Aston Villa vs Manchester United: A tough test for the Red Devils at Villa Park

JAKARTA - Aston Villa will host Manchester United in a single Premier League match this weekend, Sunday, December 22, at Villa Park. This match is predicted to be fierce, given the impressive performance of the hosts and the Red Devils' ambition to keep the hope of finishing in the top four.

Aston Villa is in excellent form. Unai Emery's team has recorded nine consecutive victories in all competitions and is now in the running for the English League title. Last week, Villa managed to win a dramatic 3-2 over West Ham United after falling behind, thanks to Morgan Rogers' brilliant performance.

Currently, Villa is only one point behind Manchester City and three points behind leaders Arsenal. If other results are favorable, The Lions even have the opportunity to close this week at the top of the standings.

A victory over Manchester United would also make history, with 10 consecutive wins for the first time since 1914, as well as seven consecutive wins in the Premier League - a record they have never achieved before.

On the other hand, Manchester United comes with a less consistent trend. Ruben Amorim's team is unbeaten in the last four Premier League matches, but the 4-4 draw against Bournemouth in the previous match showed the fragility of their defense line.

United also have a number of key players missing, including Casemiro who is suspended for a yellow card, as well as Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo who will be playing in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Even so, the Red Devils are still dangerous. They scored and conceded goals in the last six Premier League away games, making United one of the most entertaining teams this season. In addition, Villa Park is often a friendly stadium for United, who have recorded 18 league wins at Villa's home - their second best away record after Everton.

Aston Villa have the opportunity to be strengthened again by Emiliano Martinez who is recovering from a back injury. However, Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings, and Ross Barkley are still absent. Jadon Sancho cannot appear because he is a loan player from Manchester United.

Manchester United are still missing Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui, and Casemiro. The absence of Diallo and Mazraoui opens the door for Patrick Dorgu to start, while Kobbie Mainoo could make his first Premier League start of the season.

With Villa's high goal productivity in the last few matches and Manchester United's tendency to engage in high-intensity matches away from home, this match is predicted to produce many goals. However, the home factor and the absence of several important pillars of United make Aston Villa favored to continue their winning streak.

Susunan Pemain

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Lindelof, Konsa, Maatsen; Onana, Kamara; McGinn, Tielemans, Rogers; Watkins

Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Lammens; Yoro, Martinez, Shaw; Dalot, Mainoo, Fernandes, Dorgu; Mount, Cunha; Sesko

Prediction Score Aston Villa 3-2 Manchester United