Game week 22 predictions: United and Villa to share spoils at Villa Park

It's Ronaldo again against one of his favorite opponents, will Gerrard impede United? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Villa Park
6:30pm

Manchester United are not in the best of places at the moment but the visit to Aston Villa, one of the grounds they enjoy visiting and if there’s any time for them to redeem themselves after the embarrassment at Old Trafford against Wolves in their first game of the season.

In the defeat against Wolves, Manchester United’s interim manager Ralph Rangnick tested murky waters by resting Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford but they didn’t make much difference when they were brought on although the Portuguese rattled the crossbar before the visitors scored.

For Aston Villa, it’s a game they need to make a statement in, forever inferior to United and have nightmarish games they’d rather forget, it is what it is and with Steven Gerrard on the other side of the divide as a Liverpool legend, this is bigger than you think.

By the time you’ll be reading this, City and Chelsea would have decided their own respective fates and that would also have a bearing on how United approach their own game; Top four is slipping away but it’s not hopeless, whatever they do at Villa Park will tell what they think of their own chances.

It already feels like a season of two halves for Aston Villa with the first half characterized by identity crisis and lack of confidence under Dean Smith and then since Gerrard took over, it’s been a different story with every game showing what Gerrard always thought, go for it!

United won’t have it easy against Villa this time around and not like they had it easy in the first leg with a late Villa goal deciding the game at Old Trafford and an even later penalty miss by Fernandes which led to a controversial dance by Emi Martinez and subsequent handover of penalty duties to Ronaldo.

We don’t know who’s available and who’s not with respect to Covid but on injuries front, both sides are good; Rangnick can call on his preferred defensive options having tested them in the cup game against same opponent.

A lot has changed since the first leg at Old Trafford, both sides have changed their managers and tactics are entirely different, while the hard pressing we expected from United under the German isn’t there yet but there’s hope that with time, they will be a force again.

Villa will rely on Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins especially if the latter is available after missing the last game due to Covid, while the Red Devils will hope Cristiano Ronaldo continues his rich form against the hosts with Villa being one of his favorite opponents in English football.