Villa

Emery became the quickest Villa manager to 100 wins with victory in France last week.

Villa Park marked the achievement with fans holding up ‘Emery 100’ cards as the teams walked out.

He knows how to get the job done and, with Villa searching for their first trophy in three decades, the end of the drought is in sight.

Villa did what was necessary against Lille, even if the performance still lacked the style, tempo and class they have produced this season.

Those levels remain from their stumble in the Premier League, with just two wins from 10 games, which has added jeopardy, something which did not look likely at the start of the year.

Overhauled by Manchester United, Villa – who host West Ham on Sunday – are lucky to still be in the top five, mainly due to Liverpool and Chelsea’s failings.

But Emery, rightly, continues to ask to be judged after 38 games and where they will be at the end of the season.

Last month he was being asked about being in the title race and on Wednesday he pointed out being in Europe and in the top four was just a dream for the club when he took over three and a half years ago.

In his first press conference the former Arsenal and Paris St-Germain boss stated he came to Birmingham to win trophies and Villa have edged a little closer to that goal.

Emery has now reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League for the eighth time, no other manager has done so more than five times, while Villa have made the quarter-finals of a major European competition in three straight seasons.

“Villa [were] very professional, not outstanding, just doing enough to get to the next round,” Dublin said.

“That’s what they need, but they will have to up their performances if they want to get to the latter stages of the competition.

“I think there is more to come from them. If they do that, they can really surprise a few people.”

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick praises the “great” connection between Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, after the duo combined for the opening goal in their 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa

Available to UK users only.

Bruno Fernandes reaches 100 assists in all competitions after setting up two goals in crucial 3-1 win over Villa.

Manchester United bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a vital 3-1 win against top-four rivals Aston Villa.

Michael Carrick’s side took the lead through Casemiro’s second-half opener at Old Trafford on Sunday before Ross Barkley hauled Villa level.

United finished strongly with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko scoring in the closing stages to seal Carrick’s seventh win in nine games since taking over as interim boss.

Sitting third in the Premier League, United are three points clear of fourth-placed Villa in the race to reach the Champions League via a top-four finish.

United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe this week praised Carrick’s “excellent” work but stopped short of committing to the former Old Trafford star on a long-term basis.

However, Carrick is making a strong case to earn the job on a permanent basis after stabilising United after Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

United’s latest victory came after an 11-day break since the first defeat of his reign at Newcastle, and Carrick celebrated with a jig of delight on the touchline after Sesko wrapped up the points.

Spluttering Villa have lost their last three league games and have just one win in seven top-flight matches, leaving them three points above fifth-placed Chelsea with eight games left in the battle for European places.

After a lethargic first half, United finally prised open the Villa defence in the 53rd minute.

Bryan Mbeumo’s stinging strike was palmed away by Emiliano Martinez, earning a corner that brought the opener.

Bruno Fernandes curled a corner to the near post, and Casemiro made a perfectly timed run to glance a header past Martinez.

With Casemiro likely to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, United fans serenaded the Brazilian midfielder with chants of “one more year”.

United lost focus and surrendered the lead in the 64th minute.

In his first Premier League start for 14 months, Barkley slammed a superb strike past Senne Lammens from 11 metres (12 yards) after United failed to clear the danger.

But Cunha netted in the 71st minute to ensure Carrick’s men did not pay for their stumble.

Bursting onto Fernandes’s sublime pass into the Villa area, the Brazilian forward slotted a fine finish into the far corner.

It was Fernandes’s 16th Premier League assist this term, moving the United captain past David Beckham’s previous club record of 15 in 1999-2000.

He has 100 assists for United in all competitions since signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.

Sesko came off the bench to prove a point to Carrick after being dropped, and the Slovenian striker fired home with a deflected effort in the 81st minute.

Fernandes said he was delighted to provide two assists for his teammates to move past Beckham’s record.

“I’m more proud and pleased because I did it serving my teammates. Giving joy to others is also very good,” he said.

“When you play in the position I play, I’m very happy I can help them to score and be happy in that moment. It’s a huge achievement for me, but the main achievement would be in the top spot at the end of the season.”

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw against Fulham at the City Ground.

Still waiting for their first win under Vitor Pereira, fourth-bottom Forest, who have had four managers this term, are above third-bottom West Ham on goal difference.

Ten-man Leeds held on for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s missed penalty and a red card for Gabriel Gudmundsson.

Later on Sunday, troubled Tottenham head to Liverpool with only goal difference keeping them outside the relegation zone.

The stand-off between Ten Hag and Sancho lasted four months, before Sancho joined Dortmund on loan for the remainder of the season and helped them reach the Champions League final.

