“You wonder what’s happened to them” - Mark Lawrenson picks winner ahead of Aston Villa vs Manchester United
Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted the winner for the upcoming Premier League clash between Manchester United and Aston Villa on Sunday, February 11. The former Liverpool defender backed the Red Devils to secure a 2-1 victory away from home.
Aston Villa haven't had the best of runs in recent weeks, having picked up just one victory from their last five games across competitions. The Red Devils, meanwhile, will enter the game with a higher morale after winning four of their last five matches across all fronts.
Looking forward to Sunday's action, Mark Lawrenson tipped Erik ten Hag's men to continue with their fine form at Villa Park. Score-wise, the pundit expects to see a 2-1 result in favor of the Red Devils. He told Paddy Power:
"Manchester United have, just maybe, started to pick up a bit. There’s that picture of the three lads who scored against West Ham and they might be the ones to drive them forward.
"I think Manchester United might win this. Football’s always like this, we’ve been raving about Aston Villa all season and now they’re just having a slump and you wonder what’s happened to them. Aston Villa 1-2 Manchester United."
The last time these two teams met in the Premier League was on Boxing Day in 2023, with Manchester United coming out on top with a 3-2 win at Old Trafford.
How Manchester United have fared this season
With the Premier League title out of reach, Manchester United's priority will be to finish in the top four to secure their participation in the Champions League next season.
The Red Devils are already out of the European tournament this term as well as the EFL Cup. They, however, still have a chance to end the campaign with silverware as they're still active in the FA Cup. They will take on Nottingham Forest in the fifth round of the competition later this month.
As it stands, Erik ten Hag's men occupy the sixth position in the Premier League table with 38 points after 23 games, having recorded 12 wins, two draws and nine defeats so far.