Man United head to Aston Villa this weekend with their top four hopes on the line… win and they are five points behind Unai Emery’s men with all the momentum – lose and an 11-point deficit feels like a MOUNTAIN to climb

When Leander Dendoncker found a pocket of space inside the six-yard box, surrounded by six frazzled Manchester United players, to poke Aston Villa into a 2-0 lead, all eyes turned to one man at Old Trafford. 

Fixed on the Manchester United technical area, glued to an expressionless Erik ten Hag, who, with hands buried in his coat, was left to wonder whether fading hopes of a top four finish were being extinguished in front of his very eyes.  

Villa pitched up at Old Trafford on Boxing Day sitting third in the Premier League with an 11-point cushion on a United side that had been turned over by West Ham just three days prior. 

John McGinn’s opener from a free-kick was followed up with Dendonker’s instinctive finish five minutes later and the boos rained down. United’s season, if they were to make the Champions League next season, was hanging in the balance in that moment.

Lose and it’s a 14-point gap. Pull off an improbable comeback and it’s eight points with a momentum shift.  

Erik ten Hag (left) and Unai Emery (right) know Sunday’s clash is huge in the top four race

Victory for Aston Villa would create an 11-point buffer – but United can cut it down to just five

During their last run-out less than two months ago, the hosts had to pull off a heroic comeback

Down 2-0 as Ten Hag scowled his way down the touchline and into the tunnel, it was, arguably, his most important team-talk of the season so far.  

What followed was a front-footed display from a team that knew their season was on the road to nowhere without it.

Alejandro Garnacho hauled United level with two fine finishes before Rasmus Hojlund scored his first Premier League goal. 

It was a huge moment, seen from the director’s box by Sir Dave Brailsford, who was attending for the first time since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority £1.3billion takeover had been ratified.

United’s season had life again. Eight points behind Villa, the top four was now firmly back on the cards.  

‘We were competitive with Arsenal, we were competitive with Liverpool. If we play at our best, we can beat anyone,’ Ten Hag said, followed by a not-so-subtle message to his players.

When John McGinn curled in at Old Trafford, United were staring a 14-point deficit in the face

There were boos at Old Trafford that day as Ten Hag had to give a crucial half-time rallying cry

‘Believe in it. Even when you are 2-0 down, keep going, show the character, and I think today it showed. We have the personalities to do it.’

It’s not been perfect since Boxing Day for United, not least getting turned over away by Nottingham Forest. 

Both United and Villa have two wins, a draw and a defeat to their names since meeting at Old Trafford. 

But crucially United, currently sixth, head to Villa Park in the knowledge that doing the double over Unai Emery’s side, who are third, would take them within five points. It would be three straight wins and all the momentum would be with United. 

‘I said to the team from the start of January every game is now a final,’ Ten Hag said this week.

‘That was also our approach to West Ham, this is a final, we have to take this challenge and see it as a final. That will be every day now from on.’

It had the desired effect as Alejandro Garnacho scored a brace to draw United level at 2-2

Rasmus Hojlund (right) then scored his first Premier League goal to secure three huge points

There is the possibility that the Premier League could have five Champions League spots available next season, but that is not guaranteed and working to such would be foolish at the start of February. 

But the ‘final’ line is a nod to the mindset in United’s dressing room now. No more handbrake. This young group have to go for it with everything they have.  

It is important to underline just how big a game this is for Villa, as much as it is for United. 

Back-to-back home defeats – to Newcastle in the Premier League and Chelsea in the FA Cup – has only sharpened the focus on the visit of United this Sunday. 

Sixteen wins at home from 19 is brilliant but there has been a panic in the air after the last two games, performances that have seen Villa dominated and punished with early goals. 

‘We are being consistent in the Premier League. Maybe some results could give some doubts and or maybe lose confidence,’ Emery conceded after defeat to Chelsea.

United know they can undo a lot of the good work since then by losing away to Aston Villa

United’s youngsters have to prove they can handle the pressure as the top four race intensifies

‘My objective now is we have to be confident and comfortable playing at home, even when we are not getting good results like Wednesday. We have to analyse and get the answer when we lose matches like that.’

There will be 14 matches left once all is said and done on Sunday and if United come out on top they will fancy their chances of usurping Villa in the race to the finish. However, lose, as they did on the road at Forest, and Villa will be 11 clear having exacted revenge for Boxing Day.

With the pressure dial at its maximum, now it’s time to see who is built for the big moments. Over to you, Erik and Unai.