Manchester United vs Aston Villa Match Preview and match tickets
Premier League Boxing Day fixtures have produced some of the league's biggest and most entertaining fixtures. This season, fans could be served another box office classic when Unai Emery and his entertaining Aston Villa side travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, struggling for form.
But despite their struggles, the Red Devils are one of England's biggest clubs and can still claim to be the biggest brand in British football. They have consistently remained inside the top two of the list of biggest football brands in the world, although Manchester United ticket buyers see this as immaterial as it has not affected their performance on the pitch. Those who pledge allegiance to the Old Trafford club have repeatedly called out the club owners, and they often make their feelings clear at every given opportunity.
Perhaps the influx of a reported £1.2b from Britain's richest man, Sir Jim Ratcliff, into the club could douse the grievances of many, even though the official announcement of the deal is taking ages. But his investment alone will certainly not fix United's problems, given that money alone and the shuffle of ownership has proven not to be the magic wand to fix football problems.
Just ask Chelsea. Or better still, Aston Villa, who have enjoyed contrasting fortunes to Man United.
According to Forbes' 2023 football club rankings, unlike their rich opponents, the Birmingham-based club is not even among the top 20 most valuable clubs in world football, yet it has fared better than United on the pitch this season. However, it is worth noting that although Villa may not be as valuable in the market as United, they are not without history and sauce.
In fact, Villa have the fifth-richest owners in the English Premier League, with their current owners, V Sports, having deeper pockets than the owners of Liverpool, Tottenham and Man United.
But deep pockets don't always fix things, and Villa learned the hard way. After gaining promotion back to the Premier League in 2019, the Birmingham-based club tried to solve their problems with lavish spending and expensive buys. After returning to the top flight, they bought players like Philippe Coutinho, Wesley, Danny Ings, Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins. Still, they could get little or nothing from these players under Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard. Under these managers, Villa did well in patches and were too inconsistent to be named in the top four or even the title race.
But things have radically changed this season, and Aston Villa are currently in the title reckoning, sitting third in the table with the same number of points as Liverpool and ahead of defending champions, Man City. They are also doing well in Europe and have been tipped by many to win the Conference League at the end of the season.
And so this game serves not just as a battle of two traditional clubs in England with rich history domestically and in Europe, it is also a confluence of two clubs seemingly heading in opposite directions. After finishing third in the Premier League last season and reaching two domestic cup finals (winning one–the Carabao Cup), United are punching below their potential this season, while Aston Villa seem to be punching above their weight.
Perhaps the reason this is so is because of the different managers.
Erik ten Hag vs Unai Emery: The Tale of Two Managers
While Erik ten Hag has gone from strength to weakness at Old Trafford, Unai Emery has gone from strength to strength at Villa Park. Both managers have similarities in several ways, but they are presently enjoying differing fortunes at their clubs.
Both took over broken clubs with seemingly over-bloated and ego-centric squads. Both were considered tactical geniuses and won trophies in their former clubs.
But while Ten Hag has only really coached top-level football in his native Netherlands with Utrecht and Ajax before coming to the Theatre of Dreams, Emery, though younger than the Dutchman by one year, has been a journeyman, moving from Sevilla to Paris Saint-Germain to Arsenal to Villarreal and then to Villa Park. The Spanish coach also has a reputation in Europe, having won four Europa League titles–a record.
Perhaps Emery's superiority over Ten Hag is his leadership qualities. No one who watched Ajak and Utrecht under Ten Hag can honestly deny how tactically solid these sides were under the 53-year-old. So tactically, one could argue that he still remains in the top bracket. But Unai Emery's ability to manage big players seems to have given him the edge over Ten Hag.
Emery has a history of improving players, especially strikers. He did it with Carlos Bacca in Sevilla and is currently doing the same with Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey. The Basque coach also knows how to sign smartly, with each of his signings at Villa Park hitting the ground running. He has a clear way he wants to play and has signed all the players that will achieve that purpose.
Moving on dead weight is also a strength, with Emery selling Danny Ings, Marvelous Nakamba, and Philippe Coutinho.
Perhaps Erik ten Hag and the directors at United will learn one or two lessons on leadership and corporate identity when Villa come to Old Trafford.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa Preview
Away from the business of club management and managerial good and bad, here we look at what fans who purchase the ticket for this game should expect.
Manchester United will welcome Villa to Old Trafford looking for a win that will keep them in close proximity to the top four places. Having finished at the bottom of their Champions League group this season, the Red Devils cannot afford to miss out on European football altogether, as that will really harm their finances. So, with the likes of Tottenham, West Ham, Brighton, Chelsea and Newcastle all vying for a place in Europe next year, United cannot afford to drop points here.
With their last two league games coming away from home, they will be pleased to return to the Theatre of Dreams. However, they have had a few nightmares at home recently, having lost four out of their last six home games in a competition, including a shocking 3-0 loss to Bournemouth last time at home.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa will look to continue their dream run towards a Premier League title or top-four finish when they travel to the North West of England on Tuesday. The West Midlanders have been punching way beyond their expectations this season and are currently mixing with the big names at the league summit.
Their current league placement is primarily down to their impeccable form at home. But they are not just strong at home; they have enjoyed success away from home lately, too, with their last four away league games producing three wins and one draw. Given their incredible momentum, they will fancy their chances of being the eighth team to go home with maximum points at Old Trafford this season.
Stats and head-to-head
Manchester United have failed to score in four of their last six home games in all competitions.
In 56 Premier League head-to-head meetings between both sides, Man United have 38 wins, while Aston Villa have just five wins (D7).
The hosts have won eight of the last ten PL meetings between both sides (D1, L1).
The Red Devils have scored 101 against Aston Villa in the Premier League. The visitors have just 37 in 56 appearances.
There have been 162 yellow cards and seven red cards in this fixture. 84 yellow and three red cards have been for Man United, while 78 yellow and four red cards were for Villa.
Who will make the difference–player to watch
There are several subplots in this game, and Man United's often weak defence coming up against a Villa attack that can be devastating on its day will be a spectacle to behold.
However, United also have their weapon and could be exciting when things click. The obvious choice to watch in the United team is Bruno Fernandes, who remains one of the leading midfielders in the league despite an underwhelming season by United. The Portuguese is a creative machine and could be key to unlocking Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
Elsewhere, United talent Kobbie Mainoo could have a significant impact if he's selected to start against Villa, with the Englishman having an excellent game in the defensive midfield role against Liverpool at Anfield.
Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins is the main attraction for Aston Villa. The Englishman is one of the best players in England this season and is performing better than more expensive names like Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Darwin Nunez. In defence, Pau Torres and Diego Carlos will also play huge roles in the outcome of this game, with both centre-backs central to the way Unai Emery wants his side to play.
