Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has identified a curious weakness in Manchester United's armour ahead of their Premier League meeting this weekend, pointing to the Red Devils' surprising struggles on home turf.
Emery's analysis of United's home and away form
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Villa boss acknowledged the threat posed by Ruben Amorim's resurgent side but highlighted a significant disparity in their results. United have won only four of their eight Premier League home games this season, suffering defeats to Arsenal and Everton at Old Trafford in August and November, and being held to draws by West Ham and Bournemouth in December.
This patchy form means United currently sit 11th in the Premier League's home table. In stark contrast, their performances on the road have been far stronger, leaving them seventh in the away standings. "They are performing very, very well away, very well," Emery stated. "And winning matches and performing and playing fantastic. At home, they are having some more problems than away."
Respect for a rebuilding giant
Despite pinpointing this issue, the Spanish coach was full of respect for the Manchester club, praising their progress under new manager Amorim following a disastrous 2024-25 campaign where they finished 15th. United are now sixth, just two points off the top four.
"Of course, it's United," Emery said. "And United, not only for [their] history as well, how they are trying to build a team... I respect them a lot because their history, how they are performing, with the coach, new coach, last year and this year I think they are getting better." He also praised their "very, very good players" and fantastic offensive performances.
A daunting historical record at Villa Park
However, Emery's observation of United's home woes will have no bearing on Saturday's fixture, as the match is being played at Villa's home ground. Here, the historical statistics present a daunting challenge for the Midlands club.
Emery revealed a "crazy" statistic to underline the task ahead: "I think in 30, 31 years, only three times in 30 years or 31 years, only three times at home, Aston Villa beat Manchester United." The last such victory was a 3-1 win in November 2022, which marked the perfect start to Emery's own reign at Villa Park. The most recent meeting there ended in a 0-0 draw in October 2024.
Emery emphasised the need for humility from his team, who must understand their own form to overcome this historical hurdle. "We are ready, but we are respecting them and we are being humble," he concluded. "Be humble, especially in this moment, we must be humble, to try to understand why we are performing like we are." The stage is set for a compelling tactical battle as Villa look to defy history against a United side seeking consistency.
