Manchester United will be aiming to keep up their positive momentum when they travel to face Aston Villa this weekend.
The Red Devils have won their last two in the Premier League and moved into the top six after beating West Ham 3-0 last time out.
Erik ten Hag was under huge pressure at Old Trafford but this upturn in form will have give him some more time in his role.
His side now take on Villa who were knocked out of the FA Cup in midweek but remain well in contention for a Champions League place this season.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United: Villa Park woes
Unai Emery was loving life at Villa Park this season but things have started to take a turn for the worse.
After only losing one home game in 22 in all competitions, Aston Villa have now lost consecutive games in front of their own fans for the first time since February.
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Up until December, they had won 15 Premier League games in a row, but now they have only won one of their last three.
As well as the poor results, their defensive record has fallen apart.
In their last three home games in the top-flight, they have conceded one fewer than they did across their entire winning streak.
After conceding three to Chelsea in midweek, it also means they’ve conceded multiple goals at Villa Park in three consecutive games.
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- Manchester United have won 17 of their 28 Premier League away games against Aston Villa – only the Red Devils themselves (19 against Everton) have beaten an opponent on the road more often in the competition.
- Aston Villa won this exact fixture 3-1 last season, ending a 23-game winless run in the Premier League against Man Utd at Villa Park. They last won consecutive home league games against the Red Devils between 1966 and 1977 (five in a row).
Aston Villa vs Manchester United: Team news
Pau Torres is back to full fitness and is ready for a first start in eight weeks.
Lucas Digne is also back in full training and could come into the team for Alex Moreno.
Nicolo Zaniolo was also in the matchday squad for that game as he comes back from a knock.
Centre-back Ezri Konsa is definitely out, joining Tyrone Mings and Emi Buendia in the treatment room.
As for United, Lisandro Martinez is set for another long spell on the sidelines.
He picked up a knee injury against West Ham and won’t be back in action for a few weeks.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka remains a doubt while Mason Mount, Anthony Martial and Tyrell Malacia all continue their recoveries.
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- Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 24 Premier League matches in February (W15 D9) since losing 1-0 to Newcastle United in 2018 under Jose Mourinho.
- Over their last five Premier League matches, Manchester United have scored 13 goals, converting exactly 20% of their shots in that time (65 attempts). In their five games beforehand, they only scored two goals with a conversion rate of 3% (73 attempts).
Aston Villa vs Manchester United: What has been said?
Ten Hag has backed his young forwards to continue scoring goals.
He said: “Players need time, especially young players.
“You mentioned Rasmus and Alejandro, they need time but also they need a team. So those two facts were not there in the first part of the season.
“We had to make a lot of adjustments in the way we play [due to injuries], so it was difficult to serve the offensive part of the team.
“When that happens [they get service], then it can go really quickly that players are going to develop and progress and that is what we have seen.
“But yeah, I was, from the start, confident that they have the potential to do this, what they are doing. Now it is about keep moving, keep going, be hungry.”
- Ollie Watkins has been directly involved in 38 goals in 47 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa under Unai Emery (24 goals, 14 assists), averaging a goal or assist every 107 minutes. Of Villa players to play at least 1,000 minutes under a manager in the Premier League, only Christian Benteke under Tim Sherwood (goal/assist every 96 mins) has a better average.
- Rasmus Højlund has found the net in each of his last four Premier League appearances for Man Utd, after failing to score in any of his first 14 games in the competition. He’s the youngest player to score in four in a row for the Red Devils and the only Danish player for any team to have achieved that feat in the Premier League.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United: How to follow
This Premier League clash will take place on Sunday, February 11.
Kick-off at Villa Park is scheduled for 4:30pm.
The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.
talkSPORT will also keep you up to date with all the action.
And talkSPORT.com will be running a live blog of the game.