Manchester United will hope they can keep up their impressive Premier League form this weekend when they face Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions, United are looking more solid in recent weeks and have kept six clean sheets in their last seven games. United beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in the Europa League prior to their clash with Villa, but they weren't able to overtake the Spanish side in Group E, missing out on the top spot on goal difference.
Alejandro Garnacho scored the only goal of the game as he continued to impress in the absence of others, and the 18-year-old could be in line for his first Premier League start on Sunday. Both of the meetings between United and Villa last season ended in 2-2 draws, with Sunday's opposition unbeaten in their last three league clashes against United.
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Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial and Antony are set to be missing for United, whilst Bruno Fernandes will also be missing for Erik ten Hag 's side through suspension. So, could United make it six Premier League games unbeaten on Sunday?
We simulated the game to find out. To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We simulated Aston Villa vs Manchester United to get a score prediction
We predict that the hosts could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Dendoncker, Luiz; Bailey, Buendia, Watkins; Ings.
We predict that United could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: De Gea; Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Shaw; Fred, Casemiro, Eriksen; Rashford, Ronaldo, Garnacho.
Unexpectedly, Aston Villa dominated Man United in the opening 30 minutes of the game, and the hosts found themselves 3-0 up against a shellshocked United side. Danny Ings scored twice in the opening 15 minutes as he tapped in crosses from either side of the pitch, and Douglas Luiz's added the third when he rifled an effort into the top corner from around 30 yards out.
To try and combat the Villa dominance, Ten Hag took off Garnacho and Fred before half-time. Scott McTominay and Anthony Elanga were the replacements, and the latter was involved as United pulled a goal back before the break.
Starting on the left, Elanga surged down the line before cutting inside and threading a reverse ball through to Cristiano Ronaldo. As the ball ran into the striker's path, Ronaldo shrugged off his marker and blasted past the 'keeper at the near post.
Minutes after the restart, Ronaldo was tripped in the box by Tyrone Mings as a penalty was awarded, and the striker stepped up to take the spot kick, firing into the bottom right corner to make it 3-2. With the comeback almost complete, United threw everything forward, and with a stroke of luck, Ten Hag's side levelled the score with 15 minutes remaining.
After taking the corner short, a smart pass from Christian Eriksen played the ball back to Luke Shaw in the box, putting the defender in a dangerous position. The full-back tried to drill the ball into the box as he was closed down, but the cross rebounded back into Shaw's path, allowing him to tap into an empty net.
With the score level and 15 minutes to go, United had momentum on their side as they pushed for a winner. Harry Maguire was sent on by Ten Hag for the final few minutes, and the defender proved a vital addition as he set up McTominay for the winning goal.
Maguire was sent up front to knock any long balls further into the box, but in the 88th minute, the defender did well to bring the ball down and surge into the area. Maguire squared the ball into the feet of McTominay as Emiliano Martinez closed down the defender, and the Scotsman swept the ball into the net to win the game for United.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Aston Villa 3-4 Manchester United
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that United could take advantage of Aston Villa's shaky defence, scoring four goals to secure an important win. The stunning comeback saw Ten Hag's side come from three goals behind to win 4-3, though United fans will be looking for a much more assured victory in the real game.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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