Aston Villa V Manchester United

Aston Villa V Manchester United

Date & Kick-Off: Saturday, 3 December – 15:00 GMT

Venue: Villa Park

Preview

Villa Park has been a happy hunting ground for Manchester United over the years, with the Red Devils winning nine and losing none of their previous 15 visits in the Premier League. Their last defeat there occurred way back in 1995. Yet I could not touch them with a proverbial barge pole on Saturday, when they tackle Aston Villa in the live tea-time clash on ESPN.

It’s been sixteen years since Aston Villa last recorded a win at Villa Park over Manchester United in the Premier League – but their barren run has every chance of coming to an end on Saturday. Alex McLeish’s team could not of wished for an opportunistic time to face the defending champions, right on the back of two retched results; their first coming in the league at home to Newcastle, dropping two valuable points in a 1-1 draw, though Wednesday’s exit from the Carling Cup was far more humiliating.

In years gone by, punters would put their life’s savings on United bouncing back. They coined the phrase ‘bounce-back ability’. But this is no vintage crop. This is a young side very much in transition, while there are still question marks over certain individuals/positions. So much so that at this moment in time, with United lacking combative numbers in the middle of the park, Sir Alex Ferguson has resorted to using Wayne Rooney – the most influential figure in the side, from an attacking point of view – as a makeshift central midfielder.

Dropping Rooney back has paid dividends, although only by virtue of Javier Hernandez’s clinical instincts. United have only mustered six goals in as many league games and four of those were netted by the Mexican starlet, who just so happens to have scored in each of his team’s last three away matches. Had it not been for his tap-ins, many would be questioning Ferguson’s decision regarding Wayne Rooney’s new role.

On the plus side, goalkeeper David de Gea isn’t being called upon as regularly as he once was. In fact, Demba Ba’s converted penalty last weekend – which should never have been – was the first goal he had conceded in over six-and-a-half-hours of Premiership football. The drawback: any team competent in defence could spring a surprise with a clinical performance of their own against a goal-shy Manchester United side.

Villa certainly fit the above description. Manager Alex McLeish does try to make his team as difficult as possible to beat, even if it hasn’t always paid off. Comprehensive defeats away to Man City (4-1) and Tottenham (2-0) being prime examples. At home, though, Villa are usually a different proposition; they’ve scored 10 of their 16 goals at Villa Park, and conceded five goals fewer than on their travels.

Villa Park is also where Darren Bent has tended to spring into life this season; all five of his Premier League goals for the term where netted on home soil. Of course, Bent no longer has Ashley Young and Stewart Downing assisting him on the flanks, and that is having a detrimental effect on the number of chances he gets.

However, wingers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Charles N’Zogbia, as disappointing as they’ve been so far this season, are incredibly talented – both have bags of pace, while the pair of them are equally adept at beating markers and supplying decent service to the frontman. Their respective battles with Chris Smalling and Patrice Evra will have a significant bearing on how Villa fare in this fixture, although Smalling has only just returned from injury while Evra has looked shaky all season.

So, far from a foregone conclusion this. United deserve to be favourites; they sit second in the table, have won four and lost none of six away from home, while their record away to Aston Villa is imperious – even though they’ve drawn on their last three visits. Villa, meanwhile, have been extremely hit and miss and haven’t been the reliable sort this season. Nevertheless, I personally see a lot of value in the hosts.

Match Pointers

- Since the 1996/97 season, Aston Villa have beaten Manchester United once in 30 Premier League meetings – a 1-0 win at Old Trafford during the 2009/10 campaign.

- The previous three league encounters at Villa Park have all ended in draws, with United clawing back a two-goal deficit there last season to draw 2-2.

- Aston Villa have won only one of their last six league games, suffering three defeats during this spell (W1 D2 L3).

- Darren Bent has scored all five of his Premier League goals this season at Villa Park, netting in each of Villa’s previous three home games.

- Manchester United have scored precisely one goal in each of their last four away Premier League games, winning the previous two 1-0.

- United boast the strongest away defence in the top flight, conceding just three goals whilst keeping three clean sheets.

- Javier Hernandez has netted five of his six league goals away from home, scoring in each of United’s last three away fixtures.

Betting

I do genuinely believe an upset could be on the cards here. Manchester United are going through a tough spell at the minute, with Wednesday’s embarrassing exit from the Carling Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace only compounding last week’s setback at home to Newcastle. Goals have seriously dried up and while they have improved no end defensively, their lack of goals leaves them vulnerable against any teams with a strong defensive rearguard.

