Aston Villa return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they face Manchester United at Villa Park. Anticipation has been building as manager Unai Emery and his newly appointed background staff get ready to take to the dugout for the first time as Villa recruit. Emery, where was he? officially revealed to backers and the media on Friday afternoon, he had only a few days to work with his players before the clash. Steven Gerrard’s successor takes over a Villans side currently struggling in 16th place in the table. With three defeats in their last five matches, Villa have taken a knock on their confidence in recent weeks and it won’t help to know that this weekend’s opponents are on the rise. United have turned things around after two disappointing results at the start of the season and sit just one point outside the top four. Wins over Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have fueled the Red Devils’ Champions League qualification ambitions. Erik ten Hag will likely see the Villa game as an opportunity to boost those hopes further with another three points. The Villans will have to look to take confidence from their 4-0 win over Brentford two weeks ago and forget last week’s disappointing defeat. Emery will likely pick as strong a squad as possible for his first game in charge – and with that in mind, here’s what we think Villa’s starting XI will be, in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
1. GC – Emiliano Martinez
He should be good to play after a head injury he suffered last weekend, as his concussion protocol period would be over. Without a doubt he is Villa’s number one.
2. RB – Matty Cash
He certainly hasn’t been at his best this season, but he’ll be hoping to find his former self under a new manager. It wouldn’t do his already low self-esteem any good if we dropped him.
3. CB – Tyrone Mings
He has established himself as a key player for Villa, even amid a shaky start to the season. He is likely to retain his position in the center of defense.
4. CB – Ezri Konsa
Except he hasn’t started a single Premier League game all season, and that was at home to Everton on the second weekend. There is no reason to change that.