Lee Dixon: United's fearsome forwards too much for Lambert's Villa

Both Rooney and Chicharito were on target against Braga

Lee Dixon thinks Aston Villa can be competitive against United but that forward line will get the hosts in the end...

Not every Aston Villa fan would agree, but I think it's finally starting to come together for new manager Paul Lambert at the helm of these Premier League stalwarts. 

With just two wins from 10 games and Villa sat in 16th that might seem like a funny statement to make but there are signs that the Claret and Blues are beginning to settle into Lambert's leadership.  

It's very hard to oppose United in any Premier League match - and I don't intend to here - but I do think it could be tighter than the match odds suggest. 

United are just 1.548/15 to win this Saturday evening kick-off, Villa are 7.06/1 and the draw is a 4.67/2 shot, but with United's habit of conceding first continuing in midweek and their last clean sheet in any competition coming more than a month ago there are some positives for Villa to cling on to. 

Last weekend's 1-0 win at Sunderland will be a morale booster to the team and the fans, and so will the continued good play of Christian Benteke. The young Belgian international has a pair of goals to his name - scoring once in the Premier League and once in the Capital One Cup - but he offers plenty upfront. I can see why he's ousted Darren Bent from the starting lineup as he is a real handful.

As a defender you look at the opposition's strikeforce and ask whether they can trouble you. Sometimes you think you'll be fine, but for me Benteke would be a bit of a concern. He's strong and skilful, and if Villa are to get anything from the game he is going to be key. Alongside Benteke, the pace of Gabriel Agbonlahor could trouble United. The 26-year-old finally broke a long scoreless streak last weekend and he'll be looking to kick on now the account has been opened. 

Opta tell us that Villa have opened the scoring in three of the last five games against United at Villa Park, but went on to lose once while drawing the other two. I see something similar happening here, especially when you factor in United's remarkable ability to come from behind - they have gained 12 points from losing positions already this season. 

Having played 90 minutes on Wednesday night, fatigue could be an issue for the away side, and with the home crowd and players pumped for a visit from United I can see Villa drawing first blood. 

But the visitors' frontline just exudes menace and it's far too big a leap of faith to imagine the home rearguard holding out the United attack for 90 minutes.

The 1.548/15 on a United win isn't a tempting price but the 5.04/1 on draw/United and the 26.025/1 on Villa/United are.  

Lastly, a bet on over 3.5 goals may well pay. We're getting 2.767/4 on that and, given six of United's 10 Premier League games have beaten that mark, it's a bet worth having. 

Recommended Bets 
Back draw/United @ 5.04/1 and Villa/United @ 26.025/1 in HT/FT 
Back over 3.5 goals @ 2.767/4 

The Tactical View: Michael Cox

I agree that Paul Lambert’s plan is starting to take shape, but this will be a very difficult match for them. Christian Benteke’s all-round game so far has been excellent, but his goals have arrived when opposition defenders have put it on a plate, and I don’t think he’ll get that luxury against Manchester United’s combination of Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand. Villa don’t have enough goalscorers in the side, and I think United to win to nil at around 3.0 would represent good value.

The Betfair Trader's View - Alan Thompson

I understand where Lee is coming from about Villa settling in to Lambert's style, but I think there may be a little more daylight between these two this weekend. While Villa have scored in every home game this season, only once have they gone over 2.5 goals. United have scored at least twice in every game since that opening day defeat at Goodison, scoring 26 goals in those nine games. I like Lee's bet of over 3.5 goals at [2.76] but I will be using that as insurance to cover my main dutch bet of 0-2, 1-2 and 0-3 in the correct score market which pays approx 5/2 [3.5].