On October 6, Aston Villa will host Manchester United in the seventh round of the English Premier League. This fixture marks the 201st meeting between the two sides, with Manchester United having won 106 of the previous encounters and Aston Villa claiming 52 victories. Last season, the Red Devils emerged victorious in both of their meetings.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa have started the season in impressive form, with four wins and one draw from six Premier League matches. Additionally, they secured a 3-0 thrashing of Young Boys and a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League, as well as advancing in the League Cup with a 2-0 win over Wycombe. Their only loss came against Arsenal (0-2) in the league. Under Unai Emery’s management, Villa are steadily becoming a strong top-six contender in English football.
Manchester United
Manchester United have been plagued by inconsistency this season, which remains a significant concern. While the Red Devils can convincingly win matches against teams like Southampton (3-0) and Barnsley (7-0), they have also struggled to capitalize on opportunities, as seen in their 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace. In their most recent Premier League outing, Erik ten Hag’s side suffered a heavy 0-3 home defeat to Tottenham.
Player to Watch: Joshua Zirkzee
The Dutch-Nigerian forward, much like the rest of Manchester United, has failed to meet fans’ expectations early in the season. Zirkzee last found the back of the net in August during United’s Premier League opener against Fulham. His lack of recent form will be something to watch in this matchup.
Match Prediction
Aston Villa are currently riding a six-game unbeaten streak, while Manchester United have not won a match since September 17, drawing twice and losing to Tottenham 0-3 in that period. Given the current form of both teams, Villa appear to be in better shape, and it is likely that the Birmingham side will, at the very least, avoid defeat. The odds of Villa not losing according to 1xBet are 1.399.
