ERIK ten Hag said United had been caught by surprise when they were the victims in Unai Emery's first match in charge of Aston Villa.
The Reds were beaten 3-1 at Villa Park on November 6, a defeat that looked disappointing at the time, but Emery's work with Villa since then has been exceptional.
The Spaniard has won 13 of his 22 games in charge and Villa have risen from 16th and a potential relegation battle to sixth and the possibility of a place in Europe.
They are six points behind United ahead of today's reverse fixture at Old Trafford, although Ten Hag's side have two games in hand. Villa are unbeaten in 10 Premier League games, winning eight of them.
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