Former Celtic star Chris Sutton has backed Aston Villa to bounce back from their home slump and inflict a 2-1 defeat upon Manchester United in their upcoming Premier League meeting.

Chris Sutton Backs Aston Villa To Hand Manchester United A Reality Check

Manchester United produced one of their season-best performances against West Ham United last Sunday (February 4). Erik ten Hag’s side thoroughly dominated proceedings from start to finish and claimed a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford. Rasmus Hojlund scored the opener in the 23rd minute before Alejandro Garnacho bagged a second-half brace (49′, 84′) to seal a comfortable victory.

Sutton was impressed with United’s performance against West Ham United but does not think they would be able to overcome Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon (January 11).

Analyzing the game, Sutton wrote in his BBC column:

“Manchester United impressed me in their win over West Ham with the control they had of that game – we have not seen that from them very often recently.

“People are saying they are getting back to their best form and when Erik ten Hag spoke afterwards, he was as upbeat as I’ve heard him be all season. Rasmus Hojlund is one of the reasons Ten Hag is so positive. He played well, and again took his goal well.”

He concluded by adding:

“This is a very different test, however, even if Aston Villa have lost their past two home games, firstly against Newcastle and then to Chelsea in the FA Cup.

“Villa are not out of the title race yet and I am backing them to respond. While I think Manchester United will score, Lisandro Martinez’s injury is a big loss for them at the back.”

Sutton’s Prediction: 2-1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa Vs. Manchester United: Head-To-Head Record

According to the data from SportsMole, Aston Villa and Manchester United have squared off 140 times over the years in all competitions. Record 20-time English champions Manchester United lead the head-to-head race by a landslide, with them clinching a whopping 81 wins over the Villans. The Birmingham side, meanwhile, have won 25 matches and played out 41 draws with the Red Devils.