Just two teams have conceded fewer goals at home this season than Aston Villa. Their wingers simply have to make an appearance if there is to be an upset, but in striker Darren Bent you know Villa have a goal or two in them, and on current form, with United failing to score more than one goal in each of their last six league matches, that’s enough to entice me.

I’m sold. Aston Villa to win, with Darren Bent netting the first goal. Both are handsomely priced.

Match Outcome: Aston Villa to WIN – 19/4 StanJames

Value Bet: Darren Bent First Goalscorer – 13/2 VictorChandler

Match Odds

Aston Villa – 19/4 StanJames

Draw – 14/5 StanJames

Manchester United – 8/11 PaddyPower

Aston Villa V Manchester United

Saturday, 13th November – 12:45 (GMT)
Venue: Villa Park
TV Coverage: Sky Sports HD2

Aston Villa

League Position: 10th
League Form: DLDDW

You would have thought, what with his well publicised heart problems, Gerard Houllier would have opted to end his three-year absence from the managerial scene, away from the day-to-day stress which accompanies club management, with a more straightforward role than manager of Aston Villa, where the demands are always sky-high for a club which, under previous manager Martin O’Neill, had been overachieving for years. But if the successful Frenchman wanted a challenge, Houllier most certainly got more than he bargained for by signing on the dotted line with the Villains.

In the wake of so many injuries, Houllier had his hand forced with his starting XI and, without being too disrespectful to the opponent, he was extremely fortunate only to have come up against newly promoted Blackpool. Furthermore, the Tangerines had also made wholesale changes, and this was probably the only reason why Gerard Houllier left Villa Park celebrating only his second league win as manager, as Villa’s inexperienced line up by no means had matters all their own way. Twice Villa found themselves in front via strikes from Stewart Downing and Nathan Delfouneso only to be pegged back on both occasions by a Blackpool side who gave as good as they got. And were it not for James Collins’ last-gasp winner, fans would have left the stadium irate at the lack of composure and nerve shown by the Villa players in a game everyone expected them win well, let alone win.

I was left stunned when I heard this statistic, but it has been a little over 15 years since Aston Villa last recorded a win at home against Manchester United – And in that time 14 league matches have been contested between the two at Villa Park with Villa registering just five points. It’s quite incredible, but also frighteningly scary considering Villa’s squad is being stretched to its limits right now and the starting XI which Houllier did somehow scrap together could only just fend off a Blackpool side which had undergone mass changes as well. The only thing stopping us from deeming the outcome of this match, the 19th meeting at Villa Park in the Premier League, a formality is Villa’s unbeaten record at home in the league this season – Six matches in total, with 3 Wins and 3 Draws.

Villa’s injury list is of grave concern to their chances on Saturday, with as many as five automatic starters either out altogether or a major doubt. Full-back Beye is a doubt but should be in contention after recovering from an ankle injury, but club captain Nigel Reo-Coker, Styilian Petrov and Steve Sidwell deplete the midfield, while up front Houllier is left scratching his head as to who will start up top against the Red Devils, with Gabriel Agbonlahor their only fit forward but has very little playing time under his belt, with both John Carew and Emile Heskey out injured. Worrying times this for Aston Villa, especially as Houllier will have very little to spend in January unless he offloads some of his current squad, which is unlikely considering the numbers are thin.

Manchester United

League Position: 2nd
League Form: DWWWD

The combination of a virus bug and injuries resulted in United manager Sir Alex Ferguson fielding one of his weakest ever Premier League teams last Saturday at home to second from bottom Wolves. Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Carrick were among those who missed the match completely with illness, although captain Nemanja Vidic and full-back Patrice Evra were among those in the starting XI suffering from the illness who put in lethargic displays as the Red Devils somehow rode their luck and overcame a battling Wolves side to register their sixth league win of the season, and at the time reduce the gap on Chelsea at the top to just two points.

Korea’s version of David Beckham was the hero last weekend as United perhaps undeservedly won their Old Trafford contest with Wolves, whom caused the hosts all sorts of problems throughout the entire match and were, in my and Mick McCarthy’s opinion, the better side over the course of the 90 minutes. But as all true champions do, and know well, United somehow grounded out a 2-1 victory despite fielding one of their weakest ever Premier League XI’s. To emphasise just how lightweight the United starting line up was, their strike force was the trio of Javier Hernandez, who has shown bags of potential but is enduring a quiet spell at present, with Gabriel Obertan and Bebe out on the wing. None of the aforementioned trio managed to get the supporters out of their seat during the game so the return of Dimitar Berbatov and Nani from illness and injury respectively, with the pair both absence a week ago but present during the dismal Derby affair, will be a welcome relief despite their lack of form in recent matches.

