Unai Emery’s first Aston Villa game is against Man Utd – his record vs Reds is poor

On Oct 24, 2022

Unai Emery will kick his Aston Villa career off against Manchester United – a team he’s really struggled against in the past.

Despite beating them via a penalty shootout in the 2021 Europa League final as Villarreal boss, Emery has only managed to register two wins in nine matches against the Red Devils.

He beat United just once in four attempts during his stint at Arsenal while his Villarreal side lost both Champions League ties against them last season.

Emery was announced as the new Aston Villa boss on Monday, four days after Steven Gerrard was dismissed following the club’s dismal 3-0 defeat to Fulham, leaving them just three points above the relegation zone.

The Spaniard won’t officially take the reins until November 1 meaning that he’ll miss Villa’s upcoming trip to Newcastle, with his debut in the dugout delayed until for the following Saturday against an Erik ten Hag side in decent form.

They beat Tottenham 2-0 at Old Trafford last week before snatching a last-gasp draw against Chelsea over the weekend, leaving them just a point off the top four.

Where will Aston Villa finish in the Premier League with Unai Emery in charge? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Emery won just won of four matches against Manchester United as Arsenal boss
(Image: Getty Images)

Emery will be hoping he fares better at Villa than he did during his last spell in English football. The 50-year-old failed to get Arsenal ticking after arriving from PSG in 2018 and was given his marching orders less than halfway through his second season.

He’s since repaired his reputation with a solid stint back in Spain, guiding Villarreal to Europa League glory in 2021 and leading them to an unlikely Champions League semi final last season, and Villa fans will be praying he can bring some of that momentum with him to the west Midlands.