This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
Aston Villa and Manchester United meet Sunday at Villa Park in their 198th all-time encounter. Each club have a quick turnaround after their midweek forays in the Champions League and Europa League, respectively.
Aston Villa will look to carry the momentum from their 1-0 victory Wednesday over Bayern Munich. Keeping things calm will be the goal for Erik ten Hag's men, as the Red Devils have conceded three goals and finished their last two matches with 10 men.
Aston Villa sit fifth in the Premier League table with 13 points, while Manchester United are languishing further down the table in 13th place with just seven points from their first six matches.
Premier League Predicted & Confirmed Lineups
Premier League Schedule and Fixture Difficulty Ranker
HEAD TO HEAD
Aston Villa and Manchester United have met on 197 occasions, dating back to 1892 when Manchester United, then known as Newton Heath, defeated Aston Villa 2-0 in their inaugural fixture. Villa dropped both fixtures versus Manchester United during the 2023/2024 Premier League campaign by an aggregate score of 5-3.
Manchester United lead the all-time series handedly, having won 106 times and drawn on 41 occasions. Aston Villa's most recent victory over United was a 3-1 triumph at Villa Park in November 2022.
ODDS
Moneyline
DraftKings: AVL +120 Draw +280, MUN +210 (PROMO CODE)
FanDuel: AVL +120 Draw +270, MUN +200 (PROMO CODE)
BetMGM: AVL +115 Draw +275, MUN +210 (BONUS CODE)
Bet365: AVL +120 Draw +275, MUN +200 (BONUS CODE)
FORMATIONS
Aston Villa are likely to roll out the recognizable 4-2-3-1 shape that has allowed the club to better control matches under manager Unai Emery, who has relied upon continuity and individual growth to fuel Villa's meteoric rise. In the Villa midfield, new signing Amadou Onana takes the place of long-serving Douglas Luiz, if Onana can pass a late fitness test.
When in possession, look for Aston Villa to build from the back with the goal of isolating Ollie Watkins against the the less agile half of Manchester United's center-back pairing, most likely Matthijs De Ligt. Villa have a tendency to tilt the field in the direction where Emery sees a perceived advantage, using Jacob Ramsey and their attacking midfield contingent to pull defenders forward, creating space in behind for direct runs from the Villa attackers.
Manchester United's much maligned manager Erik ten Hag is likely to match Aston Villa's 4-2-3-1 setup with Joshua Zirkzee primed to lead the line after an abbreviated appearance as a substitute in United's midweek draw versus Porto. Bruno Fernandes is the impetus for the United attack and will be available for selection after his successful appeal to have his red card ban rescinded. United's first-choice keeper Andre Onana's ability to distribute the ball effectively begins the Manchester United build up play from the back.
With each team poised to mirror each other's shape, individual battles and tactical adjustments are likely to decide the outcome of the clash. Super substitute Jhon Duran will inevitably make a second-half appearance and threaten the United goal. Conversely, talented striker Rasmus Hojlund started his first match of the season in United's Europa League clash after recovering from a hamstring injury. Expect ten Hag to strategically select the right moment to bring the young Dane off the bench and into the fray.
RECENT FORM
Aston Villa (WWWDW) dropped points from a winning position in their most recent Premier League match, conceding a second-half goal that saw the Villans finish on level terms, 2-2, at Ipswich Town. In their midweek Champions League affair, Villa scored a historic 1-0 victory at Villa Park over German giants Bayern Munich.
Manchester United (WDDLD) resoundingly fell 3-0 at Old Trafford versus Tottenham in their most recent domestic fixture, as they were forced to play with 10 men for the entirety of the second half following a Bruno Fernandes red card. Fernandes saw red once again in the midweek, though a stoppage-time goal from Harry Maguire rescued points for the Red Devils in their 3-3 Europa League draw versus Porto.
LINEUP NOTES
Aston Villa
Long-serving Villa defender Matty Cash made the bench during Wednesday's Champions League match for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury, though he won't be ready to start. After playing 84 minutes of Villa's draw versus Ipswich Town and a full 90 minutes in the midweek Champions League tilt, Lucas Digne could give way for Ian Maatsen to receive his first start of the season.
Further up the pitch, Villa have suffered a rash of injuries. John McGinn has missed two matches with a hamstring injury and is not expected back for the weekend's match. Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and Amadou Onana each left Villa's midweek Champions League fixture with knocks, the latter two being described as game-time decisions, while Ramsey is a doubt for the clash. Youri Tielemans will likely be tasked with running the midfield while Ross Barkley could see significant minutes if Onana can't start.
Manchester United
Manchester United's young midfield starlet Kobbie Mainoo is a doubt for the match with a knee injury. Veteran midfielder Casemiro has the qualities to bring calmness to the United build-up play while protecting the back four. He, along with Manuel Ugarte and Christian Eriksen, could be the options to replace Mainoo. Noussair Mazraoui continues to deputize at left-back for Luke Shaw, who is anticipated to be out through the international break with a calf injury. Mason Mount is dealing with a head injury and not expected to start.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jhon Duran: Duran continues to build a larger-than-life legend as a super sub. He has not started in eight appearances this season, but he has scored five goals (all competitions). Manager Unai Emery's ability to bring an instant goal threat form the bench could tilt the balance of the match.
Alejandro Garnacho: Garnacho Has started in just three of his first six Premier League appearances to begin the season, scoring once, assisting once and creating six chances. He was able to wriggle free for a two-goal performance in United's first showdown with Villa during the 2023/2024 Premier League season which they won 3-2.
BETTING PICKS & PREDICTION
Premier League Odds Comparisons
Man of the Match: Youri Tielemans
With Aston Villa expected to be short handed in the midfield, look for Tielamans to be the man on the ball for the Villans. The experienced midfielder has made eight starting appearances across all competitions for Villa to being the 2024/2025 season, scoring once, assisting thrice and creating 14 chances.
Result: Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United
UPCOMING UCL FIXTURES
Aston Villa: Oct. 19 at Fulham
Manchester United: Oct. 19 vs. Brentford