So, all the hype surrounding the Manchester Derby, between the contenders and pretenders some might say, was undoubtedly the biggest anti-climax we’ve ever witnessed, as well as being the dullest contest we’ve watched in a long time. With that said, there were absolutely no doubts as to which of the two were the dominant throughout the 90 minutes, with the Reds dominating possession, moving the ball around at a leisurely pace, but there was a distinct lack of cutting edge in their play which meant they couldn’t capitalise on the large chunks of possession they enjoyed. The only positive to come out of Wednesday’s forgettable outing in Manchester was that United extended their unbeaten start in the league to 13 matches, although you could counter that with their impressive run of three successive league wins coming to an end in toothless fashion.

As well as playing their part in inarguably the worst ever Derby to be shown live on TV in England, United also lost valuable ground on Chelsea as the Blues put four points between them and second placed United with victory over Fulham at Stamford Bridge. The margin for error has now all but vanished, although Villa Park has never been a problem Venue for the Red Devils so, in theory and on paper, there shouldn’t be any more lost ground although, and this despite not losing in Birmingham to Aston Villa for 15 years, Sir Alex has seen his side fail to come away with all the spoils in his previous two visits to Villa Park, and with the team hampered by injuries and playing nowhere near the standard of football we’ve all come to love and expect, a third successive draw wouldn’t be out of the question.

Match Odds:

Aston Villa – 5.00 BetFred
Draw – 3.75 VCbet
Manchester United – 1.83 PaddyPower

Carling Cup Final

Aston Villa V Manchester United

Sunday, 28^th February – 15:00 GMT(LIVE on BBC1)

Introduction

This isn’t a competition most clubs in England stick at the very top of their list of priorities for the season, more right at the very bottom in fact. However, it is still a momentous occasion, especially for Aston Villa, whom will be making their first appearance in a domestic cup final for the first time in nearly a decade, with their previous final appearance being a losing one in the 1999-2000 FA Cup final back at the old Wembley. However, you have to cast your minds back ever further for Villa’s last taste of cup success, back in 1996 when Aston Villa won this very competition beating Leeds United 3-0 in the final. Their opponents, however, Manchester United, need only stretch back a single year for their last piece of silverware, that being the Carling Cup as well as they beat Tottenham Hotspur via a penalty shoot-out last season.

The one defining factor every finalist needs is passion, and perhaps experience could be thrown into the equation as well, and while United certainly have bags of the latter, we feel Villa will have far more passion seeing as finals don’t crop all too often for them, very rarely in fact, so you’d have to feel they’ll have more hunger in their souls than their ready-made final opponents, Manchester United. Don’t be fooled into thinking United won’t be fired up to win on Sunday though, as the Mighty Red Devils rarely turn up to a final without that burning desire to complete a memorable cup run with a final victory.

Injuries to big stars in the United camp has levelled the playing field somewhat as Villa, despite picking up four points from their two meetings with Manchester United in the league this season, do have the weaker squad of the two. However, this Aston Villa side have shown on more than one occasion this season that they can be the real deal and that on their day they have the ability to beat anyone, regardless of their more glamour reputation. The problem is, however, very few in that Aston Villa squad have previous final experiences, which is crucial in a Wembley environment which can be a graveyard for young souls. It’s also a venue where stars are born, and with Villa boasting some of the country’s brightest talents, perhaps this is the scene of a beautiful Martin O’Neill masterpiece and the setting for a big future for some of Villa’s young hopefuls.

For Manchester United, this will just be one of many titles to brace the United trophy cabinet. That doesn’t mean they don’t give a care in the world about winning Sunday’s finale, as that’s far from the truth. In fact, they will be the favourites to snatch the Carling Cup crown from under Aston Villa’s noses as their team packs plenty of experience, maturity, quality and class. They also possess a starlet in the form of his life in Wayne Rooney. The England forwards displays this season has seen him rise through the ranks and join the likes of Ronaldo & Messi as some of the worlds greatest players. He’s in the form of his life at present and was the figurehead behind United’s two-legged victory over arch rivals Manchester City in the previous round. Can he steal the show on Sunday, stamp his mark on the sport from a worldwide perspective, or will he falter in United’s biggest game thus far and hand the initiative to one of Villa’s many rising stars? So many questions, all of which being asked by fans, pundits and punters alike, but the only way to find the answers is to watch Sunday’s final LIVE on the BBC from 02:00 GMT.

