Manchester United vs Aston Villa

One of the most exciting match-ups on this weekend’s Premier League schedule pits Manchester United and Aston Villa against each other at Old Trafford.

Manchester United let a 2-0 halftime lead slip through their fingers as Tottenham Hotspur battled back to hold them to a 2-2 draw in midweek Premier League action, curtailing their three-game winning league streak ‘to nil.’ Despite that unpleasant setback, Erik ten Hag’s men are still on the verge of returning to the Champions League, as they commence this round six points clear of closest followers with two games in hand. But after losing twice in their last three top-flight H2Hs against Villa (D1), including a 1-0 defeat in this corresponding fixture in 2021/22, Man Utd will have an added incentive to return to winning ways this weekend. The ‘Red Devils’ can draw confidence from their stellar 14-match unbeaten home run in the Premier League (W11, D3) that stretches back to a matchday-one loss to Brighton.

Meanwhile, visiting Aston Villa eked out a 1-0 home triumph over Fulham in midweek, extending their unbeaten Premier League streak to ten matches (W8, D2) and consolidating their pursuit of European football. After toppling Man Utd 3-1 on his touchline debut in November, manager Unai Emery could lead the ‘Lions’ to their first league double over the Old Trafford powerhouse since 1954/55. The visitors have fared exceptionally well on the road in 2023, going unbeaten on seven of their eight top-flight travels (W5, D2), with their only defeat in that sequence arriving in Manchester, of all places. That could prove a problem as the East Midlanders seek back-to-back away league wins over United for the first time since 1930.