Aston Villa v Sheffield United: Premier League – live

18 June 2020: the first Premier League match under ‘Project Restart’, following the Covid-19 shutdown. Aston Villa v Sheffield United at Villa Park, with one team chasing Europe and the other battling relegation. Back then, the roles were reversed and 19th-placed Villa clung on for a point after Hawk-Eye failed to spot that the home keeper, Orjan Nylund, had carried the ball over his own line. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” said the Blades manager, Chris Wilder – and he didn’t know the half of it yet.

Villa went on to stay up by a single point as United fell away, finishing ninth and then slumping to relegation during the top flight’s silent era as Wilder departed. Returning after two seasons away, they have found it brutally tough and arrive here bottom of the table, with their former manager recalled on a rescue mission. A new Project Restart is in effect at Bramall Lane, but they can only dream that it might be as successful as the one launched at Villa Park 14 months ago.

When Steven Gerrard’s time finally ran out last October, Aston Villa were still looking down, not up, but have been transformed beyond all expectations by Unai Emery. They are third in the table and have won their last 15 home league games. Victory tonight would take them to the top – and with Arsenal visiting Anfield tomorrow, Manchester City still in Saudi Arabia and a reasonable run of games ahead, their title dream could move closer to reality in the coming weeks.

Having just seen off City and Arsenal at home, a team with two top-flight away wins since that fateful day in 2020 should pose Villa no problems. Of course, that won’t ease the nagging feeling that every fatalistic home fan will have. Wouldn’t it just be typical? Wilder and United may also feel they are owed something from that sliding-doors moment 1,282 days ago. Whether they can get it is another story. Kick-off is at 8pm, GMT.