Manchester United travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on Saturday evening as they will be trying to get back on track in the Premier League.
When the two clubs played in the FA Cup on Monday, the Red Devils won 1-0, with Scott McTominay scoring the only goal in the third-round match at Old Trafford.
On Monday, a powerful Villa side was unable to defeat Man United in the FA Cup, but head coach Steven Gerrard will have been pleased with what he saw from his squad for lengthy periods of the match, with the home side relying on luck to progress to the fourth round of the cup.
Villa showed their ambition by signing Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne in the January transfer window, and there is little doubt that Gerrard will aim for a top-half finish, despite the fact that the squad is currently 14th in the table after 19 games of the 2021-22 season.
The hosts have won seven, drawn one, and lost 11 of their 19 league games this season for a total of 22 points, but they are only three points behind 10th-placed Leicester City, and it is difficult to look at the table too closely at the moment because a number of teams are playing a number of matches very quickly due to COVID-19 issues.
Villa has lost four of their previous five games in all competitions, including three of their last four in the Premier League against Liverpool, Chelsea, and Brentford, causing them to drop to the bottom of the standings.
The Lions won 1-0 at Old Trafford in the reverse fixture in September, but they haven’t beaten United at Villa Park in the league since August 1995.
The visitors may have beaten Villa in the FA Cup on Monday, but they dropped out of the top four after losing their previous league game at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 3.
Ralf Rangnick’s side is now seventh in the table, six points behind fourth-placed West Ham United, but with two games in hand, they are still in contention for a Champions League position.
Only a top-three finish will suffice for the club, according to Cristiano Ronaldo, but they are 11 points behind third-placed Liverpool and will struggle to finish higher than fourth this season.
The 20-time English champions have three crucial Premier League matches remaining in January, against Villa, Brentford, and West Ham, before facing Middlesbrough in the FA Cup at the start of February.
The Champions League returns next month, with Man United meeting Atletico Madrid in the round of 16, and the Red Devils’ 2021-22 campaign might still be a success despite their problems thus far.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United: Head-to-head
Matches played between the two sides: 202
Aston Villa wins: 50
Manchester United wins: 102
Draws: 50
Our Recent meeting:
In Monday’s FA Cup third-round tie, Scott McTominay’s early header proved to be the game-winner, sending United through to face Middlesbrough. Villa won by the same scoreline, 1-0, at Old Trafford earlier this season, with Kortney Hause scoring two minutes from time in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, and Edinson Cavani scored second-half goals to enable United to come from behind to win 3-1 at Villa Park in May 2021. Anthony Martial and Fernando Fernandes scored in a key 2-1 home win earlier in the 2020/21 season. To help secure the three points, Eric Bailly came up with a spectacular late block.
Aston Villa form guide in all competitions: W, L, W, L, L, L
Manchester United form guide in all competitions: D, W, D, W, L, W
Aston Villa vs Manchester United: Team News
Aston Villa:
Villa will be without Leon Bailey and Nakamba due to injuries, while star midfielder John McGinn will miss the match due to suspension.
Due to their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet will also miss out, while Ashley Young is a doubt to face his former club this weekend. Coutinho, who has signed on loan from Barcelona, might be joined in the starting XI by new left-back Digne for the home side.
Coutinho’s inclusion could force Danny Ings out, while McGinn’s absence will allow Frenchman Morgan Sanson to play with Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey in a midfield three.
Manchester United:
Despite a hip injury, Ronaldo is expected to be available for Man United, while Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho, Diogo Dalot, and Phil Jones should all be fit to play.
The team’s sole confirmed injury absence is Paul Pogba, although Luke Shaw and McTominay are suspended, and Eric Bailly is away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
McTominay’s place in midfield might be taken by Nemanja Matic, while Edinson Cavani is expected to replace Marcus Rashford in the final third.
Rangnick has been rumoured to be considering a midfield diamond, but Donny van de Beek is still unlikely to play from the start due to the ongoing speculation about his future.
Our Prediction for the match:
Man United will have a big test in this encounter, and Villa will be confident following their great performance on Monday night. The Red Devils, on the other hand, have such a fantastic record at Villa Park, and given Villa’s recent form, we’re expecting both the teams to share the points.
Our Score: Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United
