EPL: Aston Villa may compound Manchester United woes on Boxing Day
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
