Unai Emery axes Lucas Digne in two changes – Aston Villa predicted XI vs Man United
Unai Emery may look to drop Lucas Digne from Aston Villa’s starting lineup when they travel to Old Trafford to face Man United on Sunday.
Villa lost their last Premier League match 4-1 to Chelsea at Villa Park, and they desperately need to turn the corner when they take on another top-four rival in Michael Carrick’s side.
However, they’ve taken a step in the right direction by going to France and beating Lille 1-0 in their Europa League round-of-16 first-leg clash.
Hopefully, Villa can start to perform in the Premier League, and their visit to third-placed Man United could have huge ramifications in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
Therefore, Emery will likely axe Digne from the side as he makes two changes to the team that won in Lille.
Ian Maatsen replaces Lucas Digne in two changes
Digne’s defending has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, and it’s a mystery as to why he’s being trusted to start every other game.
Although the France international was solid against Lille, Ian Maatsen is Aston Villa’s best left-back, and there is no reason for him to be rested at this stage of the campaign.
According to Sofascore, Digne has only won 54.3 per cent of his ground duels in the Premier League this season, and the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo could cause him some serious problems.
| Stat | Digne |
| Appearances | 24 |
| Ground duels won | 54.3% |
| Aerial duels won | 53.7% |
| Pass accuracy | 80.3% |
With Digne failing to impress, Maatsen must be recalled to the team, and a convincing performance against the Red Devils would do wonders for his confidence and Villa’s overall efforts.
The other change is enforced, with Jadon Sancho unable to play against his parent club, meaning John McGinn could start in his place.
Sancho joined Aston Villa from Man United on a season-long loan, although after 18 top-flight appearances, he is still waiting for his first Premier League goal under Emery.
That wait will have to continue, but his cameos off the bench in the top flight and his performances when starting in the Europa League have given Villa fans some confidence that he can end the season well.
Aston Villa fans should be wary of these key stats vs Man United
Following their 2-1 win in December, Villa are looking to complete the league double over Man United for the first time since 1954-55.
However, the Red Devils have lost just two of their last 37 home league games against the Brummies, tasting defeat in December 2009 and September 2021.
They have also kept 30 clean sheets against Villa in the Premier League, with only Arsenal keeping more against a single opponent in the competition (31 versus Newcastle).
The Villans have only won three of their last 11 league matches, but Sunday’s clash is the perfect opportunity for them to send a message of intent to their rivals.
Of course, it won’t be easy, but Emery’s side definitely have the quality to pull off a shock result, even if their past history against the Man United isn’t the best.
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