It is make-or-break time for Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who is under enormous pressure to achieve a positive result in Sunday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The Red Devils blew a two-goal advantage before salvaging a late point in a 3-3 Europa League draw with Porto on Thursday, not long after Unai Emery's side produced one of the biggest Champions League upsets so far by beating Bayern Munich.
Match preview
© Imago
The eagle eyes of Sir Jim Ratcliffe will reportedly be watching on at Villa Park this weekend, where another chastening result against Man United could potentially hammer the final nail into Ten Hag's coffin, mere months after his stay of execution at Old Trafford.
Things were looking up for the under-pressure Dutchman when Man United raced into a two-goal lead against Porto on Thursday night, but a Pepe header and Samu Omorodion brace turned the tide in the Portuguese giants' favour, and only Harry Maguire's late header could save the visitors' bacon.
Shipping three goals for the second match running, Man United's six-goal spectacular in Portugal came after a 3-0 home humiliation against Tottenham Hotspur, who blew Ten Hag's men to smithereens after Bruno Fernandes was incorrectly sent off - a decision that was rectified far too late.
Winless in four matches across all competitions and languishing in a lowly 13th place in the Premier League table, Man United have a meagre three victories to show from their opening 10 matches this season, form which many believe is sack-worthy.
If there is any crumb of comfort for the under-pressure Ten Hag, it is that Man United have recorded back-to-back away clean sheets in the Premier League against Crystal Palace and Southampton; not since March 2021 have they kept three straight shut-outs on the road.
© Reuters
Speaking of shut-outs, Harry Kane and co had no answer to Aston Villa's defensive might in Wednesday's repeat of the 1982 European Cup final - which Villa won 1-0 - and Unai Emery's current iteration of the former continental champions made Bavarian lightning strike twice.
In customary Jhon Duran fashion, Villa's super substitute needed just nine minutes to make his mark, as with Manuel Neuer in no man's land, the Colombian clinically lifted the ball over the great German goalkeeper to send Villa Park into pandemonium.
Now two for two in this season's Champions League amid an extremely rich vein of form, Emery's crop have six wins to show from their last seven matches in all tournaments, although the one aberration was their 2-2 top-flight draw with Ipswich Town last weekend.
Had the fifth-placed hosts not dropped two points at Portman Road, they would be rivalling Liverpool for top spot right now, but not since the 2008-09 season - when Martin O'Neill was at the helm - have they accrued 13 points from their opening six games of a top-flight campaign.
However, each of Villa's last four games against Man United has seen the Red Devils come up trumps, as Scott McTominay's late winner sunk the Lions at Villa Park in February's 2-1 win for Ten Hag's side - a similar result on Sunday may just buy the Dutchman a bit more time.
Team News
© Imago
Not long after having his Tottenham red card and three-game Premier League ban overturned, Man United skipper Fernandes was banished from the field in Porto after a high boot, although that suspension will only apply to Europa League matches.
The Portuguese playmaker is therefore fine to feature against Villa, although that is more than can be said for Luke Shaw (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Leny Yoro (foot), while Mason Mount needs assessing after picking up a knock - and suffering a cut to the head - versus Spurs.
Fellow midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was also forced off in that 3-0 defeat and did not make the matchday squad on Thursday, but he did take part in training earlier this week and could make his comeback at Villa Park, but potentially off the bench rather than as a starter.
Marcus Rashford arguably produced one of his best 45 minutes of the season on Thursday before being hauled off at half time, which Ten Hag confirmed was for rotation purposes, and both he and Alejandro Garnacho could now start on the flanks as Amad Diallo drops out.
Meanwhile, Villa's memorable beating of Bayern came at quite the cost, as the luckless Jacob Ramsey was forced off with an apparent groin issue in the first half, before Amadou Onana was withdrawn on the hour mark due to a tight hamstring.
The availability of both midfielders remains up in the air for Sunday, while Leon Bailey - who replaced Ramsey - was then taken off himself in the second half and is also doubtful; out of the three, Emery is the most optimistic about Onana's fitness.
Tyrone Mings (knee), Boubacar Kamara (knee) and John McGinn (thigh) remain out of contention for Emery, who may now partner Duran with Ollie Watkins up front following Ramsey's latest blow.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Rogers, Barkley, Tielemans, Philogene; Duran, Watkins
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire, Dalot; Eriksen, Ugarte; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee
We say: Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United
As Villa played at home on Wednesday, and Man United played away on Thursday, Emery's men should no doubt boast the fresher set of legs on Sunday, and there is still a real lack of identity about a disjointed Man United.
The Red Devils may have had Villa's number in recent years, but Emery's side have our thumbs-up to continue their hot streak and march to the hard-fought win that might seal Ten Hag's fate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
