Manchester United looking to bounce back against Villa

Soccer Betting Lines

12/22/2006 - Birmingham, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Manchester United had an eight- point lead in the Premiership standings only two weeks ago. Now, the Red Devils have seen that cushion fall to only two points, courtesy of their stunning 1-0 loss at West Ham last week.

Chelsea picked up wins against both Newcastle and Everton to close the gap, and have served notice to United that they are not going away.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men are now looking to rebound from their disappointment at Upton Park, the first away loss of the campaign for United. The Red Devils will hit the road once again when they visit Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Villains are looking to rebound as well, as Martin O'Neill's team have slowly descended down the standings in the EPL. After occupying a top-five spot in the early part of the season, Villa have taken just four points away from their last six games, including a 1-0 home defeat to Bolton last time out.

Midfielder Gavin McCann will face a late fitness test for Aston Villa as he is battling a hamstring problem. If McCann can't go, 20-year-old Craig Gardner could make his first start of the season after impressing the team as a substitute.

The Villains will trot out almost the same lineup they have for the past couple of weeks despite their recent struggles, but the team must start picking up the maximum points to improve on its ninth-place standing and compete for a spot European competition next season.

United is expected to put the same starting 11 on the pitch on Saturday that they have for weeks. One question that has been raised concerning United's title chances is whether or not they have enough depth to navigate the rest of the season. United could have trouble if they suffer an injury or two in their starting lineup, as there is not much depth on the roster. One player who will help the thin front line for the Red Devils is Henrik Larsson, who will join the club in January after signing on loan from Helsingborg. The 35-year-old former Celtic star will bring needed firepower up top to go along with Louis Saha and Wayne Rooney.

Defender Patrice Evra will probably not be available to Ferguson as he is battling a calf injury, while Alan Smith is not up for selection as he is still trying to return to fitness.

In other action on Saturday in England, Fulham tries to move into the top-half of the standings with a win against West Ham, Arsenal hosts Blackburn and will try to keep its place in a tight race for third place, surging Liverpool has won its last three games by a combined 11-0 score and will attempt to keep that momentum going when they host bottom-feeding Watford. Bolton got back in the win column last week and tries to make it two straight with a visit to Manchester City, Middlesbrough hosts Charlton in a match heavy with relegation implications, Newcastle entertains a suddenly-strong Tottenham club, Portsmouth is just two points out of third and plays host to Sheffield United, Reading and Everton are separated by just two points and clash at the Madejski Stadium and Chelsea visits Wigan in an attempt to keep the heat on United.

SATURDAY

Fulham - West Ham United

Arsenal - Blackburn Rovers

Aston Villa - Manchester United

Liverpool - Watford

Manchester City - Bolton Wanderers

Middlesbrough - Charlton Athletic

Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur

Portsmouth - Sheffield United

Reading - Everton

Wigan Athletic - Chelsea