Aston Villa vs Man United predicted as Erik ten Hag's fate decided in four-goal thriller

The pressure is mounting on Erik ten Hag, with Man United looking to avoid a fifth game in a row without a win when they take on Aston Villa later today.

After going 2-0 up, United were only able to leave Porto with a point in their midweek Europa League clash, with Harry Maguire's 91st-minute strike rescuing a 3-3 draw in Portugal. The draw meant that United have only won three out of nine games across all competitions so far this season, and the clash with Aston Villa is starting to look like a make-or-break fixture for Ten Hag.

Villa currently sit fifth in the Premier League, with Unai Emery's side entering the clash in high spirits following a 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Ten Hag has a good record against Villa though, with United winning four of their five meetings against the West Midlands side under the Dutchman's guidance.

Bruno Fernandes' red card against Tottenham has been overturned following a successful appeal, meaning the midfielder is available for the clash against Villa. So, could United get back to winning ways later today? Let's take a look.

Aston Villa vs Man United score predicted

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that Villa could line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Rogers, Onana, Tielemans, Maatsen; Duran, Watkins.

We predict that United could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo, Fernandes; Garnacho, Hojlund, Rashford.

United should've taken the lead in the opening minute when Alejandro Garnacho won the ball off Pau Torres and surged through on goal, but one-on-one, the winger's shot was poor as he curled the ball past the 'keeper, but around the post. Ten Hag's side were made to pay for their missed opportunity, with Villa taking the lead in the 16th minute when Ezri Konsa headed home from a corner.

Another big chance went begging just before the break when Kobbie Mainoo fantastically slipped a pass through to Rasmus Hojlund, but the striker should've done better as he fired over the bar from close range. Villa were dominant in the second half as United struggled to create any chances at all, but completely against the run of play, United managed to draw level in the 89th minute thanks to a moment of magic.

Garnacho used his pace to burst past Lucas Digne on the right before chopping back onto his left, and with space, the Argentine clipped a ball to Joshua Zirkzee at the near post. The ball fell slightly behind the striker, but some fantastic improvisation saw the Dutchman meet the cross with an acrobatic effort, firing into the bottom corner to make it 1-1 and rescue a point late on.

EA FC 25 predicted final score: Aston Villa 1-1 Man United

What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!