Manchester United welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon and will leapfrog Newcastle United in third place if they pick up all three points.
The Red Devils will be reeling from their collapse against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night, so they’ll be desperate for revenge against a Villa side that beat them back in November.
Unai Emery’s men are no slouches, however, as they’re coming into Sunday’s meeting off the back of a fine run of form, so United won’t want to underestimate them.
Manchester United are fourth in the Premier League, two points adrift of Newcastle with a game in hand. They’ve won three and drawn one of their last four games but recently threw away a 2-0 lead to draw at Tottenham.
Erik ten Hag’s men are formidable on home soil, however, boasting 11 wins and three draws since losing at Old Trafford in August, so Villa have a tough task doing the double over them.
As for the visitors, Villa are two places and six points behind United in the table. Emery’s men have won eight and drawn two of their last 10 games and may fancy their chances of an upset. Villa have been strong on the road too, boasting three wins and two draws from their previous five away outings, so Sunday’s clash should be close.
Betting odds
For betting enthusiasts and those that like to gamble on Wizard Slots, there is value in the market at Old Trafford. Man Utd haven’t lost at home since August, so it’s no surprise they’re 4/5 to win over Villa. But with the Villans beating Ten Hag’s men in the reverse fixture and being in great form of late, they’re 18/5 to win over United. Both sides have unbeaten runs to protect, so Man Utd and Aston Villa are 3/1 to draw.
United have scored in all but two of their home games in the league while Villa have netted in their last 22 outings in all competitions, so both teams to score looks tempting at 4/6.
Marcus Rashford is United’s top scorer with 16 in the league, so he’s 4/1 to score first. Ollie Watkins has 14 top-flight goals this season, so he’s 11/5 to score anytime.
- Man Utd win 4/5
- Aston Villa win 18/5
- Draw 3/1
Prediction
Although Aston Villa have beaten United in the league this season, they lost to the Red Devils in the League Cup days later and don’t have a great record at Old Trafford. Villa have managed one win in Manchester since 2009, so the head-to-head record suggests a home win.
Manchester United average 1.8 goals per game in their own backyard while Villa have averaged 1.4 goals conceded away, so a 2-1 win for Man Utd at 8/1 might be a smart bet.
