Aston Villa Prepares for Tough Manchester United Clash as Unai Emery Compares Rivals to Barcelona

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has compared Manchester United to Barcelona ahead of their upcoming Premier League match at Old Trafford. Emery noted that United play at the highest level of European football despite a tough start to the season. Villa head into Sunday's game aiming to stretch a five-game unbeaten run. At the same time, they face a poor historical record at Old Trafford, having lost their last six matches there in all competitions and failing to win an away fixture at the ground for four years. Emery spoke after Villa suffered a three-goal defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League. He stressed that facing United brings a similar challenge and demands top performance from his squad. Manchester United have managed only one league win all season. Even so, the Villa boss pointed out that they remain a fantastic club capable of returning to consistent form.

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Unai Emery is currently in talks regarding a new contract at Aston Villa as his team looks to improve their away record against top English clubs. Fixtures at Old Trafford traditionally test visiting squads due to the stadium's intense atmosphere and United's historical strength.