Defeat would almost certainly be the end of hopes. A victory over Aston Villa will leave Manchester United with a chance to finish in the Champions League zone for the second season in a row. Just recently, Harry Maguire was named the best player of the month in the Premier League, and Andre Onana had a series of clean sheets, but with the onset of December, the carriage turned into a pumpkin again. The goalless draw with Liverpool proved that the Red Devils have character but demonstrated that United can only avoid losing against top opponents by playing like an underdog.
Manchester United have already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup (a tournament they managed to win last season) and have disgraced themselves in the Champions League, finishing last in a not-so-strong group.
