Aston Villa v Manchester United betting

Aston Villa: League Position: 8th, League Form: LDWLD

Five points from their last six games is not a glowing record of recent form for Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa side. Last week’s 0-0 draw at Swansea was set on the background of a tragic death in football, and maybe the dull game can be excused accordingly, but the fixture before at White Hart Lane was never a contest. With full backs on the wings to defend all over the field, Tottenham walked all over Villa. McLeish set out a side to nullify his opponents and failed miserably.

Aston Villa vs Man Utd odds

For a side that has spent years set up to attack with pace, McLeish’s defensive nature (if his Birmingham side is anything to go by at least) has not settled immediately. They do have, however, the speed up front that can keep them dangerous at all times. The likes of Agbonlahor, Bent and N’Zogbia certain offer a lot of threat to defenders, and the goals of Bent and Agbonlahor at home (the pair have scored 10 goals between them this season, nine of which have come at Villa Park) have got them three wins and two draws from six home fixtures.

Manchester United: League Position: 2nd, League Form: LWWWD

Unbeaten in the four Premier League games since that defeat against rivals Manchester City, taking all competitions into account United are without a win in three games. It’s not often Sir Alex Ferguson’s side go three games without a win, and you would not want to be the team facing them after a League Cup defeat in midweek that Sir Alex described as “not a Manchester United performance”.

14 points from a possible 18 away from home shows the Red Devils are not exactly suffering this season, but whilst they got away with average performances in their title win last season, this time around Manchester City have upped the game and are already five points ahead of the Champions.

Having seen Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale terrify and outplay the Aston Villa defence you would expect to see the pace of Nani and Villa old boy Young used to full effect out wide, with Rooney and Hernandez sharing a similar dynamic to Van Der Vaart/Adebayor partnership that proved so successful in that game. With Berbatov, Welbeck and Owen unfit and Valencia and Park used in the poor midweek game, it is likely these four will start, and surely have too much for a shaky Villans backline.

Match Prediction: Manchester United Win – 1.75 William Hill

This is Aston Villa’s worst start to a season since 2005-06 when they had 12 points after 13 matches and finished 16th. And yet they have not come up against the big sides. Their one appearance against the pre-season top six prospects was that one sided defeat against Spurs.

Some ominous stats are out there to detract from any positive Villa result too. United have lost only one of their last 31 league meetings with Aston Villa (W21, D9, L1), and Ferguson is unbeaten in the last 28 matches in which he has faced a former player of his who has turned to management.

Manchester United are used to winning at Villa Park, and they are not using to going four games without victory. Whilst Villa are on their worst league start for years and are happy with their position, Manchester United have only ever had more points at this stage of the season three times since the Premier League began, and they are disappointed with how things are going.

The big four players up top for United look a real class act. With Rooney without a goal in his last seven Premier League appearances it has been down to Javier Hernandez to stick the ball in the net, which he has done four times in the past six games. Old boy Ashley Young has been a little quiet lately, but old players always come back to score, don’t they?

Highlighted Bets:-

Over/Under: Over 2.5 Goals – 1.91 Stan James

First Goalscorer: Javier Hernandez – 5.5 Paddy Power

Correct Score: Aston 1 – 3 Manchester United – 15.00 William Hill

To Score Anytime: Ashley Young – 3.6 Paddy Power

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