Premier LeagueManchester UnitedAston Villa

Aston Villa meet Manchester United in the last match of Saturday's program of the 22nd round of the Premier League. Just a few days ago, the two teams faced each other in the FA Cup as United won the game with 1:0. The only goal came in the 8th minute after an accurate header by Scott McTominay. However, Villa had their chances to return to the match. Ollie Watkins hit the crossbar, and in the second half Danny Ings' goal was canceled as it was scored after an offside.

Monday's loss was the third in a row for Aston Villa in all competitions and the fourth in total since December 11. It can be said that this is the first serious test for Steven Gerrard since he became a manager of the club. In his first few games, the Villans performed well, defeating rivals such as Brighton, Crystal Palace and even Leicester. Subsequently, however, Villa was not as effective in the lead and, as expected, the results deteriorated.

Although only a month has passed since the appointment of Ralph Rangnick at Manchester United, there are already opinions that the German will not cope with the task of ranking the team in fourth place. Such claims are not without logic, since the Red Devils are not convincing with their performance on the field. If we exclude the 3:1 victory against Burnley, United have no other game under the leadership of Ralph Rangnick, in which the team scored more than 1 goal. And in addition they have played mainly against rivals from the bottom such as Norwich, Newcastle and Burnley.

Although it sounds more aggressive, the loss to Wolverhampton at the beginning of the new year was a shame for a club like Manchester United. In fact, the "Wolves" surpassed the "Red Devils" in all important indicators - shots, corners and possession of the ball. There were even shouts from the audience inviting players to attack, such as had not been heard of at Old Trafford since the time of Louis van Gaal. It is obvious that the current group of players does not have the necessary work ethic, unlike the Aston Villa players, which seems ready to prove themselves to an English football legend like Steven Gerrard.

I expect that the accumulated tension with the guests will pay off and United will not win on Saturday. Although losing on Monday, Aston Villa left a good impression with their game. I am convinced that Steven Gerrard's players this time will be even more confident in their performances and I will not be surprised if they even take the three points. Aston Villa have played several good games as hosts this season, including a 1:2 loss to Manchester City in early December.