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Aston Villa

Recommended Bet: To Score Two or More – 3.75 PaddyPower

Aston Villa football club has such a bright future but it’s all about fulfilling their potential and not crumbling in pressure-cooker moments. Last season, Villa were pushing for a top four finish after a strong run of form in the middle part of the season but fell apart in the latter stages of the season to finish well off Arsenal who eventually snapped up fourth place. Villa shown last season that they didn’t have the maturity nor the experience to keep their cool in their crucial games, but, nearly a year on, can Villa keep their composure in what is their first major final for almost fifteen years?

While finishing in fourth spot is their main prerogative this season, victory in the Carling Cup will certainly be up there now they’ve gotten this far. However, this is one of three objectives Villa are going all out to achieve and you would be forgiven for thinking Villa will become overwhelmed, exhausted and possibly distracted as their minds are concentrating on so many competitions and big fixtures. In Martin O’Neill, though, you have a focused man, a manager who knows how to get the very best out of this crop of potential stars and we have no doubt he will have this Aston Villa side fired up for this huge final encounter as O’Neill and the rest of the Villa squad aim to give their fans their first loyalty deposit bonus for their support down the years. 

Just like their final opponents, Manchester United, Aston Villa preparations ahead of the Wembley show-piece on Sunday have gone to plan and were boosted significantly with progression in the FA Cup. Villa were held to a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace but finished the job at home with a 3-1 win. Those in Claret & Blue that are travelling to Wembley on Sunday will be hoping their goalscoring antics on Wednesday was a taster of things to come as they, as well as everyone else, know Villa need to score a few if they want to put United to the sword and lift the Carling Cup at somewhere around tea-time.  

Goals really should be a given though, considering the vast amounts of attacking quality Martin O’Neill has at his disposal, of which every single one of his star-studded forwards are playing sensational right now. James Milner & Ashley Young will look to make marauding runs down the flanks, with the aim being to supply their bulky forwards with some decent aerial balls. John Carew, whom scored twice in the FA Cup replay in midweek, Emile Heskey & Gabriel Agbonlahor, will all pose an understrength United defence all sorts of problems with their aerial prowess, strength and pace. The latter, Agbonlahor, will scare the United defence the most, not only because of his blistering pace and slick finishing but also because it was him who scored Villa’s winner in the 1-0 victory at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

Aston Villa fans, whom won’t be used to trips to Wembey, will be hoping Agbonlahor will be their saviour once again and a nightmare for Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United, although, we’re pretty sure they don’t care who scores on Sunday just as long as it’s the match winner.

Manchester United

Recommended Bet: Wayne Rooney to Score within 90 minutes – 2.40 PaddyPower

The Carling Cup, or the League Cup as it sometimes referred to, is about the only trophy Manchester United haven’t won as many times as any other English team. Their tally of just three League Cup wins puts them behind the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and even Nottingham Forest, which just goes to show how insignificant the Carling Cup has been to United in recent years. However, their bright youngsters got them through some sticky openers, whilst the professionals, or their idols if you like, finished the job by ensuring the club booked their rightful place at Wembley for this Carling Cup final showdown with Aston Villa after coming through a two-legged Semi-Final cracker with Manchester City.

Manchester United, arguably the most glamorous team in England, will be gunning for yet more silverware, what could be one of many this season as they seek out their first ever back-to-back Carling Cup success. Sir Alex Ferguson, whom has lifted the trophy twice as the United manager, guided United to their second Carling Cup title in four seasons when beating Tottenham Hotspur in an enticing encounter at Wembley last season. Their opponents this year, Aston Villa, aren’t a whole lot dissimilar to the Tottenham team they faced nearly a year to the day ago.

United’s preparations ahead of this final showdown have gone to plan, with Ferguson’s side wiping their two game run without a league win swiftly under the carpet with a routine 3-0 victory over West Ham in midweek. It was an important win as not only did it provide them with three huge points in their title chasing cause but it also gave the dressing room a much needed winning morale boost after two shabby performances in the league beforehand. When you head into a game of this magnitude, a match where so much is at stake, well, some silverware anyway, you need some positive momentum to spearhead you into such a fixture. You also need your players on top of their game, on top form and in tip-top shape, and while United might have the first two with Wayne Rooney bang inform right now, the latter is something they don’t have the luxury of with some of their key players, unfortunately.

Alex Ferguson will be without a few key individuals for Sunday’s final, none more so than club captain Ryan Giggs, whom despite playing an instrumental part in United getting this far won’t be available due to breaking his wrist, ironically in a league game with Aston Villa earlier in the month. John O’Shea is of course out for some time, whereas Owen Hargreaves is no nearer to a first-time appearance. However, the questions are building up around the fitness of Rio Ferdinand, whom hasn’t featured a whole lot for United this season and was ruled out of the final through a recurrence of the back problem he’s been suffering all season. While Nemajna Vidic will look to be United’s rock on Sunday, the void left by Rio could be huge what with Villa possessing some very tricky forward customers. Jonny Evans will be Ferguson’s preferred centre back partner for Vidic but Evans has been found wanting on far too many occasions for United, especially in the big games, so naturally there will be doubts over not only his own respective performance but that of the Manchester United defence as a whole.

