Important action in the race for Champions League qualification takes place at Villa Park on Sunday, as Manchester United look to close the gap on the hosts to five points. However, Aston Villa could all but end United’s top four dreams by landing a memorable home success against the Red Devils.
It has been an indifferent season to this point for Man United, but Erik ten Hag’s side certainly appear to be building in confidence based on their recent performances in the competition. The Red Devils have lost just once in their last seven across all competitions, and they come into this showdown after winning each of their last two.
United’s win over West Ham last weekend means that they are now just eight points off the Champions League spots, and a victory this weekend could see them emerge as a serious threat for the top four. Alejandro Garnacho continued his excellent scoring season last weekend by netting twice, while Rasmus Hojlund was also excellent once again and capped a fine display by finding the net.
Aston Villa have been one of the stories of the season in the Premier League this term, and they continue to occupy a spot in the Champions League positions after 23 rounds of matches. The Midlands side have won 14 of their 23 matches this term, and they have suffered just five defeats. They have also been among the best attacking sides in the competition after netting the third-highest tally.
Villa ended a two-game winless run in the league last weekend after claiming a dominant 5-0 win on the road against Sheffield United. That was a very impressive display by the team, and they were within one goal of breaking their highest scoring success on the road in the Premier League.
Aston Villa landed a famous 3-1 win in this exact fixture last season, ending Man United’s long unbeaten run at Villa Park which stretched back to 1995. United have won each of their last two matches against their West Midlands rivals, which includes a 3-2 success in the reverse fixture between the teams on Boxing Day.
Aston Villa will be without Pau Torres this weekend, while Emi Buendia is unlikely to be rushed back following an ACL injury. Lisandro Martinez limped off for United against West Ham, and is unlikely to return until March. Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial, and Victor Lindelof are all also out.
Man United have been involved in plenty of high-scoring fixtures in recent weeks, with an average of five goals being scored per match across their last five. Meanwhile, the Red Devils haven’t kept a league clean sheet since mid-December when playing out a 0-0 draw at Anfield against Liverpool.
Despite winning 5-0 at Sheffield United last weekend, Villa have struggled in front of goal across their recent matches. Since beating Burnley on December 30, the Midlands side had scored two goals across four matches in all competitions before their rout against the Blades.
It is hard to separate these sides based on their recent form, but United could get the nod after impressing against Wolves and West Ham in their last two. How they deal with the injury picked up to Martinez will be key, but Raphael Varane could be fit enough to feature. It is also a concern that Villa will be in action on Wednesday, likely fielding a strong team for their FA Cup replay against Chelsea.
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