Manchester United will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
The traditional Premier League Boxing Day fixtures are here, with the action on Tuesday starting with the game between Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest at St. James’ Park. Manchester United and Aston Villa will bring the day to a close when they lock horns at Old Trafford in the late kick-off.
Things are going from bad to worse for Manchester United. The Red Devils have lost half of their 26 games across all competitions this term, already bowing out of the UEFA Champions League and the Carabao Cup. Finishing in the top four might also be a top order if the rotten form does not change. But there is cause for optimism after the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe on Sunday.
On the other hand, Aston Villa’s renaissance under Unai Emery continues to go from strength to strength. The former Arsenal manager has also repaired his image in England with his miracle act at the Midlands outfit. The Villans are third on the table, only one point behind the table-topping Arsenal and in the thick of the Premier League title race.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 1-0 win for Manchester United, with Bruno Fernandes scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
Erik ten Hag has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Aston Villa on Tuesday, the Manchester United manager will be bereft of the services of eight first-team players.
The good news is Diogo Dalot is available after serving a suspension this past weekend. Meanwhile, Raphael Varane should be available after missing the game against West Ham United because of a virus.
Varane and Dalot should return to the Manchester United starting eleven against Aston Villa, joining Jonny Evans and Luke Shaw in the backline. Meanwhile, Andre Onana is an automatic pick between the sticks, with the home side lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him.
As for the midfield unit, Christian Eriksen will be on the bench again, with Kobbie Mainoo and Scott McTominay pairing up in the double pivot. Bruno Fernandes will reprise the no. 10 role, with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho being the wide attackers. Finally, Marcus Rashford should lead the line, with Rasmus Hojlund getting some rest after being under the weather last week.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Onana; Dalot, Varane, Evans, Shaw; McTominay, Mainoo; Antony, Bruno Fernandes, Garnacho; Rashford
Aston Villa
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Unai Emery has a new roster issue hampering his preparations ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Aston Villa manager should be without eight first-team players on Tuesday.
Matty Cash is the latest absentee, with the Polish international having a one-match ban after picking up his fifth booking of the 2023/24 season. Boubacar Kamara is also serving a suspension after seeing red against Brentford.
The duo accompanies Robin Olsen (knock), Tyrone Mings (knee), Youri Tielemans (calf), Emiliano Buendia (knee), and Bertrand Traore (muscle) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Emery is sweating over the fitness of Pau Torres, who might not be fit enough to take on Manchester United.
Emiliano Martinez should take his spot between the sticks, with Aston Villa lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him against Manchester United. Ezri Konsa should move into the right-back berth in Cash’s absence. His spot at the heart of the defence should go to Clement Lenglet, who will join Diego Carlo and Alex Moreno in the backline.
As for the midfield unit, Nicolo Zaniolo, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, and Jacob Ramsey should form a dynamic quartet in the middle of the park. The four midfielders will supplement Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins, who will be the two attackers for Aston Villa against Manchester United.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Lenglet, Moreno; Zaniolo, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey; Diaby, Watkins
Key Stats
- Manchester United have won 38 of their 56 Premier League games against Aston Villa, drawing 13 and losing five. The Villans have two wins from their last four Premier League meetings with Manchester United, as many as they had mustered in their previous 51 against them (D12 L37).
- Manchester United could lose three successive games at Old Trafford for the first time since October 1962 under Sir Matt Busby. Erik ten Hag’s men have lost four of their last seven home league games, winning the other three.
- Aston Villa are on a ten-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W7 D3), last losing away to Nottingham Forest at the start of November. Unai Emery’s men have picked up seven points from their last nine available on the road.
- Manchester United have lost 13 matches in all competitions this season, their most defeats before Christmas since 1930. The Red Devils have also failed to score in four successive games in all competitions for the first time since November 1992.
- Scott McTominay has scored four of Manchester United’s ten Premier League goals at Old Trafford this season, and he is the only player to find the back of the net more than once for the Red Devils at home in the top flight.
Player to Watch
Bruno Fernandes
There is hardly anyone at Manchester United who has not come in for criticism this season. But Bruno Fernandes is a rare player who can hold his head up high as he continues to produce decent underlying numbers despite everything around him going haywire.
The Portuguese international remains one of the best creators in the Premier League. But that has not been enough for Bruno Fernandes and Manchester United, with goals coming at a premium. So, the hosts will again look to their talisman to produce something special. If that does not happen, Manchester United will end another game empty-handed.
Prediction
Manchester United 1-2 Aston Villa
Manchester United are unbeaten in their past 19 Boxing Day games at Old Trafford (W16 D3), a run dating back to 1978. In addition, they have a solid record in the Premier League against Aston Villa, hardly coming up on the wrong end of the result.
But “records are meant to be broken”, and their excellent run on Boxing Day, dating back 45 years, will end on Tuesday. The Red Devils can hardly do anything right this season, and the cheer from the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe might not last long. The Hard Tackle predicts the high-flying Aston Villa to clinch a 2-1 win over Manchester United this week.