
Aston Villa host Manchester United this Sunday in the Premier League, who will be hoping to wrap up their week in style having beaten Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.
Villa fans would have woken up pinching themselves on Thursday morning after they beat Bayern Munich 1-0. They haven't got long to enjoy it before their attention turns back to the Premier League, where they've also had a flying start to the season.
Currently occupying 6th place, Unai Emery's side are only two points behind league leaders Liverpool, as they look to secure back-to-back top four spots and remain in the Champions League next campaign.
After losing at home to Arsenal, Villa have bounced back with wins against Everton and Wolves in front of their own supporters.
It has been a dismal period for Man United fans, who remain divided when it comes to their Dutch head coach. Erik Ten Hag is on thin ice after their 3-0 humiliation at home to Spurs, following two drab draws against Crystal Palace and FC Twente.
If Ten Hag is replaced, who comes in for him? It's a difficult one to answer, but for now the fans have to get behind him before Man United fall further down the table.
Man United did the double of Aston Villa last season thanks to late goals from Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund. However, with the Scottish international now plying his trade with Napoli, and the Danish forward slowing returning to the pitch, the visitors will need to look elsewhere if they are to pull off an unlikely victory.
That's because Aston Villa have been formidable - and have done for quite some time now under Emery. Unbeaten in seven matches, winning six of those, the Spaniard has his team playing some of the most exciting football in the league. He'll be demanding more, especially after dropping points at Portman Road, but he's making Villa Park a fortress.
As for the visitors, Man United's only success on the road this season was against sinking Southampton. They fell to a late defeat against Brighton when they switched off from a last minute set piece, before failing to land a blow in a dull 0-0 with Palace.
That has left Ten Hag's side languishing in 13th place - behind Everton, Bournemouth and of course, Aston Villa. Having picked up just four points from their last five Premier League matches, conceding double what they have scored (eight), a trip to Villa Park isn't exactly what the Dutch head coach will want right now.
Things need to change and quick, but with the players not buying into his tactics, it could be a matter of time before he receives his P45.
With Man United showing very little signs that they are capable of going toe to toe with the best in the league, Aston Villa can put the cherry on top on Sunday after what has been a memorable week for the club.
If you had said to Aston Villa fans only a few years ago they would face Bayern Munich and Man United in the same week, they'd have thought they were on an exotic pre-season tour. But under Emery, he has turned them into a winning machine, capable of beating most teams in their path.
Jhon Duran was the man of the moment once more against Bayern, with the Colombia scoring his six goal of the season across all competitions. England international Ollie Watkins has four Premier League goals to his name, who scored last time out in the league against Ipswich.
Man United may have lost their captain Bruno Fernandes against Spurs due to a red card, but their overall performance was diabolical - but something we have witnessed all too often over the last 18 months.
Both sides have played European football midweek, but only the visitors have travelled, and so it's yet another advantage for Aston Villa. The price alone for Villa to win three points is more than good enough, and so we won't complicate this week's bet. We're backing Aston Villa to beat Man United at 5/4 with bet365 to top off an excellent few days.
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