Aston Villa saw one of their chances at ending a near three-decade wait for a major trophy end in midweek as they crashed out of the FA Cup following a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.
Unai Emery now arguably has only the Europa Conference League to aim for if he wishes to win something this season, and considering West Ham United were victorious last term, it could pave the way for Villa to follow suit in May.
The Spaniard will now turn his attention to the Premier League clash against Manchester United tomorrow afternoon, as the Red Devils make their way to the Midlands.
Erik ten Hag’s side are on a decent run of form, winning four of their previous five matches and remaining undefeated in 2024.
The 52-year-old manager may make some changes to his team following the below-par performance against a struggling Blues side in midweek…
The Argentine will not be displaced from the starting XI ahead of what could be a vital fixture for both teams tomorrow
The former Arsenal goalkeeper conceded three times against United during the 3-2 defeat on Boxing Day last year, yet he has kept a clean sheet in two of his previous three league matches, and hopefully he will secure another one on Sunday.
The English-born Poland international will start his first league match since the 3-1 defeat against Newcastle United at the end of January and Emery will be looking for him to make an impact against United.
Cash did win four out of his five duels against Chelsea and succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts and made two key passes. Another display like this could help Villa massively.
With Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa out injured, the Brazilian has come into the starting XI and performed solidly enough.
He completed 91% of his passes and won four out of six aerial duels against the Blues, but they still found the back of the net three times, and he will have to be wary against United, especially with the form they are in currently.
The towering “Rolls-Royce” – as described by journalist Graeme Bailey – was named on the bench for the defeat in midweek but could make his return form injury tomorrow, with the pairing of Diego Carlos and Clement Lenglet shipping three goals.
The £100k-per-week talent was reportedly a target for the Red Devils prior to the signing of Lisandro Martinez in 2022 and could prove a key figure in dowing Ten Hag’s men at Villa Park.
Le goal contributions – five goals and four assists – while this season, the Jamaican has already scored ten times and grabbed nine assists in all competitions, firmly establishing himself as the main attacking outlet on the right flank, and he will start against the Red Devils.
Although usually deployed on the wing for Bayer Leverkusen, Diaby has found himself operating in a number of positions this season and against the Red Devils, he could play in the number ten role, just behind Watkins.
He scored his sixth goal of the season against Chelsea in midweek after coming off the bench, and he will replace Youri Tielemans in the starting XI.
The Belgian completed just 60% of his passes and lost possession ten times during his time on the pitch, thus meaning he should drop to the bench.
The captain is another name who finds himself as a key performer under Emery, with the Scot starting all but two matches this season, scoring eight goals in the process.
He found the back of the net during the last clash against the Old Trafford side and Emery will be hoping he can repeat the trick tomorrow, albeit with a different result at the end of the game.
The most in-form striker in the Premier League at this moment in time. Watkins is a man on fire and if he keeps this type of form up, he will certainly attract plenty of interest in the summer transfer window.
The Englishman has scored 16 times in 33 matches so far, while he has found the back of the net in the previous two league matches against Sheffield United and Newcastle.
A goal tomorrow could go a long way to helping Villa claim all three points and with the Champions League spaces becoming more and more a reality as the season progresses, Emery will need his star striker to end the season well.
