English Premier
2026-11-08 - Manchester United vs Aston Villa
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 8th November 2026 - Kick Off 4:30pm
This game is live on TV
Manchester United
The atmosphere had been pretty toxic during the first half and Michael Carrick had to feel the writing was on the wall after his Manchester United returned to the dressing room 0-2 behind against Roma in the Champions League. An inspired second half saw Manchester United fight back and somehow win that fixture, but Carrick will need more on Sunday if the board are not going to remove him from his post as manager.
A defeat in West London last weekend meant Manchester United finished the weekend in 17th place in the Premier League table and only outside of the bottom three on goal difference. Playing last this weekend means there is every chance they will kick off in those places and Manchester United have a 1-1-2 record at Old Trafford in the Premier League where they have scored 6 goals and conceded 7.
Manchester United's come from behind win over Roma snapped a run of 9 games in all competitions without a victory, but the pressure remains firmly on the shoulders of the manager ahead of the November international break. They had lost 3 of 4 games at Old Trafford since the Champions League win over Sabah, but the victory on Tuesday has given Manchester United a boost in confidence.
Lisandro Martinez is suspended and the likes of Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford have been out with injuries in recent games. Neither is expected to be involved on Sunday, while Harry Maguire, Carlos Baleba and Bruno Fernandes picked up knocks in the win over Roma which has left the former two in considerable doubt for Sunday.
Aston Villa
One English club was fighting back to earn an important Champions League win on Tuesday, but Aston Villa's trip to Barcelona looked a much tougher test on the same evening and ultimately that proved to be the case. There were positives to take from the performance, but Unai Emery was reminded of the gap for Aston Villa to bridge if they are going to eventually challenge for the biggest prizes.
The changes made in the squad this past summer has meant an inconsistent start to the Premier League campaign and Aston Villa are 10th in the standings with 12 points secured. The Villans travel to the North West with a 2-1-1 away record, but Aston Villa have scored 4 goals and conceded 6 in those matches.
Aston Villa had won 4 in a row in all competitions before the loss in the League Cup Fourth Round and that has sparked a run of 3 without a victory during which time they have lost twice. Both of those defeats have been away from home after Aston Villa had previously won 4 away games in succession in all competitions.
Matty Cash will serve a domestic suspension having picked up five yellows already, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a doubt against his former club.
Head to Head
Both Premier League fixtures between Aston Villa and Manchester United were won by the home team last season.
Manchester United scored twice in the second half to beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Old Trafford in March and they have won 6 in a row at home against this opponent.
Prediction
The fight back to beat Roma and the recent history when hosting Aston Villa have to be big factors in Manchester United being priced as they are to win this Premier League game on Sunday.
However, take those aside and there is little other reason to believe Manchester United should be such favourites to win against an opponent who have been showing so much more than Michael Carrick's team over the last several weeks.
Aston Villa are returning from Barcelona this week as well, but Unai Emery's team cannot use that as an excuse with this being scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Heavy defeats at Bournemouth and Barcelona may have dented some confidence, but the former was a League Cup tie in which Unai Emery made a number of changes, while losing at the Camp Nou is something many clubs will experience. Aston Villa gave plenty in that fixture and could have given the home team a lot to think about if they had taken their chances in the first half, and that makes them dangerous at Old Trafford.
The home team could be playing a little used centre half pairing and the likely absence of Carlos Baleba hurts the midfield balance, which is something that Aston Villa can exploit.
However, there is work to do at the back as far as Unai Emery is concerned and that suggests this could be a fixture that features at least three goals.
5 of the 8 games Unai Emery has managed against Manchester United with Aston Villa have ended with at least three goals shared out, including both last season.
There are likely going to be chances at both ends and an early goal could see this fixture sparked into life with a big three points on offer for both teams.
It is not a price that makes a great deal of appeal, but the spaces that are expected at Old Trafford should be exploited and that should mean goals on the day.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Manchester United 2-2 Aston Villa
