Top Table Clash: Manchester United vs. Aston Villa | OneFootball

The last time Manchester United and Aston Villa faced off, the picture looked very different to what it does now. 

Ruben Amorim was still in charge of the Red Devils, suffering a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park which would heap further pressure on the Portuguese head coach amid continued inconsistency in results. 

Villa, meanwhile, were very much in the title race conversation, trailing league leaders Arsenal by just three points and sitting ten points ahead of United, who were down in seventh. 

Villa Still Strong, but…

Fast forward less than four months and both sides go into Sunday’s clash level on points in the Premier League and knowing victory would provide a monumental boost to their hopes of qualifying for Champions League football. 

Villa’s title dreams have faded, and there is now an acceptance that Champions League qualification is the goal. But the fact they were even in that conversation in the first place is hugely impressive in itself. 

Unai Emery, the transformative Villa boss who has turned the Midlands club from relegation strugglers to European contenders, oversaw his 100th win in charge in his side’s Europa League win over Lille on Thursday. He became the fastest Villa boss to hit that milestone too, doing so in just 181 games, a near miraculous feat given where Villa were when he took over. 

Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher suggested earlier this week that Emery should even be a contender for the United job come the end of the season. Michael Carrick has done a fine job at Old Trafford, but his long-term future at the club remains unclear with his contract only running until the end of the season. 

No Future for Carrick?

United could certainly do a lot worse than Emery. His reputation has become one of overachieving with underdogs but failing to make the desired impact at bigger clubs. His spells at Arsenal and PSG, while far from poor, were still disappointing. 

For Carrick, it will certainly be a huge test of his managerial and coaching ability against a master tactician in Emery. Their last outing, which will be 11 days ago by the time of the game compared to Villa’s three-day rest, ended in defeat to Newcastle and for the first time the United boss has the pressure of needing to bounce back from defeat. 

“They were always going to be a test,” Carrick said when asked about Villa. “The first defeat feels different but it was going to come at some point.  

“It has been a really good week in many ways and we have put ourselves in a position where there is an awful lot to play for.” 

While Emery’s transformation at Villa is more impressive given he has done it over a period of several years, Carrick’s start at United suggests he could have a similar impact if he was given the job on a longer basis. 

Bouncing back with a win against a Villa side in poor Premier League form would only give more weight to the argument that the manager they need is not at Aston Villa, but is already at Old Trafford.