- The five Boxing Days matches of the Premier League have been predicted by Opta
- Man United are tipped to beat Aston Villa as the title race looks cutthroat
- IAN LADYMAN: Arsenal are developing tenacity, street smarts and a mean streak… it will bode well for them. Listen to It's All Kicking Off
It's the time of year when everyone struggles to predict results amid the chaos of the Premier League's festive fixture list, but Opta's supercomputer has named who it thinks will win the Boxing Day matches.
And surprising news for Man United fans is that Erik ten Hag's side – without a goal in four games – are given a 44.1% chance of beating high-flying Aston Villa.
United are in terrible form, while Villa sit third in the table, and yet it is the visitors who have just a 27.5% chance of victory.
Elsewhere, it looks like business as usual for the top teams. Liverpool (59%) are expected to win their match at Burnley, while Arsenal (57.1%) and Man City (62.1%) are expected to win their matches against West Ham and Everton in the coming days.
On Boxing Day itself, Newcastle (55.7% vs Nottingham Forest), Fulham (39.5% vs Bournemouth) and Luton Town (41.2% vs Sheffield United) are also named as expected winners.
Rasmus Hojlund and Manchester United could be heading for a much-needed win
Aston Villa are in excellent form and are third in the league, but are expected to lose
Opta's AI-powered supercomputer predicts Premier League results by estimating the probability of each match outcome (win, draw or loss) using betting market odds and Opta Power Rankings, based on historical and recent team performance.
In this power rankings, Villa are currently the eleventh best team in Europe. United are 26th, trailing West Ham, against whom they lost 2-0 on Saturday. Manchester City is at number 1, while Arsenal is the second best English team at fifth place.
United should be somewhat energized on Boxing Day after news emerged on Christmas Eve that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's £245 million investment in the club had been confirmed.
Ratcliffe's INEOS group will take control of the sporting operation at Old Trafford once their involvement is given the green light by the Premier League at the start of the new year.
According to Opta's model, Arsenal and Liverpool both look set to win their next games
Sir Jim Ratcliffe pictured outside Old Trafford – the petrochemical billionaire has completed his purchase of a 25 percent stake in Manchester United from the Glazers for £1.3 billion
His £1.3 billion deal to buy a 25 percent stake in the club includes a provision that could oblige the Glazers to offer their remaining shares to the petrochemical magnate first, should they one day want to part with do away with their ownership of the club.
The Glazers have long been a figure of anger and resentment for United fans, with chants against them regularly aired at Old Trafford.