A big game ahead.
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00:00 And up next in the Premier League, Aston Villa away, eight points between the two sides.
00:06 Could this be another fantastic away performance from United or could you maybe see this match
00:12 sort of showing the gap between the two sides this season?
00:16 Yeah, I think it's a good point that it will be a game that will really underline either
00:24 potentially how far United are away from, let's say, the top four at the moment or from
00:28 a Villa perspective to underline that they are real challengers if United can come to
00:33 Villa Park and they can manage to beat them.
00:36 I mean, United really enjoyed playing Villa, certainly in the second half at the meeting
00:41 at Old Trafford.
00:42 I mean, Villa's tactics are so rigid in the way that they approach things and they play
00:49 that high line that United really, really enjoyed.
00:52 United enjoy playing against teams who will give them space to attack in behind.
00:56 I wonder whether that will change Unai Emery's thinking in any way.
00:59 I don't think it will really.
01:00 Obviously, Villa have had a big blow.
01:02 It looks like Ezri Konsa is going to be out of the game and they're actually struggling
01:05 with a couple of injured defenders at the moment.
01:07 Pau Torres is out as well.
01:10 So I think from United's perspective, they've got to go there.
01:13 United's away record hasn't been great recently.
01:16 They obviously had that win against Wolves last time out, but particularly under Ten
01:21 Hag, that away record at the top seven or eight clubs has been horrendous, to be honest.
01:28 And I mean, even managed to lose at Villa Park and no man United manager had done that
01:33 in the Premier League since 1995 when Ten Hag lost their last season.
01:37 So yeah, it's a big game.
01:39 As you said, eight points between United and the top four.
01:42 I mean, I think if United have any chances or hopes of challenging for a Champions League
01:48 place, they've got to start drastically reducing that gap pretty soon.
01:51 Obviously, this weekend is a perfect opportunity.
01:54 You could, you know, if they were to win, they would at least close the gap to Villa
01:57 to five points.
01:58 I mean, Spurs, I think the gap is two points off Villa.
02:02 So I'm trying to do the maths off the top of my head.
02:04 But anyway, reduce that gap anyway.
02:06 But yeah, an important game.
02:08 And I think that United will have to look to replicate the second half performance at
02:12 Old Trafford earlier this season and really attack and play with the same sort of vigour
02:17 and gusto that they showed at times against Wolves.
02:20 And certainly from an attacking sense, they showed against West Ham and try and replicate
02:23 that from their perspective across 90 minutes against Villa.