Manchester United vs Aston Villa Prediction, Lineups, Results & Betting Tips

Manchester United are staring down the barrel of another defeat when they take on high-flying Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Erik Ten Hag’s side were beaten by West Ham in their last game and are at risk of being cut adrift from the top four here.

Manchester United vs Aston Villa Stats

• Manchester United have an xGA of 32.98. Only Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton have worse.
• Aston Villa have only won one of their last 10 matches at Old Trafford.
• Emery’s side have only kept one clean sheet on the road this season. They are conceding an average of 1.78 goals per game in their away games.

Manchester United vs Aston Villa Prediction

Manchester United’s season has gone from bad to worse. Their loss against West Ham has seen them drop to 9th in the Premier League and few are expecting them to turn their fortunes around and challenge for Champions League football.

The pressure is growing on Erik Ten Hag. He has some credit in the bank thanks to what he achieved last season, but he could be axed sooner rather than later if results continue to go against the Red Devils. There has been a distinct lack of creativity in the United ranks. They appeared to be meandering to a draw before Jarrod Bowen broke the deadlock on Saturday. The shortage of goals will be of huge concern to Ten Hag as they gear up to face Aston Villa.

United have now won just one of their last seven matches. They have failed to score in their last four and the manager is unable to switch things up drastically due to a deep injury crisis. They have lost half of their home games at Old Trafford this season in all competitions and the signs are ominous here.

Villa had a setback of their own in their last match. They failed to take their opportunity to go top of the league when they hosted Sheffield United and had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Despite falling short on Friday night, Unai Emery will be full of confidence ahead of this one. They remain just one point off the top of the Premier League and are emerging as potential title contenders.

Emery’s side are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions. They are scoring an average of 1.7 goals per game and conceding just 0.9. They have been leaking goals in their away matches, but they have the quality to keep this struggling United side at bay.

The former Arsenal manager has revolutionised the squad since coming in and I’m backing them to come away with all three points as a result. This bet is available at odds of 17/10 with Bet 365. Villa have a clear identity after just over 12 months under Emery and they are going from strength to strength.

Villa have suffered one league defeat since they were beaten by Liverpool at the start of September. They have the 6th best xG in the Premier League with 33.76 and are taking on a makeshift Manchester United defence.

Ten Hag was forced to start debutant, Willy Kambwala along with Johnny Evans in United’s last match.  The Red Devils have the 4th worst xGA in the division so the underlying data, as well as the results, are a huge concern here.

Tip: Aston Villa To Win 

Manchester United vs Aston Villa Results

A recap of the most recent meetings between the two sides.

Manchester United vs Aston Villa Lineups

Manchester United vs Aston Villa predicted lineups brought to you by WhoScored.com. 

Manchester United Predicted Lineup vs Aston Villa

Onana, Dalot, Kambwala, Evans, Shaw, McTominay, Mainoo, Eriksen, Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund

Aston Villa Predicted Lineup vs Manchester United

Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno, Zaniolo, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey, Diaby, Watkins

Manchester United vs Aston Villa Correct Score Prediction

Manchester United 1-2 Aston Villa