Ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher couldn't hide his smirk during pre-match coverage of Aston Villa's Premier League clash with Manchester United

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher couldn't hide his smirk as he and fellow pundit Daniel Sturridge discussed Aston Villa's progress in the build-up to this afternoon's Premier League clash with Manchester United.b

While Liverpool secured a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace in its final fixture before the international break, Super Sunday's prime slot sees 12th-placed Villa take on relegation-threatened United. Sturridge waxed lyrical about the Midlands club's progress under Unai Emery and his ability to improve players.

A few feet away, Carragher couldn't hide his smirk in light of his recent high-profile row with Villa, which resulted in a public apology from the ex-Liverpool defender. The controversy emerged as a result of a string of comments made by the pundit relating to the so-called "food chain" in football.

As pressure mounts on United boss Michael Carrick, Emery could well put the final nail in his opponent's coffin this afternoon if Villa beats United at Old Trafford. There's plenty of discourse over who could replace him, and one name Carragher has linked with the United job is Emery, in light of the huge success he's enjoyed at Villa in recent years.

Given the Villa boss has previously managed clubs of the size and stature of Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, Carragher suggested Emery will likely want to do so again. He suggested Villa will never be United and that there's a food chain in football, before telling fans to "shut the f--- up" in response to their criticism of him.

Though Villa never officially initiated legal action against Carragher, the club publicly threatened to do so. In a statement released at the end of October and signed by chairman Nassef Sawiris, Villa accused Carragher of insulting the club and its fans with his "unacceptable insults".

That subsequently prompted a public apology from Carragher, who admitted his language was "clumsy and wrong". While claiming it was only tongue-in-cheek, the former defender accepted that wasn't how it came across.

However, Carragher has seemingly doubled down on his opinions this week with his latest column in the Telegraph. He chose his language more carefully on this occasion, suggesting Villa Park is arguably a better place to be than Old Trafford at this moment in time.

That said, he used specific examples as to why the food chain exists, such as honors won, fanbase size and global status, and insisted there was context behind his argument. He also explained that his apology was for the language he used when speaking on The Overlap.

Carragher will have to continue to choose his words wisely this afternoon throughout coverage of Villa's clash with United, and his earlier smirk suggests he's well aware he's in the spotlight. Villa can move into the top 10 with a win at Old Trafford.

United, meanwhile, will hope to move out of the bottom three and get back on track, potentially keeping Carrick in his job. Liverpool will certainly be watching on with interest as United visits Anfield after the international break.