Manchester United return to Premier League action on Sunday with a trip to lowly Aston Villa. The Midlands side will be playing their first game under the stewardship of Unai Emery, after the former Arsenal boss was named successor to Steven Gerrard.
They have won just three of 13 games so far this term and the Spaniard’s remit is to significantly improve that record, starting with a visit from Erik ten Hag’s side. United are in fine fettle, undefeated in their last nine games across all competitions.
Whilst a home win might seem unlikely with the bookies, Emery is wishing for a positive start so he can properly celebrate his birthday weekend.
The former Villarreal chief turned 51 on Thursday but preparations for his maiden game in charge have understandably overshadowed the occasion.
He said: “My birthday will be on Sunday if we win! If we win against Manchester United, I am going to enjoy it after this match.
“On Thursday, I didn’t even have time to answer a lot of messages. My only focus now is Manchester United.
“Our players are underperforming and my focus is to try to help them. We are going to prepare first for Sunday, being ambitious to try and push our ideas.”