The weight of history: Aston Villa v Manchester United preview and team news

Villa's abysmal record against Manchester United carries a weight it no longer deserves. It's time to banish it once and for all.

It’s not the first time a tenth consecutive win has been up for grabs. It just feels like it. It just feels as if this weekend is another potentially pivotal moment in what’s becoming a truly bizarre Premier League season.

Aston Villa have won six league matches in a row and nine matches in a row if you include the Europa League. I don’t understand how they got here. I have no idea where they go next.

Truth be told, I’m just finding it all very exciting. I don’t think Villa are in a Premier League title race – not because of anything they are or aren’t doing, but because it’s December and Villa, Arsenal or anyone else could theoretically be well off the pace by the middle of January – but if there’s one thing I’m definitely in favour of, it’s Villa winning games.

Unai Emery has done an astonishing job as manager. Villa have been in this sort of position in the foothills of Christmas before but to do it three years into the job rather than at the start is genuinely impressive.

Most importantly of all, it’s all grist to the mill of the fight for a return to the top competition in Europe. That’s the club’s aim, as it has been all along, and the closer they are to the top, the better their chance of finishing in the top four.