Aston Villa have hired Unai Emery as their new manager after sacking Steven Gerrard. So, what is the Spaniard’s record against Manchester United ahead of his debut at the helm?
Emery will stand in the Villa Park dugout for the first time for the visit of the Red Devils on November 6. Caretaker boss Aaron Danks will again oversee the action as the Villans travel to Newcastle United on Saturday, while Emery and Villa finalise all work permit formalities.
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Danks stepped in for Gerrard following his sacking last Thursday and guided Aston Villa to a 4-0 win over Brentford. It was only the Birmingham natives’ third Premier League win in 12 games so far this season. The result also lifted the club from 17th in the table to 15th place.
Emery will make his debut as the new Aston Villa boss against Manchester United
Aston Villa sacked Gerrard following a 3-0 defeat at Fulham, which left the club only above the relegation zone on goals scored. The Villans had also won just two of their past 15 top-flight games under the 42-year-old. He only replaced Dean Smith in charge last November.
Emery will now officially take over on November 1 after Aston Villa paid Villarreal his £5m release clause to hire the 50-year-old, per BBC Sport. He would have been out of contract at the Estadio de la Ceramica at the end of the term after two years at El Submari Groguet.
Manchester United will be the opposition in two of Emery’s first three fixtures in charge of Aston Villa before the World Cup. The Villans host the Red Devils in the Premier League on November 6. They visit Brighton on the 13th and Old Trafford, in the EFL Cup, on the 10th.
A home game with Liverpool on Boxing Day will mark the Villans’ return to domestic action following the World Cup. Emery will see in 2023 by taking his Aston Villa side to Tottenham Hotspur on New Years’ Day before a West Midlands derby with Wolves follows on the 4th.
So, ahead of Emery making his debut in charge of Aston Villa against Manchester United in the Premier League, what is the former Arsenal manager’s record against the Red Devils?
Emery’s record against Manchester United ahead of his debut at Aston Villa
Emery has faced Manchester United on nine occasions across all competitions in the new Aston Villa coach’s managerial career. He first met the Red Devils in September 2010 while in charge of Valencia. But the Spaniard did not meet them again until he took over Arsenal.
Four of Emery’s nine meetings with Manchester United came during his 18 months at the Emirates Stadium. The same period between May 2018 and November 2019 also returned one of the Hondarribia native’s two wins. He went on to beat the Red Devils with Villarreal.
A third of Emery’s fixtures against Manchester United have also ended in draws, while four have resulted in defeats. Across his nine matches with the Old Trafford outfit, his Valencia, Arsenal and Villarreal sides scored a total of 20 goals and conceded 23 altogether, as well.
Emery oversaw his first win over the Old Trafford outfit with Arsenal in 2019
Emery oversaw his first win over the Old Trafford outfit when Manchester United visited Arsenal in March 2019. It was his fifth match against the Red Devils, after two games with Valencia in the 2010 Champions League group stage, plus a draw and defeat with Arsenal.
Manchester United won 1-0 in Valencia before holding Emery’s side to a 1-1 draw in their reverse fixture. The Red Devils also came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with the Gunners in their first Premier League clash with the Spaniard, before a 3-1 win away in the FA Cup.
Goals from Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then secured Emery the first win in his record against Manchester United. Emery dealt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his first league defeat as the Red Devils’ interim boss after David de Gea did not stop a saveable Xhaka hit.
Arsenal later drew 1-1 at Old Trafford in September 2019 before dismissing Emery within two months of the meeting. He has since met Manchester United a further three times at Villarreal, with a Europa League clash and two Champions League group stage encounters.
Emery took his biggest win against the Red Devils to date in the Europa League final
Emery registered the biggest win in the new Aston Villa coach’s record against Manchester United with the 2021 Europa League final. The Spaniard led Villarreal to win the UEFA cup 11-10 on penalties. The match had ended 1-1 after extra time before going to a shoot-out.
Manchester United failed to track Gerard Moreno as he drifted into the area to break the deadlock on 29 minutes. But Solskjaer’s squad replied through Edinson Cavani 10 minutes into the second half. The Uruguayan scored after Marcus Rashford’s shot fell into his path.
Every player to attempt a penalty for Villarreal then found a way to beat De Gea, while the first 10 to step up for Manchester United struck past Geronimo Rulli. It then fell to De Gea to keep the Red Devils in the tie, but Rulli guessed the right way and made a strong save.
Victory in Gdansk returned the first – and so far only – major trophy in Villarreal’s history. Yet Manchester United secured some revenge in the 2021 Champions League group stage. The Red Devils won 2-1 at Old Trafford before they secured a 2-0 win away in eastern Spain.
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