Manchester United can have no regrets after overlooking Aston Villa duo Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins in the transfer market last summer.
The race for a top-four finish in the Premier League is heating up, with a narrow gap between Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
That means United’s upcoming clash with Aston Villa is a major chance to make ground on the rest, with both teams on 51 points after 29 matches.
The meeting presents a chance for Villa duo Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins to prove their worth, after being linked with moves to Old Trafford before the start of the season.
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Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens
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Man Utd made the right call signing Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko
There will be multiple players involved on Sunday when United take on Villa with a point to prove.
The Red Devils are looking to bounce back from their first defeat under Michael Carrick, while Villa have failed to win their last four matches in the Premier League and FA Cup.
After being considered by United as transfer targets last summer, Martinez and Watkins will want to be at their best, but the same can be said for the two players who were signed instead.
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With the help of data, United gambled by signing two players without any Premier League experience, but that has not stopped Senne Lammens or Benjamin Sesko from having a positive impact in their debut season at Old Trafford.
It was thought that Watkins would guarantee goals in the top flight, although he has only scored eight goals in 39 appearances across all competitions this season.
In comparison, a 22-year-old Sesko has nine goals in 26 matches. He has also spent 1,480 minutes on the pitch, which is significantly less than Watkins (2,609).
Like Sesko, Lammens has plenty of time to develop due to his age, but the same cannot be said for Martinez. The Villa stopper turns 34 later this year, and he would have been more expensive than Lammens due to his experience as a World Cup winner.
United fans wanted to sign Lammens despite being an unknown talent, and it was suggested at the time that Villa saw the Belgian stopper as a potential replacement for Martinez had he left Villa Park.
The Belgium international is an assured presence between the sticks, offering a huge improvement over Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir. He has been so good that there’s no chance anyone at United would consider swapping him for Martinez.
That could also be said for Sesko and Watkins as United opted for younger players with a higher ceiling than Villa’s ageing duo.
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Ollie Watkins registered a goal contribution against Man Utd this season
Although Watkins doesn’t have a good record against the Red Devils (W3, D2, L8), Villa recorded a 2-1 win in one of Ruben Amorim’s final games as United’s head coach.
Morgan Rogers opened the scoring in the 45th-minute before Matheus Cunha equalised before half-time.
Villa restored their lead just 12 minutes into the second half when Rogers completed his brace following an assist from Watkins.
In the 13 games Watkins has played against United, he has managed to score one goal and register two assists.
United’s defence will need to be their best to stop Rogers on Sunday.
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