Aston Villa star Alysson, with Unai Emery in a circular frame inset
Aston Villa star Alysson, with Unai Emery in a circular frame inset
The Villans are looking to bounce back from their 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League in midweek.
Their Premier League form is brilliant, with three wins and two draws in their last five matches.
They can inflict more misery on the Red Devils, who sit 18th in the top-flight at the moment, at Old Trafford.
To do that, Unai Emery needs to put his faith in the young Brazilian gem, to inflict maximum damage on the wings.
One particular set of stats show why Alysson must be on the pitch from the first whistle.
What's the data that points towards Alysson start in Manchester United vs Aston Villa?
The 20-year-old is a real live wire and could make the difference for Emery side.
According to FotMob, Alysson ranks third in the division for sprints per 90 minutes.
The Villa man averages 26.6 and is only behind Newcastle stars Bazoumana Traore and Matias Fernandez-Pardo in the metric.
He has completed a total of 77 sprints in the English top flight this season.
Why Alysson can be the difference-maker for Emery's side
Alysson completing the amount of sprints that he does can give the B6 side the advantage against the Old Trafford side.
If he starts on the flanks, he could use his willingness to run to cause problems for Michael Carrick's defence, something that the likes of John McGinn, Emi Buendia and Johan Manzambi can't do.
However, it could also come in handy when his side don't have the ball if he can sprint back and help out at the back, and stop United from causing issues for his side.
Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton waxed lyrical about the young winger after his showing against Viking, where he won a penalty and helped force an own goal.
Speaking on talkSPORT2 on 21 October, Ashton said: "Alysson was a constant threat down the right, getting into great positions, whether that was to set a team-mate up - he won the penalty, he caused an own goal.
“I thought he was absolutely fantastic, really."
It is a no-brainer to start the former Brazil youth international, who has not received a call-up for his country since the Under-16s.
It remains to be seen whether Emery makes the call to start the former Gremio man, but he should be considering it as he could be the danger man for the Villa Park side.