Manchester United play host to Aston Villa this afternoon knowing that they must win this match in order to keep Michael Carrick in his job.

The under-fire head coach avoided the sack after two heavy defeats against Como and Bournemouth - 4-1 and 3-0 respectively - a fortnight ago, and he was kept in-post for the visit to Chelsea, which United also lost 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

It meant that Carrick’s men had gone nine games without a victory in all competitions, a run stretching back to late August.

Immense pressure was piling on the former midfielder, with the majority of supporters expecting his dismissal after the thrashing by the Cherries at Old Trafford, but it was reported that the club hierarchy wanted to reassess his position during the November international break.

As such, it gave him the 3-2 victory over Roma in the Champions League, and it gives him this encounter against a rejuvenated Aston Villa, who are now five league games without defeat.

Unai Emery oversaw a 3-1 win against Viking last time out on the continent, while they stunned Manchester City 2-1 at Villa Park in their most recent league outing.

: You can watch this match live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage set to begin after the conclusion of Chelsea’s trip to Sunderland ahead of a 4.30pm GMT kick-off.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also stream the game live on the Sky Go app and website.

Odds from UK betting sites. Subject to change.