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Our Prediction: Aston Villa to WIN – 4.80 VCbet

How Manchester United are that short in price (1.87 totesport) is beyond me as Villa have been a constant thorn in United’s side this season, with the Reds’ failing in their bids to beat Aston Villa twice already this season, so why the odds on Villa completing a hat-trick are so big is bewildering.

We suppose it’s down to United’s two impressive wins on the trot; the 3-2 win at the San Siro against AC Milan, of which Wayne Rooney scored twice, as well as the 3-0 win at home to West Ham United on Tuesday, and well, Wayne Rooney was once again seen scoring a brace. England’s biggest hope this summer has been in scintillating form for the Red Devils this season and is arguably the only reason why Man Utd are a touch of odds-on to win within 90 minutes on Sunday. After all, it was the man of the moment, Rooney, who scored United’s winner in the Semi-Final with Man City, so do the bookies think lightening will strike twice, only this time at Wembley on Sunday.

Whereas United are heavily relying on the performance of one man, Villa have a whole host of players who can not only bring their A-game to Sunday’s final but could also win this game single-handily with one swift kick of the ball. The amount of creativity Villa will have on show is staggering; with James Milner, Ashley Young and a bang-in-form Stewart Downing all looking to upset the odds by carving open the United defence with some mazy runs, slickly through balls and some whizzing shots on goal. Moreover, we haven’t even mentioned the strength of their forward line, with Agbonlahor, Heskey & Carew all vying for a place on the starting line-up on Sunday, although only two will start from the off as O’Neill looks to pack that Villa midfield with hard-working, creative players.

Nevertheless, Villa look by far and away the best shout here, although you can never discount Manchester United. Still, at the prices you would have to consider Aston Villa as immense value (4.80 VCbet) but this final does have the makings of a tight fixture so Extra-Time could beckon.

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Our Bet: Over 2.5 Goals – 2.00 Bet365

Finals often tend to be dull affairs because neither side wants to take any risks in case they concede a silly goal. However, we don’t expect either manager to leave a lot to the imagination, especially Martin O’Neill who will surely start with a very attacking minded side, filled to brim with creative midfielder and forward thinking players. Villa won’t hold back with their attempts on goal and an early strike from them would strike the touchpaper on what we feel will be a change in the wind as an entertaining final finally embraces our screens. Let’s not stop there though as Manchester United are more than capable of popping up with a few and are actually the favourites to land the first blow (To Score First 1.67 BetFred). Wayne Rooney is a man possessed right now, with his form sky-rocketing this season, with just about every defence failing to keep the Premiership’s leading goalscorer out. Villa have though, twice in fact, so perhaps Aston Villa are Rooney’s, and United’s for that matter, nemesis.

Goals for us, plenty of them if you would be so kind, in what should be a rip-roaring affair… Cue the 0-0 stalemate!

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Match Odds:

Manchester United – 1.87 totesport

Draw – 3.50 Bet365

Aston Villa – 4.80 VCbet

The English Premier League

Midweek Fixtures

Tuesday, 9^th February 2009

19:45 GMT – Manchester City (1.44 Bet365) V Bolton Wanderers (9.00 SkyBet)

19:45 GMT – Portsmouth (2.50 PaddyPower) V Sunderland (3.20 VCbet)

19:45 GMT – Wigan Athletic (2.25 Boylesports) V Stoke City (3.60 VCbet)

20:00 GMT – Fulham (1.73 Bet365) V Burnley (5.50 PaddyPower)

Wednesday, 10^th February

19:45 GMT – Arsenal (2.10 Bet365) V Liverpool (3.90 Expekt) ARSENAL V LIVERPOOL DETAILED PREVIEW!

