Aston Villa vs Manchester United

The stakes are at an all-time high for Erik ten Hag as his out-of-sorts Manchester United side head to Villa Park to take on high-flying Aston Villa.

Brimming with confidence after upholding their perfect Champions League start (W2) with a stunning 1-0 home win against Bayern Munich, Aston Villa return to Premier League duties, seeking redemption after a 2-2 draw against newly promoted Ipswich Town last weekend. It was a minor setback for Unai Emery’s charges as they head into this final round of fixtures before October’s international break in fifth, only two points below table-topping Liverpool. Except for a 2-0 home loss to Arsenal in late August, the Lions have gone unbeaten in all five top-flight outings this season (W4, D1), netting multiple goals on each occasion. Enjoying their best six-game start to a Premier League season since 2008/09, Villa will seek vengeance for a 2-1 loss in this corresponding fixture last term, looking to post only their second top-flight H2H home win in the 21st century.

Despite their imperious Premier League record on this ground, Manchester United are up the creek without a paddle after throwing away a two-goal cushion in a 3-3 draw at Porto in midweek Europa League action. That result only intensified the pressure on Erik ten Hag, who oversaw a dreadful 3-0 home defeat to Tottenham last weekend – United’s second similar loss at Old Trafford this season after Liverpool battered them in early September. A four-match winless run in all competitions (D3, L1) hardly makes for good reading as the Red Devils seek a record-equaling 41st H2H win in the Premier League. Ten Hag’s wasteful frontline could be the architect of his demise, with United averaging a meager 0.83 goals per game in the first six rounds.