Aston Villa's path this season deserves the setup of a good American thriller. From the early rounds of the Premier League the Villans showed weak football, earning points through draws and not scoring goals at all. This state of affairs ended in September when the leadership of the Birmingham club publicly expressed support for Unai Emery. The team rallied around the Spanish coach and began delivering stable results. Since then Aston Villa has shown not only stable football but has gradually risen to the level of a title challenger. At least the unpredictability of Manchester City, a certain decline of Arsenal, and the weakness of other contenders for the eventual first place in the Premier League point to Villa's prospects already this season. Manchester United has for many years been the target of criticism and even some ridicule from the footballing public. One of the world's most popular clubs after Alex Ferguson's departure changed many managers, but never regained dominance in England. Right now Manchester United pretends to be aiming for something serious in the Premier League, but its players and coaches would be happy even to finish in the Champions League places. Bookmakers have made the home side the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 2.14 on their victory. Aston Villa is successfully combining European competition with national league matches. In the Europa League the Villans are on the verge of finishing in the top eight, and in the league they are taking the scalp of every successive opponent. For the match in Birmingham, Emery's team will come out on a nine-game winning streak, during which they beat, among others, Brighton and Arsenal. Such form allows them to sit in third place in the Premier League, three points behind first. Many questions about the Villans' prospects will be answered on Boxing Day, when they are set to face Chelsea and Arsenal. They should go into that period on a winning streak. Manchester United savors every single victory and isn't dreaming of any winning streaks. Amorim's charges are not ready to face such a cohesive opponent on his home ground.