Aston Villa are fresh from their huge win over Bayern Munich but have to quickly turn their attention toward the Premier League once again.
Under Unai Emery, the side has been transformed from battling relegation to competing in the Champions League.
The same can’t be said of their opponents on Sunday in Manchester United, with the Red Devils struggling once again under Erik ten Hag.
While the Dutch head coach has won two trophies in two years, performances in the Premier League have been far from ideal in that time.
Man United have just two wins from their opening six games of the current campaign, putting plenty of pressure on Ten Hag and creating an opportunity for Aston Villa to pounce.
That said, Emery isn’t expecting an easy fixture at Villa Park on Sunday when taking on their rivals.
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Unai Emery verdict on Erik ten Hag and Manchester United
Despite Manchester United’s poor start to the season, Aston Villa boss Emery has heaped praise on the side and has warned against complacency.
Speaking in the matchday programme, he said of the visitors: “No doubt they (United) are one of the best squads in the league, a good experienced manager, filled with good players, and adding this huge tradition that also becomes a winning mentality and survival instinct in difficult moments.”
It’s plenty of praise for the Man United manager and squad at a time when there is plenty of pressure to potentially sack him.
Ten Hag’s side have an ability to pull a result out of the bag though and may be able to do so at Villa Park.
Given the effort put into the clash against Bayern Munich, Emery will need his Aston Villa squad to step up for another important three points.
Aston Villa vs Man United head-to-head record
The threat Man United possess can be quantified by the head-to-head record Aston Villa have against them in recent years.
In the last five matches, Villa have just one win and four defeats to their name against the Red Devils, including a double defeat last season.
The last victory for the Villains came in November 2022, with a 3-1 victory at Villa Park.
Their overall record reads as 51 wins for Aston Villa, 41 draws and 106 Man United victories in the history of these two clubs.
Emery will be hopeful of turning that into 52 victories and closing that gap in the head-to-head fixtures.
