Man United on same level as Barcelona — Emery warns Aston Villa players ahead of Old Trafford clash

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has issued a stern warning to his squad, refusing to underestimate a struggling Manchester United side ahead of their Sunday Premier League showdown.

Despite Michael Carrick’s Red Devils languishing in 17th place after a historically abysmal start to the 2026/27 domestic campaign, Emery astonishingly equated the English giants to European heavyweights Barcelona.

The bold comparison arrives just days after Aston Villa suffered a humbling 3-0 UEFA Champions League defeat at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, November 3.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference, the Spanish tactician insisted that United present an identical magnitude of challenge.

"We performed like we planned [against Barcelona], but it was not enough, because the level we were facing, this is the highest level for the Premier League and Champions League matches," Emery stated, reflecting on the midweek continental defeat.

"On Sunday, Manchester United - it's the same level as Barcelona," Emery shockingly declared. "So this is the work we are trying to set with the players, of course, very, very demanding."

While Aston Villa enter the weekend clash as favourites due to their vastly superior league position, Emery quickly pointed to United’s recent history of qualification for Europe's premier competition as proof of their underlying quality.

"Manchester United is a fantastic club, they are performing very good, last year they achieved to play the Champions League," the manager explained. "In the league, they started not being consistent, but they should recover their consistency. So it's a very, very difficult match," he added.

Beyond his immense respect for the opposition's personnel, Emery highlighted Aston Villa's dreadful recent history at the Theatre of Dreams as a major psychological hurdle.

Aston Villa have not recorded a victory at Old Trafford since Kortney Hause headed a 1-0 winner in September 2021, a drought that weighs on the current squad.

"It's Manchester United and we have very clear samples; we didn't win one match there for four years. So it means for us it's very difficult," Emery admitted. "Old Trafford is a huge challenge - for me, for the players, for our trajectory here together, because we are not winning there," he continued.

The Spanish manager specifically recalled painful recent memories, including a devastating 3-2 Boxing Day collapse in December 2023 during the 2023/24 season.

"We have had some hard defeats, like two years ago when we were close on the last match to get to the Champions League, and we lost. We lost it. So, it's always very, very difficult there," he noted.

United will undoubtedly test that vulnerable history this weekend, riding a wave of momentum following a dramatic Champions League comeback victory over AS Roma on Tuesday.

That crucial European win snapped a catastrophic nine-game winless streak, potentially serving as the exact springboard Carrick's men desperately needed.

Fully aware of the looming danger, Emery concluded his press conference with a final demand for absolute perfection.

"We must play our best - in our best individual and collective way. So, we have a lot of work to do, and we must compete at the same time," he finalised.