MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United 's dramatic late win against Roma on Tuesday has barely eased the pressure on manager Michael Carrick.
Next up for United is a rejuvenated Aston Villa on Sunday in the Premier League.
Defeat would leave Carrick in a very uncomfortable position going into the November international break, which has often been a time when clubs make coaching changes after early season struggles.
Some may be surprised Carrick has held on for so long after a wretched start to the campaign has left the 20-time English champion one place above the relegation zone with only one league win.
The club hierarchy opted last month to give him a chance to rectify the situation, but a bruising 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth was followed by a 2-0 loss at Chelsea last weekend.
When 2-0 down to Roma after 17 minutes in the Champions League on Tuesday, it looked like there was no way back. A rousing second half fightback, however, sparked wild celebrations at Old Trafford and has players and fans hoping it could be the turning point.
“Nights like this can change momentum, can change seasons, and I think this win is going to give us confidence for the next games,” defender Diogo Dalot said.
Time will tell if that win proves to be a springboard or just another false dawn.
Villa is on the rise after a desperate start of its own when it failed to win its opening four games and picked up just one point following the sale of a raft of star players in the summer.
Coach Unai Emery has quickly reshaped his team in the absence of Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa, Emi Martinez and Youri Tielemans, with striker Nicolas Jackson spearheading his new look side, which is now unbeaten in five.
Villa's turnaround could serve as inspiration for Carrick and United.
It was a similar story last season when Villa went six games in all competitions without a win before recovering to secure Champions League qualification and victory in the Europa League.
Villa has backed Emery, who transformed the Birmingham-based club from a relegation battler to a regular Champions League contender.
There is no surprise that some see him as an ideal candidate to bring the good times back to United, which is without a Premier League title since club great Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Likewise, there is no surprise that Villa is reportedly trying to tie him down to a long-term deal.
After back-to-back losses Manchester City travels to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, and standings leader Arsenal is at home to Hull.
The FA Cup first round kicks off. Non-league Macclesfield, which pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the competition last season when knocking out holder Crystal Palace, faces Mansfield.
Nicolas Jackson has been transformed by Emery at Villa with eight goals in 13 appearances after struggling at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
United academy player Shea Lacey impressed when he came on against Roma and could be pushing for a start against Villa.
United's Lisandro Martinez is suspended following his red card against Chelsea last week and Carlos Baleba sustained a suspected hamstring injury against Roma.
Liverpool is monitoring Ryan Gravenberch as he recovers from a fractured heel
William Saliba has returned to full training at Arsenal, 3 ½ months after his last game in the World Cup semifinals for France.
United fans attempted to disrupt the Roma match by hurling tennis balls onto the field in protest against the club's ownership. It is not known if there will be further protests on Sunday.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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