Aston Villa - Manchester United

Aston Villa is currently one of England's, and therefore also Europe's, best football teams. Unai Emery has painstakingly built an effective team that can beat anyone. For a long time it looked like the talisman, Watkins, was about to lose his place, but the Englishman has taken stock of his own performance, and is now playing better than ever. There is a World Cup in the distance, and it is clear that they want to be there. Another one who will be on the plane to Trump's kingdom is Morgan Rogers. What a player! There is hardly a club that does not want this man in their ranks. For the guests, things are not going so smoothly these days. Amorim, steadfast Amorim, is gradually settling on his own principles in the search for stability and points. It will not happen, however. The last match against Bournemouth was shockingly defensive, and the victorious Manchester team is looking a little blindly for the way forward. With that said, Villa Park is not the desired destination at the moment.

Aston Villa – No longer just a pretty good football team

For Villa are now something to be reckoned with. They have tried their luck in the Champions League, they have made strides in the domestic league, and they have become something to be reckoned with at the top of the table. The start of this year's season was tight, but now they are playing some incredibly good football. And not only is the football nice to watch, it brings results. The last nine in all competitions have all been won. Yes, you read that right, Aston Villa have nine straight three-pointers.

In this series of ups and downs, the home win over Arsenal is the icing on the cake. The three points were secured right at the end, and Villa Park exploded in euphoria. They beat the league leaders, and thus they have also shown that they have something to do in good company. Aston Villa is here to stay.

The injury situation is light. You don't lose any key players to AFCON, which unfortunately for the guests they do in the form of Mbeumo. Watkins, Rogers, Tielemans, McGinn, Onana and Kamara. The six players from the middle and forward are all experienced gentlemen, and the common denominator here is that no one is slacking off. Who would have dared with McGinn by their side? The capacity is high, and everyone fights for each other. In central defense, Lindelöf plays his best football. The common denominator for several of the players leaving Manchester United is that they flourish again, and find greener grass. This has been the situation for the Swede as well.

Manchester United – Rest in place. Rest.

United occasionally show what they can do on a good day. There are several players here who have a lot of football in them, but together as a team they don't work well. Maybe they don't work well because of Ruben Amorim too? Or maybe we should go even deeper and say that they don't work well because of how the venerable club has been reduced to an average Premier League team? The class that hung like a cloud over Old Trafford has blown away, and as of today they no longer have the standing they once had.

Amorim has terrible statistics to show. The Portuguese is the manager who can show the fewest clean sheets, the worst points average, and the lowest winning percentage. The numbers indicate that this man is not right for the big club. But then there is this thing about having faith in the project, and giving people enough time to make their mark on things. The question arises anyway. How much time should you give? Is it okay to end up in the bottom half? What about the player logistics? Players come in and get worse, go to a new club and flourish again. The questions are many for the Red Devils, and it is not easy to say what the right time horizon is for a searching manager. Constantly changing the man at the wheel is rarely the answer either.

Mbeumo has been on the roster during the African Championship, while Casemiro is serving yellow cards. Diallo has also gone to AFCON, and with a couple of injuries, the options are somewhat reduced. In the camp of the talent Mainoo, they take matters into their own hands. With a t-shirt with the message of setting the boy free, his brother appears on the inner court. Not necessarily meaning more playing time. The fact is that if they had invested in the youngster, perhaps they could have brought out some untapped potential. Amorim has many unanswered questions ahead of the trip to Birmingham on Sunday.

Conclusion – Ten straight for Villa?

Yes, what really speaks against it now? The home team is in shape, the away team is not. They show a solidity that the visitors do not have, and they have guys who work their socks off. United have one Bruno Fernandes. Aston Villa have many.

In Birmingham, people dream of the big things, and as of now, they are on target. They have opened the season in step with Arsenal and Manchester City, and if they can keep the heat up through Christmas, dreams can come true. But it is clear, a Christmas program with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal on the menu is only for the toughest stomachs.

So this is a game to win. If you continue with the persistent effort, keep Watkins and Rogers fit, and manage to involve the full-backs as much as you have done in recent weeks, there will be more three points for the burgundy reds. And we think you can add three fresh points to the total already on Sunday. The form and home field advantage will be crucial, and Villa will cement their position as one of England's best football teams.

England at 17:30: Aston Villa – Manchester United: Home win (2.10)

Alternative game

England at 17:30: Aston Villa - Manchester United: Over 2.5 goals (1.67)