Last weekend, Aston Villa beat Manchester United 3-1 in the Premier League. On Thursday, the two sides will meet at Old Trafford in the third round of the League Cup.
Goals from Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey helped Unai Emery to enjoy the perfect start to life as Villa boss. Despite seeing 59% possession on Sunday, Man Utd struggled to compete.
What an assist. What a finish. 👌 pic.twitter.com/17iym8g7YC— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 6, 2022
What an assist. What a finish. 👌 pic.twitter.com/17iym8g7YC
Can the Red Devils make amends for last weekend’s loss? Or will the Villains secure two victories over Man Utd in the space of five days?
United suffered just one defeat in ten Premier League games before losing to Villa on Sunday, picking up seven wins and two draws along the way.
However, the defeat at Villa Park has halted the team’s momentum and could have a big impact on their mental state as they prepare to face Emery’s men once again.
That said, it’s not all doom and gloom for Erik ten Hag’s side. Let’s not forget that United have only lost one of their past ten games in all competitions.
Man Utd have reached five of the previous 20 League Cup final, triumphing most recently in 2017. Can they go all the way once again?
It goes without saying that Villa will be brimming with belief after dispatching the Red Devils on Sunday. Still, their form has not been great recently.
Despite having won two of their last three games, it is important to remember that Villa have only managed to win three of their previous 11.
The Villains booked their place in the third round of the League Cup with an easy 4-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers back in August.
Villa last lifted the trophy in 1996 and have since lost two finals: 2010 and 2020. Is it time for them to secure the silverware once again?
Head-to-head: Funnily enough, Man Utd and Villa have played out two League Cup finals. Villa won 3-1 in 1994 before United won 2-1 in 2010.
The recent head-to-head is relatively even in recent years. Across the last nine meetings in all competitions, Man Utd have claimed four wins while Villa have claimed three.
Team news: Raphael Varane, Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams are all currently injured for Man Utd. There are also doubts over Antony and Jadon Sancho.
As for Villa, they are currently without the injured Brazilian duo of Philippe Coutinho and Diego Carlos, who will both be absent until after the World Cup.
Given what happened at the weekend, another Villa victory is on the cards here. There is no denying that Emery’s arrival has given the Villains a much-needed lift.
Forbet predicts that Aston Villa will beat Manchester United for the second time in five days, keeping a clean sheet en route to victory.