Premier League: Manchester United vs Aston Villa Live
Preview
Manchester United, experiencing their worst pre-Christmas results in 93 years, will face Aston Villa in a Premier League match at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. The Red Devils suffered a 2-0 loss to West Ham United, while Aston Villa’s winning streak at home was unexpectedly halted with a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United.
The first half of the match between West Ham and Man United at London Stadium on Saturday was disappointing for both the home and away fans. However, by the end of the game, former Red Devils manager David Moyes was in high spirits as his current team, West Ham, secured a victory. Despite little threat from Man United’s toothless team, West Ham managed to score two goals through Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, leading to Man United’s eighth loss of the season and 13th overall before Christmas, a record not seen since 1930-31 when they were relegated. Although Man United’s current situation is not as dire, their recent four-game scoreless streak and a series of defeats at home are cause for concern. Despite a commendable goalless draw against Liverpool, their defensive strength did not hold up in the match against West Ham.
Unai Emery’s team was expected to secure their 16th consecutive Premier League home victory when Sheffield United visited. However, former Villa player Cameron Archer scored in the 87th minute, and a last-minute header from Nicolo Zaniolo prevented Sheffield United from leaving with three points. If Villa had won, they would have been at the top of the Premier League rankings on Christmas Day, but they remain in third place, one point behind Arsenal. Zaniolo’s late goal extended Villa’s unbeaten run to 10 matches, during which they have scored twice in each of their last three Premier League away games. However, their only clean sheet on the road in the 2023-24 season came against Chelsea in September.
Head-to-head
Manchester United has won two out of their last three matches against Aston Villa, with Aston Villa winning one game. In their most recent encounter, Manchester United secured a 1-0 victory.
Prediction
Man United hasn’t lost a Boxing Day home fixture since the 1978-79 campaign. However, this season, the team has been breaking unwanted records and struggling with their attacking threat. Aston Villa also has defensive issues away from home. Despite this, Man United’s recent victory over Chelsea shows they can perform well at Old Trafford when needed. It is expected that Ten Hag’s team will take advantage of Villa’s defensive weaknesses and secure a respectable draw.
