Manchester United are level on points with Chelsea and Liverpool at the top of the league table after the first five league games of the season.
They will be hoping to keep the run going when they host Aston Villa at Old Trafford this weekend, but are coming into the game on the back of an early EFL Cup exit at the hands of West Ham.
And Nicholas believes Aston Villa have the firepower up front to actually hurt Manchester United and feels that the Red Devils have looked vulnerable at the back this season as well.
He still stressed that Manchester United are likely to win the game, but predicts it will be closer than most people expect it to be.
Nicholas said on the Where’s Jeff podcast: “I can see Villa being very good on the counter-attack.
“I think so far the inspiring thing about Manchester United has been coming from behind and turning it around again.
“But I think we saw evidence again last weekend that they are vulnerable at the back and I do think that [Danny] Ings, [Ollie] Watkins and if [Leon] Bailey is fit, I think Villa can really give them a problem.
“I still think Man United will edge it but this is a tight one for them.”
After making wholesale changes in the EFL Cup game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will turn towards his big guns when Aston Villa visit Old Trafford.
