Manchester United face a difficult challenge when they welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford tomorrow.
Villa are a well-organised outfit under the guidance of manager Unai Emery.
United head coach Michael Carrick desperately needs a statement victory to ease the mounting pressure on his position ahead of the upcoming international break.
Emery has assembled a formidable squad boasting an excellent blend of youth and experience but there is one glaring weakness that the Red Devils must look to expose.
Victor Lindelof and Pau Torres are expected to form Villa’s central defensive partnership, potentially giving United an opportunity to target their vulnerability in aerial battles.
United should have a particularly good understanding of Lindelof’s strengths and weaknesses, given that the Swedish defender spent eight years at Old Trafford and made 284 appearances across all competitions.
He moved to Villa Park in 2025 and has enjoyed a solid spell with the Midlands outfit.
Although Lindelof was a dependable servant during his time at United, he often looked uncomfortable when dealing with long balls and physical aerial challenges.
Torres appears to share that weakness, with the graph below highlighting how both defenders have struggled to dominate aerial duels.
Carrick must recognise this potential weakness and build his attacking approach around putting Villa’s centre-backs under pressure.
Handing Joshua Zirkzee a starting role could be a particularly smart move, with the Dutchman offering valuable height, physical presence and the ability to hold up the ball.
However, Carrick is unlikely to make that change and may instead stick with Bryan Mbeumo as his centre-forward.
Senne Lammens could also play an important role by looking to release long balls whenever the opportunity presents itself, particularly with Diogo Dalot pushing higher up the left flank.
Bruno Fernandes should also be encouraged to drop deeper and use his trademark long-range passing to release runners in behind Villa’s defensive line.
That approach could force Lindelof and Torres into uncomfortable situations, testing their positioning, decision-making and ability to deal with balls played over the top.
If Carrick gets his tactics right and his players execute the plan effectively, United could turn Villa’s aerial vulnerability into a decisive advantage at Old Trafford.
Stats from Fotmob.com