Having recently returned from injury, Youri Tielemans has wasted no time in getting amongst the goalmouth action with seven shots in his last four starts, cashing this bet in three of those. Across the season as a whole, he’s averaging 2.23 shots per 90 at Villa Park, and as a player who is a threat from range, he needs no invitation to pull the trigger.

Man Utd are giving up 13 shots per game on the road and have kept just one clean sheet in their eight away matches this season, as they struggle to keep the opposition at bay. Their most recent game against Bournemouth demonstrated their defensive fragility, and with Tielemans taking two shots in both meetings last season, it looks like a good opportunity for him to continue his shooting spree.

Another Villa player regularly taking shots from range in this campaign has been Matty Cash, who has plundered 15 shots in 16 league starts. Villa’s right back has clearly been given licence to shoot on sight, and it’s easy to see wh,y with the Pole netting three times already this season, two of which have come from outside the box.

Of the shots United have conceded this season, 32% have come from outside the box, and so Cash will get chances to try his luck from range, and evidence suggests he will have a go. Like Youri Tielemans, he also has a favourable record in head-to-heads with the Red Devils, with at least one in each of his last four starts against them, and you wouldn’t bet against him making it five when full of confidence.

Our final attacking threat for the home side is perhaps their most in-form player, Morgan Rogers, who netted a match-winning brace at West Ham last time out. The England midfielder received criticism for his early-season form from Villa fans and has responded by firing off 12 shots in his last five league starts, getting on the scoresheet four times in the process.

Rogers managed two shots in this game last season, and with Ruben Amorim’s side having shipped double figures for shots in seven of their eight away league games this season, getting one of Villa’s most confident attacking players on side feels like a strong play. Attacking wide players have scored against the visitors in both of their last two games, and you can guarantee Rogers fancies his chances of scoring another.

After his damning interview in midweek slamming the club’s desire to sell him in the summer, Bruno Fernandes owes Man Utd a performance. Their captain has been doing just that in recent weeks and with three goals in his last two games, he's in strong attacking form. He’s averaging 2.83 shots per 90 this season with 20 efforts in his last five starts, and given the responsibility for free kicks and penalties too, just two shots feels a safe bet.

Despite their excellent form seeing them within three points of the Premier League summit, Aston Villa’s concession of 11.5 shots per game on their own patch will be of concern. The Villans have welcomed three other sides considered top six contenders to Villa Park this season, and those teams have averaged 16.3 shots. So United’s talisman is highly likely to get chances in the attacking third.

An average of 3.92 shots per 90 for his new club makes Matheus Cunha Man Utd’s most prolific shooter, as the Brazilian has taken at least two shots in nine of his 11 league starts. The attacking midfielder has been deployed in a role even further forward than usual in his last two games and has managed eight shots in both of those, showing how desperate he is to make an impression.

Having touched on Villa’s defensive struggles already, across their last five games in all competitions, five separate attacking midfielders have managed at least two shots and with Cunha the most likely shooter amongst United’s ranks, he looks the most likely beneficiary.