19:45 GMT – Aston Villa (4.30 VCbet) V Manchester United (1.91 Boylesports) VILLA V MAN UNITED DETAILED PREVIEW

19:45 GMT – West Ham United (2.30 PaddyPower) V Birmingham City (3.50 Coral)

19:45 GMT – Wolverhampton Wanderers (4.50 SkyBet) V Tottenham Hotspur (1.91 Bet365)

20:00 GMT – Blackburn Rovers (1.91 VCbet) V Hull City (4.50 Boylesports)

20:00 GMT – Everton (5.50 BlueSquare) V Chelsea (1.73 Bet365)

Live Games:

Manchester City V Bolton Wanderers – Sky Sports 2

Arsenal V Liverpool - Sky Sports 2

The live action kicks off with Man City entertaining Owen Coyle’s Bolton at The City of Manchester stadium as the home side aim to bounce straight back from their shock defeat to Hill City at the weekend. The blue half of Manchester are still dreaming of Champions League football for next season, but could find themselves settling for The Europa League if City‘s performances don’t improve, starting with the arrival of Bolton Wanderers, a side who themselves cannot afford to drop too many points, with Bolton hovering just above the relegation zone. A victory for Man City would lift them above Liverpool and into fourth position, their target destination, whereas defeat for Bolton could see them go into the weekends fixtures in the relegation zone if results elsewhere don’t go in their favour. Another shock, however, an away win for Bolton, could lift Bolton as high as 14^th in the table.

No doubt the fixture which has the most appeal, especially with neutral viewers, is the Arsenal V Liverpool clash which will be shown LIVE on Sky Sports on Wednesday night. Arsenal, after yet another defeat to a title rival, pin their revival challenge on a victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night as The Gunners fall nine points off the pace after their 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Liverpool, though, have their own reasons, equally as important, as to why they desperately need all three points as they aim to cement their top four stance with their first win at The Emirates since 2000. Liverpool are having to fend off the challenge from Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa & Man City for a Champions League berth next season and will boost their chances of finishing in fourth spot immensely with victory over The Gunners. A victory for the away side, a Liverpool WIN, would also bring Arsenal right back into the equation and loosen up two Champions League spots instead of the solitary one the teams have been chasing for the past two or so months. A big game in which a win for either side could have a huge impact on how the positions at the top of the table could be finalised.

The rest of the action goes as follows; Portsmouth, a team who appeared destined for the drop after news of yet more financial unrest, take on Sunderland at Fratton Park in a home fixture they just have to win. However, you wouldn’t fancy either sides chances, with Pompey losing five of their previous six league encounters and Sunderland not winning a Premiership fixture since the middle of November, going eleven games without a win. With this in mind, perhaps a small punt on the draw (3.30 Boylesports) could be worthwhile?

It’s a relegation six-pointer at The DW stadium as Bolton take on Wigan Athletic in a must win clash for either side. For now, though, both are on dry land but a loss for either side could see them spend the rest of this week in the bottom three. Home advantage does make Wigan the favourites, although they haven’t won in three at home, while Bolton won’t attract too many punters after not managing an away win since September, going seven games without any success on the road. Also, both teams are still searching for their first win of 2010. Not another draw (3.40 Boylesports), surely?

Fulham are going through an indifferent spell of late but have now opened up another potential unbeaten run after going two games unbeaten following their 0-0 draw away at Bolton. A win for the Cottagers would keep them in the upper half of the table until the weekend. Their opponents, however, are struggling to fend off the relegation zone but did give their chances a big boost with victory over West Ham United on Saturday, winning 2-1 at Turf Moor. However, Burnley are big ‘underdogs’ in this contest as they haven’t won an away fixture all season, losing 11 of 12 away Premiership fixtures.

A stuttering Aston Villa play host to a Manchester United side on fire at the moment. Villa have managed just one league victory in their last six, which is in stark contrast to their opponents who have won four on the trot, five in their last seven and are unbeaten in seven games. However, Villa are on the verge of completing an historic league double over United but are in need of a big performance to beat the Premiership champions on Wednesday night. Defeat for Villa would dampen their charge for a top four finish while victory for United would keep the pressure on Chelsea, perhaps even take them top if Chelsea don’t produce the goods elsewhere at Goodison.

West Ham meet Birmingham at Upton Park in a rare meeting for both sides. However, it’s Birmingham who arrive with the better form after returning to winning ways with a 2-1 win at home to Wolves. The Hammers, however, succumbed to their eleventh defeat of the campaign as they lost 2-1 at Burnley. West Ham are desperate for points though, but will need a mammoth display to overhaul Birmingham, whom have lost just once in fourteen league fixtures. However, West Ham are unbeaten in three at Upton Park and are boosted by their flurry of forward arrivals in January, so perhaps the home side can overpower a tough and resilient Birmingham side.

