As the pressure continues to mount on Erik ten Hag in the Manchester United dugout, the Dutch manager could be out of a job if his side fall to defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Red Devils have made a truly woeful start to Ten Hag’s third campaign in charge, with the goodwill left over from last season’s FA Cup triumph. After a disappointing 3-3 draw with Porto in the Europa League in midweek, time is running out for the former Ajax manager.
A Premier League The trip to an in-form and confident Aston Villa is the last thing Ten Hag would have wanted ahead of the October international break. The Villans are already six points clear of Man Utd this season and head into Sunday’s clash at the back of a memorable and hard-fought 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Unai Emery has proven to be everything that Ten Hag lacks at Man Utd, but it was the latter who enjoyed the last laugh in last season’s meetings. Late goals at home and away helped Man Utd complete the double over the Midlands in two spectacular games.
here it is 90 minutes guide to a tempting clash at Villa Park.
Aston Villa vs Man Utd H2H Record (Last Five Matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Aston Villa |
Man Utd |
|---|---|
|
Aston Villa 1-0 Bayern Munich – 02/10/24 |
Porto 3-3 Man Utd – 03/10/24 |
|
Ipswich 2-2 Aston Villa – 29/09/24 |
Man Utd 0-3 Tottenham – 29/09/24 |
|
Wycombe 1-2 Aston Villa – 24/09/24 |
Man Utd 1-1 Twente – 25/09/24 |
|
Aston Villa 3-1 Wolves – 21/09/24 |
Crystal Palace 0-0 Man Utd – 21/09/24 |
|
Young Boys 0-3 Aston Villa – 17/09/24 |
Man Utd 7-0 Barnsley – 17/09/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live broadcast |
|---|---|
|
united kingdom |
Main Event Sky Sports, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD, Sky GO, Sky GO Extra, NOW TV |
|
united states |
fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, Telemundo |
|
canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network Canada |
Village managed to beat Bayern on Wednesday despite picking up three injuries against the German giants. Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and Amadou Onana withdrew due to fitness issues and Emery has confirmed all three are doubts for Sunday, although Onana is likely to be available.
Emery is still without skipper John McGinn, as well as long-term absentees Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara.
Jhon Duran scored the midweek winner and he again proved his effectiveness when he came off the bench. He is unlikely to replace Ollie Watkins this weekend, but surely needs to break into the starting XI sooner rather than later.
Aston Villa predicted line-up against Man Utd (4-4-2): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Philogene, Onana, Tielemans, Buendia; Rogers, Watkins.
Bruno Fernandes will be available for Man Utd on Sunday after his ban following a red card against Tottenham Hotspur was overturned. The Portuguese was then also sent off against Porto, but that ban will only apply to the UEFA competition.
Kobbie Mainoo was unable to feature in the midweek draw and Ten Hag has admitted he is a doubt to face Villa at the weekend. Fellow midfielder and compatriot Mason Mount could also be sidelined after picking up an injury against Spurs.
Ten Hag are still without four defenders, with Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof in the treatment room.
Predicted Lineup for Man Utd vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Eriksen; Garnatxo, Fernandes, Rashford; Hojlund.
Could Sunday be the end of Ten Hag? very possibly
A trip to Villa Park has never been a straightforward event, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate as the Midlands side continue their rise under Emery. Their high-intensity approach and tactical superiority should see them heap even more misery on Man Utd.
The Red Devils showed once again in midweek that their defense can be chaotic, disjointed and amateurish when put under significant pressure. Watkins, Duran and Morgan Rogers will aim to punish any laziness.
Whether a loss on Sunday spells the end for Ten Hag remains to be seenbut the Dutchman could receive one last humiliation at Villa Park.
