Manchester United vs Aston Villa
So far, the 2020/21 Premier League season has been anything but usual and this may be the icing on the cake.
After being criticised over these past few months, Manchester United have suddenly emerged as dark horse title contenders by going undefeated since their earlier loss against Arsenal, and now they have a golden opportunity to do what was seemingly impossible.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are currently second in the English top-flight standings with 30 points, and a victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford and a loss or defeat by Liverpool will push them to the top.
But doing so will be much easier said than done, considering their visitors have been on an impressive run as of late.
The Villans are unbeaten in their last five Premier League games and they have moved to fifth place, only four points adrift from the Red Devils.
The SBOTOP betting odds pitch for another victory for Manchester United considering Aston Villa’s terrible record against them, but can Dean Smith’s side turn things around and surprise the hosts?
Read on below as we examine this fun matchup on Friday evening.
Talking Points
Manchester United are turning the corner
The Red Devils are high in confidence and their string of Premier League 2020 results have put themselves back into the title race.
Manchester United have pushed their undefeated streak to nine league matches, as they are fresh from a win over the Wolves last night at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford delivered the knockout blow with his sublime finish during added time and it was much-needed considering they were underwhelming all evening.
The stakes are high particularly for this match since a victory here can pile the pressure on Liverpool, who remain the favourites to defend their crown.
But to beat Aston Villa, Manchester United need to play a whole lot better on Friday and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful that his lads can recreate their form during their rousing win over Leeds United.
Bruno Fernandes, who is running the show for the Red Devils, will be relied on to weave his magic in the midfield alongside the trio of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, and Fred.
Harry Maguire and David de Gea will marshal the back for United, but Eric Bailly, Alex Telles, and Axel Tuanzebe should get significant playing time since Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are recuperating from their respective injuries.
Aston Villa should not be overlooked
The Villans won’t be a walk in the park for the Red Devils, since they too are a tough nut to crack.
Aston Villa are coming off of a highly-contested draw against Chelsea last night, as they were bailed out by a second-half equaliser from Anwar El-Ghazi.
Given the winger’s talismanic form recently, team manager Dean Smith has a put a lot of trust to him alongside Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins.
On the flipside, their defence has been underrated because they have only conceded two goals in their last five matches.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Kortney Hause, and Matt Targett have been holding down the fort at the back, but they will have their work cut out for them against a fearsome United front.
History
Manchester United and Aston Villa have faced off in 42 matches already since the turn of the century.
The Red Devils have been utterly dominant in this particular matchup as they have won 33 times, while the Villans only won in two along with seven draws.
Save for their friendly win in early September this year, Aston Villa have yet to notch a win in this matchup since 2009.
Gabriel Agbonlahor’s goal gave the Villans a shock win back then, which was their first since 1983.
Matches between these two have featured numerous goals in recent years, but can they maintain that trend on Friday?
Betting Tip
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Manchester United vs Aston Villa | Manchester United Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 1.92 |
| January 2, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
The Premier League 2020 odds are batting for the home side to win in this contest comfortably.
Manchester United are priced at 1.69 to win, while Aston Villa are pegged at 4.10 and chances for a draw are at 3.80 in the 1X2 market.
Although both sides have plenty of capable goalscorers, this should be a tight defencive slugfest considering the tired legs they have due to the condensed schedule.
Besides the above recommendation, you can also go for Under 2.50 @ 1.94 or Total Goals 2-3 @ 2.26 for other alternatives.
Aston Villa will definitely bring headaches for the Red Devils. But while both sides have been running hot in form, Manchester United’s better depth and quality should be enough to push them through.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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