Manchester United will be eager to return to winning ways when they welcome Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The elongated Gameweek 34 of the 2022/23 Premier League season continues on Sunday, with five matches featuring on the day. The action will kick off with four simultaneous games, one of which will star Manchester United and Aston Villa in a heavyweight clash at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have blown hot and cold in the last two months, suffering heavy defeats while clinching memorable wins. They have reached the FA Cup final but bowed out of the UEFA Europa League at the hands of Sevilla. And the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this week saw familiar problems resurfacing as they squandered a two-goal lead.
That result also gave other contenders in the top-four battle a glimmer of hope of stretching the race until Gameweek 38. These include Aston Villa, whose rise under Unai Emery has been a sight to behold. The Villans have risen from potential relegation battlers to top-four challengers. And they are currently on a ten-game unbeaten run that has helped them rise to seventh on the table.
Manchester United and Aston Villa have faced each other twice thus far this season, with both teams grabbing a win apiece. While Villa won the reverse fixture, the Red Devils beat Emery’s men in the EFL Cup third round. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
🔙 @AGarnacho7 returned to team training after signing his new deal 💫#MUFC pic.twitter.com/NVswzPM1oG
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2023
Erik ten Hag does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Aston Villa on Sunday, the Manchester United manager might be bereft of the services of eight first-team players.
The Dutchman is sweating over the fitness of Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay. With Erik ten Hag unsure of the duo’s participation, they will unlikely be fit to start against Aston Villa. Meanwhile, there are half a dozen other players on the sidelines.
Lisandro Martinez (foot) and Raphael Varane (ankle) are the most notable absentees. In addition, Phil Jones (knee), Donny van de Beek (knee), and Tom Heaton (ankle) are unavailable. Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho, who has signed a new contract with Manchester United, has resumed light training. But the Aston Villa game has come too soon for him.
David de Gea is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Manchester United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him. With Maguire unlikely to start, Luke Shaw should continue as a makeshift centre-back. The Englishman will pair up with Victor Lindelof at the heart of the defence. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot should continue as the full-backs.
As for the midfield unit, ten Hag has no reason to tinker with the first-choice partnership, despite Casemiro’s sub-par form. And the Brazilian international should pair up with Christian Eriksen in the middle of the park. So Marcel Sabitzer will find himself on the bench again.
Bruno Fernandes will pull the strings high up the pitch after recovering from an ankle injury. Finally, Antony and Marcus Rashford will likely start as the wide attackers, with Anthony Martial spearheading the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): de Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Shaw, Dalot; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Bruno, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial
Aston Villa
Like his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Unai Emery has a similar squad at his disposal as the previous game ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Aston Villa manager will be without five first-team players on Sunday.
Leon Bailey is the most notable absentee as he continues to recover from a thigh injury. The Jamaican attacker accompanies Jed Steer (calf), Matty Cash (calf), Boubacar Kamara (ankle), and Philippe Coutinho (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Emery on Manchester United: “It’s a very difficult match, they have good players, individually and collectively.
“They won the Carabao Cup and they will play the final of the FA Cup, it’s a very good season for them.”#MUNAVL pic.twitter.com/dQEW3f9DzZ
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 28, 2023
There is no looking past Emiliano Martinez between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-4-1-1 formation in front of him. And the defensive unit picks itself, with Ashley Young and Alex Moreno being the two full-backs. And Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, the quartet of Leander Dendoncker, Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, and Jacob Ramsey will form a dynamic partnership. But Luiz and Dendoncker will primarily look to add a layer of protection to the backline. Meanwhile, McGinn and Ramsey will provide the forward thrust from the middle of the park.
Emiliano Buendia will pull the strings in the final third for Aston Villa, looking to find Ollie Watkins in pockets of space. In addition, he will also look to link up with Ramsey when the youngster goes on his ghosting runs in and around the Manchester United box.
Probable Lineup (4-4-1-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Alex Moreno; McGinn, Dendoncker, Douglas Luiz, Ramsey; Buendia; Watkins
Key Stats
- Manchester United have lost two of their last three Premier League games against Aston Villa (D1), as many as they had in their previous 51 (W37 D12).
- Manchester United are unbeaten in 14 Premier League home games (W11 D3), the longest current ongoing run in the division. Their last defeat at Old Trafford was against Brighton & Hove Albion on the opening weekend of the season.
- Aston Villa have lost just one of their nine Premier League away games under Unai Emery (W6 D2), with that loss coming at Manchester City in February (1-3).
- Aston Villa have kept a clean sheet in nine of their 20 Premier League games under Unai Emery. That is just one fewer than Arsenal kept in 51 league games under the Spaniard (10).
- Unai Emery has won two and drawn two of his four Premier League meetings with Manchester United. That is the most any manager has faced the Red Devils without ever losing in the competition. He could also become the first manager to remain unbeaten in his first five against them.
Player to Watch
Casemiro
Manchester United seemed to be cruising at one point, with the first two months after the World Cup break going swimmingly. But they have been extremely inconsistent in the last few weeks. And that has been thanks in large part to Casemiro, either due to his poor form or unavailability.
The Brazilian international has become a vital cog in Erik ten Hag’s team since arriving from Real Madrid. So the Red Devils tend to struggle when he is unavailable or not at his best. And the 31-year-old has been tentative in the middle of the park since returning from a suspension. So he needs to rediscover top form for Manchester United to end the season strongly.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa
Casemiro’s sub-par form has left Manchester United reeling in the middle of the park. And Aston Villa will look to pounce if the Brazilian midfielder fails to rise to the occasion again. In addition, Ollie Watkins is in irresistible touch, despite failing to score in his last two games.
Villa will be eager to do the Premier League double over Manchester United to further Unai Emery’s brilliant run at the onset of his stint. But Marcus Rashford showed positive signs against Tottenham. And he should complete 20 home goals for the season on Sunday to guide Manchester United to a crucial 2-1 win over Aston Villa.