Table of Contents
United can claim a spot in the Champions League group stage next season if they beat Villa. The Red Devils are currently second in the table, nine points clear of West Ham United in fifth. A win would increase that gap to 12 points with just four matches left to play this season.
A cup final beckons Manchester United. The Red Devils booked their place in the final of the Europa League with an 8-5 aggregate win over AS Roma. They will meet Villarreal in the trophy clash in Gdansk, hoping to lift their first piece of silverware since 2017, when they won the same competition.
For now, the focus turns to the domestic league, where Manchester United will face Aston Villa. While they are still not mathematically out of the title race yet, the chances of them winning the league have all but vanished. Their rivals Manchester City can wrap up the league before the ball is even kicked in Villa Park, provided they beat Chelsea. As such, the Red Devils’ attention must be on securing a Champions League spot as quickly as possible.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team is second in the league table. They are on 67 points but have to play five more matches this season. A win against Villa would all but confirm their place in Europe’s premier competition next season, while a win over Liverpool two days later would officially secure their spot.
Meanwhile, over at the Villa Park, Dean Smith’s side will be hoping to finish in the top ten. Early season performances – which saw wins over Liverpool and Arsenal – propelled them towards Europe, but their challenge has faltered since then. Still, for a team that survived relegation on the final day of the previous season, a finish in the top half of the table would be a fantastic achievement.
Key Players
Ollie Watkins: Aston Villa paid Brentford a considerable sum to sign Ollie Watkins in the previous summer. Some eyebrows were raised on the signing, given that the Englishman was moving up a division for a mega fee. However, with each passing week, Watkins is proving himself to be a shrewd signing. The striker has scored 13 times in the league this season, with three of those goals coming in the last five matches. In his first season in the top division, he has scored four goals in two matches against Liverpool and three in two against Arsenal.
Anwar El Ghazi: Jack Grealish’s continuous struggle with an injury has left Aston Villa short-changed close to the end of the season. However, El Ghazi has picked up some of the goalscoring responsibilities in his absence. The 26-year-old winger has scored nine goals this season, although he has netted thrice in Villa’s last two matches. However, he is yet to register an assist.
Edinson Cavani: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lavished praise on the Uruguayan following Manchester United’s win over AS Roma in the UEFA Europa League semi-final. The Red Devils beat their opponents 8-5 on aggregate. Remarkably, Cavani was directly involved in seven goals! He scored four times across two legs, assisted twice, and won a penalty which Bruno Fernandes converted.
Marcus Rashford: The Englishman’s pace and directness are his biggest assets. Though initially a forward, Rashford has been refurbished as a wide attacker in Manchester United’s current set-up. He has thrived in that position too. He has registered double figures in terms of goals and assists. Not all of his 20 goals have come from the wing, though, as he is often deployed up top as the lone forward.
Prediction
A marked improvement in Aston Villa’s performances this season has provided them with the security of a mid-table finish. While their autumn form saw them challenge at the top end of the table, the Villains would be content with continuing their journey in the Premier League for yet another season, after nearly avoiding relegation around this time last year. Nevertheless, their sights are set on achieving a top-ten finish with just four matches left to play this season.
Manchester United are aiming much, much higher than that. While their title challenge was over long ago with rivals City racing clear at the top of the table, United are looking to clinch a Champions League qualification spot. They can effectively seal their spot in the group stage of the competition with a win over Villa, given that the gap between themselves and the fifth-placed West Ham would increase to 12, with the same amount up for grabs.
The Red Devils are in scintillating form heading into the match, despite losing their last match to AS Roma. They have won four of their last five matches, drawing the other one. Consequently, they are the favorites to grab all three points from their encounter against Aston Villa. With players such as Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes in top form, the odds are heavily stacked in their favour.
