ASTON VILLA resume their pursuit for a top four finish in the Premier League with a home game against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
Unai Emery’s side got their quest for Champions League qualification back on track with a 5-0 annihilation of Sheffield United at Bramall Lane last Saturday, in a game that brought up one of my bets.
However, the Villians have since slumped to a deflating 3-1 defeat when hosting Chelsea in the FA Cup in midweek.
Looking to tighten their grip on fourth spot, Villa will look to put another three points on the board with a win against Man United this weekend.
The Red Devils have embarked on a mini-revival of sorts in recent weeks, having won their last three matches in all competitions, the most recent of which was a 3-0 win over West Ham.
As such, United have moved to within eight points of the top four so Sunday’s trip to Villa Park could well be a season-defining fixture for Erik ten Hag’s team.
Outright Betting
Despite having their long unbeaten home record ended by Newcastle last midweek, Aston Villa go into this game as 5/4 favourites at UniBet.
Manchester United beat Aston Villa in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day but the Red Devils are 2/1 (William Hill ) outsiders to reign supreme on Sunday while a point apiece at Villa Park has been priced up at 11/4 (Unibet) .
Betting Angles
This looks like a tricky match to tackle from a 1×2 perspective so I’ll instead pair up John McGinn and Casemiro to commit a foul at 10/11 on Bet 365.
Villa skipper McGinn is sure to be in the thick of the midfield battle on Sunday and I’m more than happy to go back to him to get on the wrong side of the referee at least once during this dust-up.
The all-action Scotsman is averaging 1.3 fouls per game in the Premier League this season, giving away a minimum of one free-kick in seven of his last 10 top-flight appearances.
Shifting attention to the Manchester United engine room, I’ll also back Casemiro to clock up at least one foul during this contest.
The United midfield destroyer never has been one to shy away from a tackle, evidenced by the fact that he is averaging almost three tackles per 90 in the top-flight this term to date.
In terms of the Brazilian's foul per-game average, that currently sits at 1.4 per match and I see no reason for that trend not continuing in the West Midlands this weekend.
In fact, I’m also prepared to take it one step further and back Casemiro to tackle his way into trouble twice or more during this tussle at even-money on Bet 365.
The Red Devils' designated hatchet-man has racked up three fouls in three of his last five Premier League appearances so siding with 2+ here stands out at evens.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester United will be played on Feb 11, 2024 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Manchester United prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.