But they could not afford to keep him and, although United sporting director Dan Ashworth was credited with brokering the truce that allowed Sancho to join up with United in the pre-season of 2024, it was a temporary situation, which Chelsea seemed to solve by agreeing a loan that committed them to a permanent transfer at the end of the season.

Yet, after five goals in 41 appearances, Chelsea preferred to pay a £5m penalty to send Sancho back to Old Trafford.

This time, there was no olive branch. Sancho was placed in Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ and had to train away from the first team until he joined Villa on 1 September.

United have an option to trigger an additional year on Sancho’s contract, which otherwise expires in the summer. In public, they are reserving their position on that. No-one expects it to happen.

At 25, Sancho still has a lot to offer. There have been glimpses of quality during his time at Villa, but it is by no means certain he will stay there beyond the end of the season.

“Seeing Jadon close up, technically, he’s got an awful lot of ability,” said current United interim head coach Michael Carrick, who worked with Sancho as part of Solskjaer’s backroom team and managed him for three games during his short stint in charge after the Norwegian’s dismissal.

“In and around the box; his ball carrying; his little plays; the connections; his creativity; the way he handles the ball – he’s got natural ability.

“He’s always had it all the way coming through. That’s one part of football.

“But – and I’m not talking about Jadon individually on this – it is just how it is and how it should be.

“You can’t just assume it’s all going to be smooth. It’s proven that it’s not always like that.

“You’ve got to find a way through it. If you are playing in a good team with good players and a good squad and depth, that’s part of the challenge to stay at the top.”

Who: Manchester United vs Aston Villa
What: English football’s Premier League
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom
When: Sunday March 15, at 2pm (14:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera’s live coverage begins at 11:00 GMT

Manchester United and Aston Villa face a crunch clash on Sunday in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification.

The pair hold third and fourth spots respectively in the Premier League, with United edging Villa on goal difference, while Chelsea and Liverpool sit three points behind the pair in fifth and sixth.

With only the top four being guaranteed a place at the top table of European football, the encounter at Old Trafford holds huge value to both with nine games to go of the season.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a closer look at the match.

Man Utd look to bounce back from first defeat under Carrick

Manchester United’s ⁠interim manager Michael Carrick on Friday said his players were “itching to get going” again, after suffering their first ⁠defeat under his leadership.

Last week, 10-man Newcastle United ended Carrick’s unbeaten run since he replaced Ruben ⁠Amorim in January.

“I understand the first defeat feels different but it was going to come at ‌some point. Most teams have suffered that at some point,” Carrick told reporters.

“It has been a really good week in some ways, we have put ourselves in a position where there is a lot to play for.”

Carrick brushes off Scholes dig at Man Utd

United’s ⁠defeat by Newcastle prompted a dig from former player Paul Scholes, ⁠who wrote on Instagram: “Michael has definitely got something special about him … cos Utd have been crap last four games.”

Asked about his former teammate’s comment, Carrick said: “It was nothing really, nothing to say about it really.

“I think that is just where we are in terms of social media and things, and captions and quotes. It can be taken in different ways, so just be calm about it and understand the real meaning of things.

“Listen, there are different opinions out there and it’s fine. People can have different opinions.

“It’s just things get taken from one extreme to another. It is what it is. I am not worried about it and don’t make a big deal of it either.

“There’s nothing to say about it, really,” he said.

How have Aston Villa fared in the Premier League this season?

Villa had a turbulent start to the campaign, as they failed to register a win in their first five league matches – losing two. A run of 12 league wins in 13, however, propelled them into a title challenge by the turn of the year.

A 4-1 defeat at Arsenal on New Year’s Eve marked the start of another downturn, though, with only three wins recorded in 11 games starting with the defeat in London.

The midlands club have lost three of their last five on the road in the league, recording only one win in that time.

Last up for Man Utd

United suffered their first defeat under Carrick in their match at Newcastle United on March 4.

The home side were reduced to 10 men when Jacob Ramsey was sent off on the stroke of half-time.

It came in a frantic end to the first half that saw Anthony Gorden give Newcastle an injury-time lead from the penalty spot, only for Casemiro to head home an equaliser to send the sides in level.

William Osula netted the winner in the 90th minute to give Eddie Howe’s side all three points despite their numerical disadvantage.

“It was disappointing the way the game ended (against Newcastle) but we have digested that, looked at it and learned from it,” Carrick said ahead of the Villa match.

“We have trained really well this week and the boys are itching to get going.”

Last up for Aston Villa

Villa were 1-0 winners at Lille in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, ending a four-game winless streak that included three defeats.

Ollie Watkins scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute.

The return leg will be played at Villa Park on Thursday.

What happened the last time Man Utd played Aston Villa?

Villa recorded a 2-1 win in the reverse Premier League fixture at Villa Park in November, despite an encouraging display for Ruben Amorim’s United.

