Manchester United vs. Aston Villa Expert Pick – April 30th, 2023
Matchweek 34
MANCHESTER UNITED VS. ASTON VILLA EXPERT PICK – APRIL 30th, 2023 – Boom, boom, boom. I feel like these Premier League games have been back-to-back lately, giving players little to no rest between contests. This Sunday, just 3 days after their clash with Tottenham, Manchester United will welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford.
This is an extremely important game for both teams as the battle for European qualification intensifies and I’m expecting goals at both ends.
Aston Villa are currently on a 10-game unbeaten streak and they will be full of confidence coming into this game.
However, Manchester United have only lost 1 Premier League game at Old Tafford this season and have allowed the fewest goals at home in the Premier League.
It’s not completely out of the picture for Aston Villa to make it into the top 4, but in order to do so they will need to win this game. Will they be able to end their 68 year drought by beating Manchester United twice in one season?
MANCHESTER UNITED
Manchester United are currently on the right track to securing their top 4 spot in the Premier League, but manager Erik ten Hag will need to keep his team from going complacent. In their previous match, Manchester United jumped out to a 2-0 lead at half time against Tottenham but were unable to seal the deal and eventually ended up drawing.
In the game against Tottenham, Manchester United had 60% possession with 17 shots on goal. With Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, and Eriksen all back in the lineup, Manchester United looked a much better team.
They controlled the middle of the field but were unable to deal with Tottenham’s counter-attack. That game was at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Manchester United have been leaky all season in away games.
ASTON VILLA
In their previous match, Aston Villa outlasted Fulham in a hard fought 1-0 win. They held Fulham to only 1 shot on goal. They are currently on a 10 game unbeaten streak, boasting an 8W-2D-0L record during this span. However, the 2 draws both came in away games at Brentford and at West Ham United so they can expect a battle away at Old Trafford.
Aston Villa have been extremely impressive under Manager Unai Emery and are perfectly capable of pulling off an upset. They have scored at least 1 goal in their previous 20 Premier League games, so I don’t expect them to be shut out this weekend.
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PREMIER LEAGUE STANDINGS
MATCH PREVIEW
Date: Sunday, 04/30/2023 at 9:00 AM EST
Pitch: Manchester United – Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Current PL Form: | Manchester United (LWWWD) | Aston Villa (WWWDW) |
Last PL Match: | Tottenham 2 – 2 Manchester United | | Aston Villa 1 – 0 Fulham |
Head to Head
Draft Kings Moneyline Odds: | HOME: -135 | TIE: +285 | AWAY: +330 |
PROP BETS
| Over 2.5 Goals (-150) |
The last 4 times these teams have played, the game has ended with over 3.5 goals scored in each.
In the reverse Premier League fixture at Villa Park, the ball struck the back of the net 4 times and another lot of goals looks possible in this intense battle for top 4.
I am fairly confident that both teams will score and neither team will want to settle for a draw. I mean only two weeks ago Aston Villa put up 3 goals against the Premier League’s best defense. So doing the math, my money is on over 2.5 goals.
| Both Teams to Score Yes (-165) |
Manchester United have put up 4 clean sheets in a row in Premier League matches played at Old Trafford, but their performance against Tottenham was not convincing.
Manchester United showed a mixture of electric first-half attacking and sub-standard defending in the second half and there was enough evidence in that game to suggest that both teams could get on the score sheet this Sunday.
Aston Villa have found the back of the net in 20 straight Premier League games and they should be licking their chops knowing that United’s two starting center backs are out with injuries.
Marcus Rashford punishes Tottenham and doubles Man Utd’s lead. 👉 🧠
🎥 @NBCSportsSoccer pic.twitter.com/D9XsiTmXy9
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 27, 2023
Video By: Twitter (@CBSSportsGolazo)
TIPS
- Manchester United will be without Raphael Verane, Donny van de Beek, Alejandro Garnacho, Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire.
- Aston Villa will be without Leon Bailey, Philippe Coutinho, and Matty Cash.
- Manchester United have dominated this fixture with a total of 103 wins versus Aston Villa’s 51.
- Manchester United have only lost 1 game at Old Trafford this Premier League season and have only allowed a league leading 8 goals at home.
- Manchester United are unbeaten in their previous 14 Premier League games at Old Trafford.
- Aston Villa are unbeaten in the 3 previous Premier League matches against Manchester United but have not won consecutive away games against them in 93 years.
- Aston Villa have scored in 20 consecutive Premier League games and are currently on a 10 game unbeaten streak.
THE WORD
Manchester United’s edge in this game is the fact that they’re playing at Old Trafford where they have been excellent all season. Aston Villa’s edge is form. Villa are currently on a 10 game unbeaten streak, whereas Manchester United have not won in their previous 3 games in all competitions.
Keep in mind that Manchester United have not lost at home in over 6 months and I don’t think they will lose this game either. They have been a defensive wall all season at Old Trafford, but they are without their 2 starting center backs and will most likely play the same makeshift defense they had against Tottenham in their 2-2 draw.
Both teams are evenly matched at the moment, but given United’s makeshift defense and Aston Villa’s ability to score goals, I could see this one playing out an exciting draw.