Previews

Villa aim to stun United

Author: Brandon Barker
Date: 12/12/2009
Football betting

Aston Villa face a tough task at reigning champions Manchester United, currently one win off top spot, in the highlight of Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

The Birmingham club at least have a weakened Red Devils side to play, with Sir Alex Ferguson likely to be missing up to seven players including Rio Ferdinand, although Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic look set to play.

Even without a full team United are a strong outfit, as they proved in the Champions League this week when they looked comfortable against German club Wolfsburg, winning 3-1.

Michael Owen's match-winning hat-trick will have boosted his confidence and it will be interesting to see how the diminutive frontman gets on in the coming weeks when Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov return.

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With just one defeat in their last 11 fixtures, Villa are looking formidable themselves. Ferguson will be particularly wary of putting out a weakened defence with the likes of Ashley Young, John Carew and James Milner in exceptional form, helping Villa to score seven goals in their last two games.

Manchester City should pick up the three points they need to put pressure on Tottenham Hotspur, despite having the added pressure of a Lancashire derby, when they travel 30 minutes north to face Bolton Wanderers.

As the fight continues for the final Champions League spot, Mark Hughes' men head the pack chasing Spurs.

Bolton have won only once at home this season and have picked up just a single point from a possible 15 since their surprise win over Everton in October, while City last lost back in September to city rivals United and are buoyed by their 2-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.

Spurs will fancy their chances of holding on to fourth though as they host third-bottom Wolves.

Spurs are undefeated in their last four league games, a run which includes the 9-1 thumping of Wigan Athletic. With Wolves locked in a relegation battle, Harry Redknapp's side should be confident of inflicting further damage on Mick McCarthy's men.

Chelsea, the online favourites to win this season's Premier League title, aim to get back to winning ways against Everton at Stamford Bridge following their Premier League setback at Manchester City last weekend.

After winning five successive games in November without conceding a goal, they have conceded seven times in their last three games in all competitions and their Italian manager will want to end that run against the struggling Toffees.

Elsewhere, Stoke City host Wigan Athletic in the lunchtime kick-off, West Ham United face Birmingham City at St Andrew's, Fulham travel north to Burnley and Hull City host Blackburn Rovers.

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