Morgan Rogers scored both goals for Villa – his first was scored in the 45th minute but United were level in first-half stoppage time through Matheus Cunha.

What happened in the corresponding fixture between Man Utd and Villa last season?

United were 2-1 winners in the Premier League match at Old Trafford last season.

The Red Devils were greatly aided by the sending off of Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez just before the break.

Amad Diallo and an 87th minute Christian Eriksen penalty sealed the win for the home side.

Head-to-head

This will be the 202nd meeting between the clubs with Manchester United winning 107 of the matches. Aston Villa have won 52 of the encounters, which date back to November 1892 and a 2-0 home win for United in the old Division One.

Manchester United team news

Carrick said Mason Mount had taken a “big step” and could return from a two-month absence against Villa this weekend.

The ‌midfielder missed their last six league games due to injury.

“He is an important player for us,” he said.

“He is not 100 percent and he has only trained for a small period of time. ‌But ‌he is back and that’s good for us. We will see if he is involved on Sunday. That is it in terms of the players coming back.”

Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Mason Mount all remain absent though, and Lisandro Martinez has been added to that list with a calf injury, while there remains an injury doubt over Luke Shaw.

The defender was forced off with injury in the defeat by Newcastle, but Noussair Mazraoui, who also came off injured in that game, is set to be available.

Aston Villa team news

Midfielder John McGinn returned to action at Lille on Thursday night and could be in line for a start at Old Trafford.

Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara remain absent through injury, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Villa lineup.

Right-back Matty Cash is also a doubt having missed the Lille match after picking up a knock in Villa’s last Premier League outting.

Manchester United predicted starting lineup

Lammens; Mazraoui, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko

Aston Villa predicted starting lineup

Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Luiz, Onana, Sancho, Rogers, Buendia; Watkins

Villa’s decision to go for Emery four years ago was a sign of their ambition to make a mark on the European stage.

While they are still well placed in fourth position in the English top flight, as they aim to secure a Champions League berth next term, success in the Europa League would also deliver the same outcome.

However, on Thursday it was just about recapturing their rhythm and some confidence after a winless run of four games domestically that included defeats to Newcastle, Chelsea and bottom club Wolves.

Speaking to TNT Sports, returning captain John McGinn suggested that the result had provided Villa with a “building block” and the opportunity to “reset” after a difficult few weeks.

“We needed a reset. The past month has not been great,” he said.

“We can’t dwell on it. We can learn from it but what we need to do is build and this is a building block. We know we can do a lot better but it is a good result.

“We showed signs of getting back to our best but there’s still a long way to go. Sunday is a massive game in the league as well [at third-placed Manchester United] so it is a tough run of fixtures, but that was a good start.

Meanwhile, Emery said he used the struggles of their Premier League rivals in the Champions League as a motivational tool before kick-off.

He said: “We respect this competition because we know the difficulties of each match away from home in Europe.

“We know how it is for the English teams, like this week in the Champions League, how they were struggling.”

Wolves head coach Rob Edwards says the prospect of ending the season with fewer points than record-holders Derby County was “hanging over their heads”, and believes his side will have more confidence going forward after their 2-0 win over local rivals Aston Villa.

MATCH REPORT: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 Aston Villa

Available to UK users only.

Villa are fortunate others have stumbled sooner and for longer this season – ensuring they have maintained a decent grip on third place until now.

Chelsea have dropped 17 points from winning positions at Stamford Bridge and 19 points overall in the Premier League this season.

They go to Arsenal on Sunday hoping to capitalise on Villa’s latest slip – before travelling to Villa Park on Wednesday for a game which could define both teams’ seasons.

Lille, in the Europa League on March 12, and a trip to Old Trafford on 15 March will then loom large for Villa.

Individual form has also plummeted, with Ollie Watkins scoring just once in 11 games – reminiscent of the spell where he scored only one goal in the opening 19 matches – while Morgan Rogers is on a similar streak.

The slump was sparked by injuries to Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans last month as Villa’s lack of depth was exposed.

Players argued between themselves as Ezri Konsa – who also had a flashpoint with fans at the end – and Amadou Onana urged Emi Buendia to leave the pitch quicker as he was substituted.

The cracks are showing and even the players are admitting to feeling the pressure.

“It does weigh on us but it shouldn’t,” said Rogers. “We deserve to be here and we should not forget that.

“Our run lately has not been as good as usual but that is the battle of the Premier League. We are going to get back to our good run of wins.

“We set our standards high and we have the ability to win every game. Obviously that is not realistic but we are playing good football as a whole and there is nothing to worry about.

“They [the next fixtures] are the games you want to play and, with so much on the line, we need to show why we deserve to be where we are.”