Prediction: Aston Villa vs Manchester United

Having ended the good run of results by losing to arch rivals West Bromwich, Aston Villa could face a tough task in trying to match red-hot Manchester United. The Red Devils hammered rivals Liverpool to prove their top 4 credentials and there are even whispers of title talk at Old Trafford at the moment.

Aston Villa have experienced some tough times this season, but the fans clearly have no reason to complain as manager Paul Lambert is getting the most out of what is a distinctly average squad. Numerous injuries to star players certainly did not help, but the Villans seem to have managed to get their campaign back on track. Aston Villa ended a six-match losing run as they held high-flying West Ham to a goalless draw before also sharing spoils with Southampton and Burnley. The Villans then recorded back to back victories over Crystal Palace and Leicester City, but derby defeat to West Brom ended their promising run. But, while they have done well against bottom-table sides, Paul Lambert’s charges have been pretty disappointing in matched against England’s top teams, which is a major cause for concern ahead of the Manchester United game. The good news is that key midfielder Fabian Delph is set to be recalled to the starting line-up, but wantaway defender Ron Vlaar will again be left on the bench despite being fully fit. Namely, Paul Lambert has been impressed with the likes of Clark and Okore, and he has no plans to change his centre-back pairing.

It is fair to say that Manchester United are still not playing to their potential and they have quite a few important players on the sidelines, and yet they occupy the third position in the Premier League standings, sitting eight points behind leaders Chelsea. Even if he experienced more problems at the start of his reign than he could have imagined, Louis van Gaal has kept his promise of getting the Red Devils back on track and has quickly proved the doubters wrong. The return of Michael Carrick has helped patch up the leaky defence, with the England international equally impressive when playing in defence or midfield, with Manchester United conceding mere three goals in last six matches. Defensive improvement has been the main reason for the outstanding run of six victories on the bounce that saw the Old Trafford outfit effectively revive their title bid. And with summer recruits Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao yet to reach full fitness, the Red Devils have every reason to feel optimistic about the remainder of the season. The Argentine midfielder is rated doubtful for the Aston Villa clash, but Marcos Rojo and Rafael should be fit to play. The likes of Daley Blind, Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw remain sidelined.

Conclusion

Aston Villa have failed to prove they have what it takes to match the best sides in the league and with Christian Benteke misfiring, they clearly face an uphill task against red-hot Manchester United. Buoyed by the 3-0 derby win over Liverpool, the Red Devils can be trusted to extend the winning run at Villa Park.

Verdict: Away win Manchester United (2)

Best Odds: 5/8

Bookmaker: bet365