Aston Villa Round-Up, Friday 6th November: Emery Confirms Contract Talks as Villa Prepare for Old Trafford Trip

All eyes are on Sunday's trip to Old Trafford, with Aston Villa heading to Manchester United for a Premier League clash that kicks off in the afternoon (Villa News) (Villa News). Reports differ slightly on the exact time, with some pointing to 16.30 and others to 4.30pm, but either way it promises to be a big occasion for both sets of fans (Villa News) (Birmingham World). Sports Mole previewed the game by looking at Bruno Fernandes' record against Unai Emery's sides down the years, a stat that will have United fans hoping their captain can make the difference again (Sports Mole). Former United midfielder Michael Carrick has also had his say on the game, insisting that "anything is possible" as his old club look to build momentum again at Old Trafford (talkSPORT).

On the team news front, there's a lot to get through. Unai Emery has selection dilemmas to work through, with Birmingham Live reporting that Matty Cash is unavailable and tipping Mbaye to come into the starting XI (Birmingham Live). Villa's official site also confirmed the latest team news and player availability ahead of the United game (AVFC.co.uk) (AVFC.co.uk). Emery gave an update on Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who is an injury doubt for the trip north, during his pre-match press conference (Birmingham Live). Sports Mole described it as a boost for Villa fans ahead of the showdown (Sports Mole), though elsewhere Birmingham Live ran with a more cautious line, suggesting as many as 11 players could miss the Manchester United game after a "major setback" (Birmingham Live). Villa supporters will be hoping for more clarity before Sunday.

Off the pitch, the big story is Emery's contract situation. The Villa boss has confirmed that talks over a new deal are set to take place, a update that has been picked up widely including by Sky Sports, ESPN, the Express & Star and Sports Mole (Express & Star) (Sky Sports) (ESPN) (Sports Mole). Birmingham Live also reported that Emery discussed a meeting with Nassef Sawiris, touching on what was on the agenda when the pair sat down last week (Birmingham Live). The Guardian's round-up of Premier League news also referenced Emery's contract comments alongside other stories from around the division (The Guardian).

There's also been plenty of noise around comments made by Jamie Carragher regarding Villa and Emery. Birmingham Live reported that Carragher has doubled down on his remarks despite an apology from Villa, dismissing the backlash as "nonsense" (Birmingham Live). talkSPORT also covered the story, noting that Carragher stood by his claim even after it drew a legal threat (talkSPORT).

Elsewhere, Football365 reported on transfer talk linking Liverpool with a move for an Aston Villa player, with suggestions the Reds are looking at Villa as a replacement for an Athletic Club player under Iraola who is reportedly subject of interest ahead of a possible 2027 move (Football365). As with all such reports, this should be treated as transfer speculation rather than confirmed fact at this stage.

Finally, Birmingham World reported on the prospect of Sunday's match being disrupted by protests, with suggestions of anger among sections of the fanbase directed at the ownership (Birmingham World). It adds another layer of intrigue to what was already shaping up to be a big weekend for Villa.

This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.