[rondwisan]

19/04/2013 15:59 - ManUtd.com, N Coppack, M Singh
Preview: Aston Villa v United


Form guide: Aston Villa may find themselves in a relegation scrap, but the Midlanders have lost just one of their last five fixtures, winning three and drawing one. Their form has come just at the right time, although they go into this round of fixtures just*one spot and three points above the relegation zone. Meanwhile, United's march towards the end of the season has slowed somewhat. Just one win in four fixtures represents the Reds' worst form of the campaign. Of course, Sir Alex's men still hold a 13-point lead over rivals Manchester City, and should the Blues lose at Tottenham on Sunday United have the chance to win the league on Monday night.

Ins and outs: Former Villa winger Ashley Young has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury, while Monday's match is expected to come too soon for Paul Scholes, who's still recovering from a knee injury. Villa will be sweating on Gabriel Agbonlahor's fitness (thigh), but Chris Herd (ankle), Marc Albrighton (ankle), Gary Gardner (knee)*and Richard Dunne (groin) are all ruled out.

Last meeting: Back in November, Aston Villa went 2-0 up at Villa Park thanks to an Andreas Weimann brace. United, however, inspired by half-time substitute Javier Hernandez, scored twice in five minutes to draw level. Then, with just three minutes remaining, the Mexican stooped to head home a dramatic winner and break Villa fans' hearts.

Did you know? The last time United failed to score in a Premier League home game was in December 2009, 65 games ago. The opponents that night: Aston Villa. The Midlands side won 1-0 thanks to a Gabriel Agbonlahor header.

Opposition boss: Paul Lambert has been lauded for keeping faith with Villa's young players during a time when results haven't always gone their way. He came to Old Trafford last season with Norwich and almost produced an upset. His return this term comes just one day shy of the 16th anniversary of Borussia Dortmund's Champions League semi-final second leg victory at OT, a game in which he excelled for the Germans.

Star man: It's not often you see a struggling side's striker*near the top of the goalscoring charts, but only four men have netted more times in the league this season than 22-year-old Christian Benteke. The*powerful Belgian is a real handful for defenders – just ask Chris Smalling, who was bundled off the ball back in November in the lead-up to Villa's first goal.*

Quote/unquote: “We expect a scrap. You expect a team to fight for everything when they’re down there. That’s the least you expect. Villa, as they showed against Stoke City, have a bit of life about them." – Sir Alex Ferguson

Sub-plots: Ashley Young's injury means he's denied an appearance against his former club, but in truth this game was never going to be about that. Instead, this fixture could be the night United clinch a 20th league title... depending on*the result at White Hart Lane on Sunday, of course.*

Whistle blower: Mancunian Anthony Taylor has taken charge of three Reds fixtures already this season. He was the man in the middle for United's trips to Queens Park Rangers (win) and Norwich (loss) and also officiated in the Reds' Capital One Cup win against Newcastle at Old Trafford back in September.

Rivals watch: All eyes will be on North London on Sunday, when Tottenham Hotspur welcome Manchester City to White Hart Lane (kick-off 13:30). A Spurs win would be massive for United.