Tim Sherwood's Aston Villa side barely escaped relegation last year, and a plucky start to the season has many supporters thinking that this week could be a signature fixture against giant Manchester United.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The oddsmakers surely aren't on the Villains' side, though. Manchester United, in spite of the fact that it was anything but impressive against Tottenham in the opener, is laying a full goal in this duel on the Asian Handicap.
It all translates out to a -155 price on the moneyline in favor of the Red Devils.
The total is fairly average by EPL standards, not surprising for early in the season. The number chimes in at 2.5 with -117 vig on the under.
KEY INJURIES
Sherwood's young team has had some knocks to get through. Chris Herd and Jones Okore are still dealing with offseason knee injuries, while Carles Gil is hoping to get back into the lineup after sitting out the opener against Bournemouth.
Phil Jones won't play for Manchester United this month thanks to blood clots, while Marouane Fellaini is still suspended for a violent tackle on the last day of the season last year against relegated Hull City.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"The position is that we have come through 90 minutes. They are going to be fitter. We got a victory so the confidence is going to be there, and a clean sheet – we didn't have many of them last year – so I am delighted." – Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood on extended training sessions for his Villains' leading into the EPL season
RECENT FORM
Villa was very strong in defense to open the year, something that we haven't said a lot of over the course of the last few seasons. Bournemouth had very little of the ball outside of a really good stretch near the interval, and eventually, Rudy Gestede found pay dirt to give Aston Villa a much-needed three points which could prove vital in the relegation scrap at year end.
Wayne Rooney and Memphis Depay did look good in attack, but getting the ball up to them was something else against Tottenham. The Red Devils were beaten soundly at times in the midfield, and the only thing that prevented the men from White Hart Lane from drawing level or surging ahead was the fact that Harry Kane simply looked out of form, perhaps from a lack of matches played before the start of the EPL campaign.
Both teams won 1-0 on the opening day of the season.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Last season, Manchester United came to Villa Park and left with a 1-1 draw against a team which, at the time, looked like the worst in the Premier League. The Red Devils did fire back with a comfortable 3-1 win at Old Trafford in April.
This time around, we suspect that Man U is going to make a name for itself. No one found his way onto the stat sheet against Tottenham since an own goal was the only strike, but both Rooney and Depay looked threatening.
Eventually, Louis van Gaal is going to get figured out how to play with all of his new pieces to the puzzle, but he has some breathing room in this match to get the job done.
For as much as we like this young Aston Villa team to make a surge to the middle of the table this year, this is a match which is still over its head.
Manchester United 2, Aston Villa 0
BookMaker has English Premier League lines for every match of the season. Manchester United is lined as a -155 moneyline favorite, while the total is set at 2.5. You can make a futures bet and predict the champion, wager on head-to-head matchups or use BookMaker’s live betting feature to gamble while the match is happening.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between Manchester United and Aston Villa is scheduled for Friday, August 14, 2015, at 2:45 p.m. ET at Villa Park. The match will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
