Manchester United travel to face Aston Villa in the Premier League

A big game ahead.

Transcript

00:00 And up next in the Premier League, Aston Villa away, eight points between the two sides.

00:06 Could this be another fantastic away performance from United or could you maybe see this match

00:12 sort of showing the gap between the two sides this season?

00:16 Yeah, I think it's a good point that it will be a game that will really underline either

00:24 potentially how far United are away from, let's say, the top four at the moment or from

00:28 a Villa perspective to underline that they are real challengers if United can come to

00:33 Villa Park and they can manage to beat them.

00:36 I mean, United really enjoyed playing Villa, certainly in the second half at the meeting

00:41 at Old Trafford.

00:42 I mean, Villa's tactics are so rigid in the way that they approach things and they play

00:49 that high line that United really, really enjoyed.

00:52 United enjoy playing against teams who will give them space to attack in behind.

00:56 I wonder whether that will change Unai Emery's thinking in any way.

00:59 I don't think it will really.

01:00 Obviously, Villa have had a big blow.

01:02 It looks like Ezri Konsa is going to be out of the game and they're actually struggling

01:05 with a couple of injured defenders at the moment.

01:07 Pau Torres is out as well.

01:10 So I think from United's perspective, they've got to go there.

01:13 United's away record hasn't been great recently.

01:16 They obviously had that win against Wolves last time out, but particularly under Ten

01:21 Hag, that away record at the top seven or eight clubs has been horrendous, to be honest.

01:28 And I mean, even managed to lose at Villa Park and no man United manager had done that

01:33 in the Premier League since 1995 when Ten Hag lost their last season.

01:37 So yeah, it's a big game.

01:39 As you said, eight points between United and the top four.

01:42 I mean, I think if United have any chances or hopes of challenging for a Champions League

01:48 place, they've got to start drastically reducing that gap pretty soon.

01:51 Obviously, this weekend is a perfect opportunity.

01:54 You could, you know, if they were to win, they would at least close the gap to Villa

01:57 to five points.

01:58 I mean, Spurs, I think the gap is two points off Villa.

02:02 So I'm trying to do the maths off the top of my head.

02:04 But anyway, reduce that gap anyway.

02:06 But yeah, an important game.

02:08 And I think that United will have to look to replicate the second half performance at

02:12 Old Trafford earlier this season and really attack and play with the same sort of vigour

02:17 and gusto that they showed at times against Wolves.

02:20 And certainly from an attacking sense, they showed against West Ham and try and replicate

02:23 that from their perspective across 90 minutes against Villa.