Frank Christian
Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, is under significant pressure as his team prepares to face Aston Villa away in the Premier League on Sunday, October 6.
In a recent UEFA Europa League match, Harry Maguire scored a last-minute equalizer to help United draw 3-3 with Porto, overcoming a 2-0 deficit and playing with ten men after Bruno Fernandes received a red card.
While salvaging a point from such a situation could be viewed positively, it highlights United’s ongoing struggles, having now conceded three goals in a game for the 24th time since Ten Hag took over in 2022. This incident reflects a troubling pattern as they try to fight back from a poor start to the 2024/25 season, following their worst-ever Premier League finish in 2023/24.
The upcoming match against Villa is daunting, especially since Villa has recently celebrated a notable UEFA Champions League victory against Bayern Munich and has an additional day’s rest compared to United. This creates a challenging scenario for Ten Hag as he prepares his lineup to secure a vital result.
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Lineups and Team News for Aston Villa vs. Man United
Aston Villa faces several injury challenges. Midfielders Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey are doubtful after being injured during the Bayern match, while Leon Bailey is struggling with fitness.
This situation may require manager Unai Emery to make some adjustments, potentially including Ross Barkley in midfield alongside Youri Tielemans, as John McGinn is sidelined with a hamstring problem. Additionally, striker Jhon Duran could finally start, given his impressive performances off the bench this season.
Aston Villa predicted XI (4-4-2): E. Martinez (GK) — Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen — Philogene, Barkley, Tielemans, Rogers — Duran, Watkins
Injured: Onana, Ramsey, McGinn, Kamara, Mings
Suspended: None
Meanwhile, Ten Hag faces the challenge of finding a balance between offensive strategies and defensive strength, vital for a successful outcome that could influence his job security.
Marcus Rashford, who was substituted at halftime against Porto for tactical reasons, is expected to retain his spot, and Alejandro Garnacho is likely to be included in the starting eleven.
Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo may return to central midfield to strengthen that area. Notably, captain Bruno Fernandes is back after the red card he received against Tottenham was rescinded.
Harry Maguire‘s strong performance against Porto could see him start ahead of Matthijs de Ligt, with other defensive positions expected to remain unchanged unless Tyrell Malacia or Luke Shaw recover from their injuries in time.
Man United predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Onana (GK) — Mazraoui, Maguire, L. Martinez, Dalot — Ugarte, Mainoo — Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford — Hojlund
Injured: Malacia, Mount, Shaw, Yoro, Lindelof (doubt)
Suspended: None
Aston Villa vs. Man United Match Time
This Premier League match will occur at Villa Park in Birmingham, UK, kicking off on Sunday, October 6, at 2:00 p.m. local time.
Here are the kickoff times for various regions:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, Oct. 6 | 9:00 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, Oct. 6 | 9:00 a.m. ET |
| Australia | Sun, Oct. 6 | 11:00 p.m. AEST |
| UK | Sun, Oct. 6 | 2:00 p.m. BST |
| India | Sun, Oct. 6 | 6:30 p.m. IST |