Wolves go seeking a first win in seven as they entertain a Tottenham side who have drawn far too many games recently. However, the same could be said for Wolves in terms of losing games, with Wolves losing four of their last five league games, whilst Tottenham have drawn four of their last seven. However, surely Tottenham will be fired up for this encounter and should be good for the win in the knowledge that they must avenge the home defeat they suffered at the hands of Wolves back in December. The problem for Spurs though, has been scoring goals, with Harry Redknapp‘s side scoring just one in their last three away outings. Wolves haven’t been much cop in front of goal either, with Mick McCarthy‘s men not scoring a single goal in any of their last three home fixtures. Perhaps a drab affair (Under 2.5 Goals – 1.85 SportingBet) could be on the cards at Molineux?

Another potential six-pointer as Blackburn welcome the arrival of Hull City in a game they will be supremely confident of getting all three points in. Rovers have played their best football, and gotten the vast majority of their points, in home games this season and should be too strong, on paper anyway, for their opponents, Hull, who haven’t won away from The KC stadium all season. Hull were annihilated in their last away fixture, losing 4-0 at Man City, and they could fall to a similar fate at Ewood Park as Blackburn Rovers have won their last two fixtures at home, beating both Fulham & Wigan Athletic. An away win is big, but tasty nevertheless, and it’s not asking an awful lot to expect a big performance from the Tigers after their weekend heroics over Man City, beating the mega-rich Manchester club 2-1 at The KC on Saturday.

Another eye-catching fixture is the last on the card – Everton V Chelsea. I’m sure most of you will remember the problems Everton caused Chelsea’s defence in the earlier meeting between the two at Stamford Bridge of which Everton scored three. Of course, Chelsea did put the same amount past Tim Howard but it was Everton who claimed the plaudits that day and are still to this day the only team to have taken anything away from Stamford Bridge. However, the two sides had contrasting results at the weekend, with Everton losing a bitter derby contest with Liverpool and Chelsea winning their London derby with Arsenal. Everton were, though, unbeaten in nine before their loss at Anfield, but has the momentum been lost and will Chelsea continue their surge as they set out to make it six wins in seven in the Premiership.

Aston Villa V Manchester United

Wednesday, 10^th February – 19:45 GMT

Two teams, who can ill-afford to slip up and lose ground on their respective targets, go in search of a vital win that will keep them on course for their own individual mission. Villa are still harbouring hopes of finishing in the top four, the Champions League places, while Manchester United are hot on the heels of Chelsea as they chase down their fifth successive league title. There is so much at stake in this fixture, but for one side revenge is at the forefront of their minds after the reverse fixture at Old Trafford finished 1-0 to the visitors, with Gabriel Agbonlahor scoring Villa’s winner with a first-half header. Who will claim the spoils at the second time of asking and will Villa complete a rare and historic league double over the mighty Manchester United?

Aston Villa

League Position: 7th

Recent Form: LDDWD

Martin O’Neill and his youngish Villa side have come across a sticky patch of form which has seen Villa manage just one win in their last six league games. However, to says it’s been a tricky fixture list for Villa would be an understatement, with Villa playing the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool & Tottenham in a six match spell since Boxing day, with their latest being fellow top four hopefuls, Tottenham Hotspur. Villa were the away side in their clash with Spurs on Saturday, in a game that ended 0-0, much to the relief of the Villa manager and their fans as Villa were completely outplayed for large periods of that game.

O’Neill’s troops spent the best part of 90 minutes on the back foot against Spurs, repelling any Tottenham trespassers that dare enter their penalty area. Tottenham controlled the pace and tempo of the game and were allowed to assert themselves in the match very early on. The Villa goal really did lead a charmed life and the point was a fortunate one for Villa, although a deserved one in many respects as the Villa defence did have to work extremely hard. However, what was discouraging was how negative Villa played at White Hart Lane in that they seemed quite content to let Tottenham dictate play and appeared more than happy to defend. We know Tottenham are a big threat when going forward, especially when playing at home in front of their fans, but it was a game Villa were equipped to win. Not saying they would have won with a more adventurous attitude but it would have certainly led to a much more competitive affair than the one-sided contest we eventually got.

We don’t expect for one second that Martin O’Neill will opt for a similar style of play in this fixture as it’s a home outing for his Villa side this time around. However, the negativity of their play was astonishing and it could have a downward effect on their forward play if they don’t actually attempt to make forward runs in games. After watching them on Saturday, it didn’t surprise me to hear that Villa haven’t scored in five of their last six league encounters, with three actually being at Villa Park. Their strikers just aren’t getting a fluent run of play at the present time and it’s having a negative effect on their morale and form. 

The last time, and only time in six, Villa scored in a Premiership fixture was away at Fulham when they won 2-0. However, even those goals were due to defensive mistakes from Fulham, so some could say Villa are struggling for creativity at present, which is a strange comment to make considering the amount of creative players they have in their squad; Milner, Young, Downing and Petrov.. However, the facts remain that Villa are struggling in front of goal and could find themselves leaving Villa Park empty handed once again if they don’t buck up their ideas in front of goal.

