in that time. The frontline may not be firing on all cylinders quite yet but this newly parsimonious United should have enough to spoil Emery's debut in the dugout.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Man Utd