In the early morning of December 27th, Beijing time, the 19th round of the Premier League ushered in a focus game, with Manchester United facing Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Manchester United, which has just completed the acquisition of part of its equity, is eager to take on a new look. Villa, who missed the top spot in the last round, also needs a win to rebuild their morale. Relevant agencies have opened an odds combination of 2.6 (Manchester United), 3.5 (tie), and 2.6 (Villa) for this game. Manchester United has no advantage at home, and Villa is expected to win away from home.
Manchester United continued their poor performance last weekend. They failed to pose a substantial threat while occupying 65% of the ball and lost 0-2 to West Ham United in the away game. After four consecutive games without a win in all competitions and without scoring a goal, the Premier League ranking dropped to 8th, 8 points away from 4th-placed Tottenham. However, Manchester United has also ushered in a glimmer of light in the darkness. Sir Ratcliffe has completed the acquisition of 25% of the club’s shares and will appoint a new CEO and sports director, which may be able to resolve the chaos within Manchester United. However, the search for changes is only after the winter window opens. At present, the team still needs to rely on the performance of Rashford and Hoylen, but their continued sluggish performance makes it difficult to see signs of recovery. This round against Villa, who are gaining momentum in the new season, Manchester United may be in trouble.
After the last round of games, Ten Hag once again achieved a “reversal” at the press conference. His remarks that “the team performed well and controlled the game” directly shocked the female reporter who asked the question. In the latest odds for the dismissal of the Premier League coach, Ten Hag tops the list with odds of 17/20. In the future, Manchester United will have to face difficult opponents such as Villa, Tottenham, and Wolves. With the addition of a new owner, there is a question mark on whether Ten Hag’s position can be retained.
Aston Villa has been playing aggressive football under the guidance of Emery this season. After 18 rounds, Aston Villa has scored 38 goals and ranks second in the league. It is only 1 point behind in third place in the league. It seems to have become a spoiler in the Premier League championship situation. Moreover, Villaren has defeated strong opponents this season. Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham are all their “dead souls”, which further deepens their dark horse status. In the last round of the game, Villa unexpectedly drew with the underdog Sheffield United at home, and unfortunately missed the opportunity to reach the top spot. However, the unfair penalties they encountered many times in the game were the key to their “causing capsize”. In this game, Villa faces Manchester United, who are in poor condition, and they will definitely hope to get back on track with a victory.
In the score odds, the lowest payout for a 1-1 draw is 6.4 to 1, followed by Villa winning 2-1 at 8.8 to 1, and the lowest payout for a Manchester United win is 8.9 to 1 for a 2-1 win. Overall, they are evenly matched. Combined with the recent state of the two teams, the possibility of Manchester United winning at home is not high. In this game, Aston Villa is optimistic about taking away points away from home.