They are without a win at Villa Park in their last three, with Villa failing to score in all three, and in the knowledge that Villa haven’t beaten United at Villa Park this side of the Millennium, surely the home side must be opposed in this clash?

Manchester United

League Position: 2nd

Recent Form: DWWWW

The Red Devils are back to their scintillating best and even an on-song Aston Villa would struggle to halt this United express on current form. They have all the momentum after yet another winning weekend, this time smashing five past a hapless Portsmouth, and now United take their winning run of four games, and unbeaten streak of seven, to Villa Park where they’ll be gunning for revenge after their home defeat to Villa earlier in the season.

Manchester United are in the perfect form to reverse the 1-0 defeat to Villa at Old Trafford after looking unstoppable of late, and backing this unstoppable comment up with a seven match unbeaten run. Their demolition of Portsmouth on Saturday was their fourth victory on the spin following their sublime win at The Emirates a week earlier, beating Arsenal 3-1 in an emphatic manner. Their win on Saturday was largely down to some good fortune, but you make your own fortune in this game and United might not need any lucky charms on Wednesday if they can somehow replicate their performance in their last away outing, at Arsenal, into this fixture at Villa Park, in that United were lethal on the attack and tidy at the back against The Gunners, which makes for a pleasant change.  

However, before we get too carried away, we must say that United have only won two of their last four away fixtures and have been found wanting on their travels on a few occasions this season. They are, though, undefeated on the road since their humbling at Craven Cottage by Fulham, back in December. They recovered well mind, winning two of their next three, but one was against a toothless Hull City, at the time, and they did almost come unstuck at Villa’s loca neighbours, Birmingham City, drawing 1-1 at S.t Andrews after coming back from 1-0 down. Still, unbeaten in three games away from home, scoring seven and conceding two, and United look the team to be on in this clash.

One thing we must point out, and advise caution on, is not to get too carried away with United’s recent scoring antics. Alex Ferguson’s side, spearheaded by the leagues top goalscorer in Wayne Rooney, have scored an outstanding fifteen goals in their last four league fixtures; an average of nearly 4 goals a game. However, with the exception of Arsenal, their goals have come against some of the leagues worst teams, with United scoring 3 against Burnley, putting 4 past Hull City & 5 past Portsmouth, all in the bottom half of the table, two of which were in the relegation one at the start of the weekend. The goals will, however, bring about a significant boost in confidence for the United forwards, mainly just Wayne Rooney, and their creative players, but we mustn’t forget that Villa have a strong defence, one of thee strongest in the league, and haven’t conceded a league goal in four games – So don’t be too hasty!

Match Verdict: Manchester United to WIN – 1.91 Bet365

Villa have lost a great deal of momentum with this baron looking run of one win in six, whereas United are flying at the moment and even a resilient Villa could struggle to stop the mighty reds on Wednesday evening. Villa’s attackers haven’t had much luck in recent fixtures, league wise, and we feel they could bottle in the crucial moments at Villa Park, while United have been scoring goals left, right and centre and appear far too strong for an always improving Aston Villa.

Match Odds:

Aston Villa – 4.30 VCbet

Draw – 3.60 Boylesports

Manchester United – 1.91 Bet365

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Man Utd to WIN to NIL – 3.25 SkyBet

Villa haven’t had much luck in front of goal in their recent outings, while United have been winning whilst keeping clean sheets of late, albeit against far inferior opposition. Nevertheless, the confidence at the back for United is steadily growing and we feel a to NIL victory could be on the cards. Sir Alex hasn’t seen his United side keep an away clean sheet since early December when United ran riot at Upton Park, beating West Ham 4-0, but their defence is looking a lot tighter now, more organised, and should of ended their baron clean sheet run in their last away outing at The Emirates, with a deflected Thomas Vermaelen shot spoiling United’s early defensive celebrations.

Also, Wayne Rooney is on fire right now, and even X2 Jens Lehmann’s, X3 Heurelho Gomes’ and X7 David James’ in the goal would struggle to keep the United machine out on present form. Rooney bagged two when United won 4-1 at Villa Park in 2007, United’s last victory at Aston Villa after drawing 0-0 their last season, and we’ve taken to his odds of scoring more against Villa on Wednesday night.

Advisable Bets:

Wayne Rooney Anytime Scorer – 11/8 Boylesports

Wayne Rooney FGS – 9/2 totesport

Wayne Rooney to score a BRACE (2 or more) – 7/1 WilliamHill