United are facing Villa at Old Trafford
Manchester United will look to get back to winning ways today when they face Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
The FA Cup weekend has meant United have had to wait to put the Newcastle defeat behind them, but today would be the perfect time to bounce back against a direct rival for Champions League qualification.
Here are the teams for today's game:
United: Lammens, Dalot, Yoro, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes (c), Amad, Mbeumo, Cunha.
Villa: Martinez, Bogarde, Konsa, Mings, Digne, Barkley, Onana, Buendia, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins.
Follow all the build-up, updates and reaction from Old Trafford below:
Key Events
17' - MUN 0-0 AVL - Decent chance
Cunha plays a lovely ball into the box but Amad was the man in the box trying to attack it.
14' - MUN 0-0 AVL - Villa look sharp
It could be a recurring argument for United, whether you want the rhythm of games or the freshness of times off. Villa showing the benefit of playing on a Thursday so far. Sharper to the ball, look a little more switched on and in tune. United taking their time to find their feet after 10 days without a game. Once United get going and Villa begin to feel the fatigue in the second half, the advantage may switch.
10' - MUN 0-0 AVL - Wasted chance
"More, more, more," shouted Lammens at Dalot, who was in charge of sorting the wall from the free-kick. Villa wasted a good chance by playing it short.
7' - MUN 0-0 AVL - The shape is different
Carrick has tweaked the team's shape this afternoon. Looks like a 4-4-2 at times with Fernandes and Mbeumo up top.
6' - MUN 0-0 AVL - Mbeumo did not attack it
Nice attack down the United left ends with Cunha sending in a good cross, but neither Mbeumo or Amad were able to attack it with any conviction. You’d have fancied Sesko to have got on the end of it. Predictable United set-up with Mbeumo down the middle and Amad on the right.
4' - MUN 0-0 AVL - Promising run
Promising run from Shaw down the left ends with Cunha playing a decent cross to the back post. Would have been perfect for Sesko.
2' - MUN 0-0 AVL - Mbeumo down the middle
Mbeumo has started down the middle, but we know by now that the attack will be fluid.
1' - MUN 0-0 AVL - KICK-OFF!
We're under way at Old Trafford, so follow the blog for live updates throughout.
Almost ready
The rain is coming down, so conditions could be difficult this afternoon.
What time is kick-off?
This afternoon's game is due to kick-off at 2pm, so stay tuned
Carrick explains Sesko decision
Carrick has spoken ahead of kick-off.
When asked about his decision to start Amad and bench Sesko, Carrick told Sky Sports: "We've got a good forward line to choose from. It is getting that balance right from game to game. Over the eight games, we have had a good impact in different ways coming off the bench."
(Image: Sky Sports)
Six points clear?
Schmeichel and Staam are in the Old Trafford media room today, which adds to the big game feeling around this clash. United will move six points clear of fifth if they secure a victory.
(Image: 2026 Manchester United FC)
Rogers delivered seven goals and nine assists in 33 games for Middlesbrough under Michael Carrick. He has taken his game to another level since then and is now Aston Villa’s best player and a key man for England as well. He will be someone who could hurt his former coach today. Carrick was asked about Rogers on Friday and spoke effusively about him, admitting he was a little surprised at the speed of his impact at Villa Park.
Morgan Rogers (Image: Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images)
Striker-less attack
Carrick reverts to the striker-less attack that he persisted with, even when Sesko couldn't stop scoring from the bench. The benefit of Amad, Cunha and Mbeumo playing together is that the front three are fluid and dynamic. The downside is that United can lack a focal point down the middle.
(Image: James Gill/Danehouse)
Feels a bit harsh on Sesko, in for two games and then bumped to the bench. I think he has looked more effective than Mbeumo and Cunha in the last couple of weeks. Presumably, it will be back to that fluid front three that we had seen recently and that didn’t always work that well. Sesko has proven to be an effective substitute, so at least he is primed to make an impact from the bench again.
(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Mount has arrived
Mount has just arrived with the squad at Old Trafford for today's game.
Team news in 15 minutes
We'll confirm the starting teams for both sides in 15 minutes.
This already felt like a big game this weekend but Chelsea’s defeat to Newcastle yesterday has raised the stakes further. Both will now see it as a real opportunity to strengthen their grip on a Champions League spot. United are the team in form. Villa were 11 points better off than United when Michael Carrick took over. In the space of eight games, that lead has been eradicated and it’s now Carrick’s side who sit in third thanks to the superior goal difference. Villa have been struggling in the Premier League recently and United should really be targeting a third-place finish from here.
Gabriel excitment is building
Max Dowman became the youngest scorer in Premier League history (16 years and 73 days) last night. He travelled the length of the pitch to fire into an empty night, and the post-match coverage has centred around his future. Dowman is a wonderful talent and I watched him in person at the Emirates in last season’s FA Youth Cup quarter final, in which United knocked out Arsenal.
JJ Gabriel travelled with the U18s to London for experience that night but wasn’t named in the squad. Excitement is building around Gabriel after a prolific season in front of goal. Carrick was asked about the youngster in his pre-Aston Villa press conference, but he isn't old enough to play in the Premier League this season.
(Image: Zohaib Alam - MUFC, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Amad back into the team?
It feels like there is only one selection question facing Carrick again today, and that is whether to bring Amad back into the starting XI. He has dropped out for Sesko in the last two games, but has looked lively off the bench. I would be tempted to bring him on the left and offer some more natural width than Cunha has offered.
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Villa bottled it
Aston Villa bottled it at Old Trafford on the final day of last season, which cost them a place in the Champions League. Villa were flying in the first half of the campaign, and many pundits thought they were almost certainties to qualify for Europe’s elite competition, but their results have worsened in 2026.
Villa stopped the rot with a win against Lille in the Europa League last week, but they had lost to Chelsea, Wolves and Newcastle, while drawing against Leeds, in their previous four matches. Their underlying numbers suggested they had overperformed, which is now catching up to them.
(Image: Darren Staples/AFP via Getty Images.)
Rodgers' goal was disallowed
Villa won’t need any extra motivation given what is at play today, but when they walk back into Old Trafford today they might still feel a burning sense of injustice after what happened on the final day of last season. Defeat that day meant they missed out on Champions League football and it wasn’t without controversy, with Morgan Rogers’ goal disallowed. That would have put Villa ahead and because referee Thomas Bramall blew his whistle before the ball went in, it couldn’t be reviewed. Villa were seething at the time.
Morgan Rogers thought he opened the scoring at Old Trafford (Image: PA)
Mount could return to the squad this afternoon but De Ligt and Martinez remain sidelined. Mount picked up an injury in training in the build-up to facing Fulham on February 1 and has not played since, despite Carrick initially suggesting it was a small problem. In the first half of the season, Mount finally had momentum, putting together a consistent run of performances and staying fit, so it’s been a shame to see him out of action again. Maintaining a clean bill of health hasn’t been easy for him during his time at the club.
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(Image: Getty Images)
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Manchester United welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford this afternoon (Image: Getty Images/Pick the Team)
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(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
United handed injury boost vs Villa but three ruled out
Mount is set to return to the United squad for the clash with Villa after he returned to training at Carrington this week.
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An injury update has been given on Mason Mount ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash vs Aston Villa. (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.)