Happy New Year from The Villa Underground!
What a difference a year makes, right? Welcome to 2021 and our first Match Preview of the New Year.
MATCH PREVIEW
Villa head to Old Trafford in excellent form, with a victory over Manchester United offering the tantalising prospect of rising to third spot. In our way is a rejuvenated United side, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side themselves now jut a win from the Premier League summit.
Dean Smith will be quietly confident ahead of this evening’s game, after a confident display against Chelsea and wins over Palace, West Brom, and Wolves.
After slipping out of the Champions League at the hands of Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, United are unbeaten since. Solskjær has secured away draws against rivals Manchester City and Leicester, put six past Leeds, and also beat Wolves, Everton, and lowly Sheffield United.
DON’T MISS: 44 INTERESTING FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE UNITED VS VILLA
In an unexpected twist, United find themselves without Edison Cavani. The 33-year-old Uruguayan has been given an immediate 3 match ban and a £100,000 fine by the FA. This follows an Instagram post made by the forward in late November, which was deemed “offensive in some contexts“.
For Villa, this fixture represents another immediate test of not only our overall progression but also our ability to compete amongst the best in the league.
VILLA TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa side to face Manchester United at Old Trafford:
Martinez (GK)
Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett
Luiz, McGinn, Grealish (C), Traore, El Ghazi
Watkins
On The Bench:
Heaton, Taylor, Hause, Elmohamady, Guilbert, Nakamba, Ramsay, Davis, Hourihane.
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Read Now: 44 INTERESTING FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE MANCHESTER UNITED VS ASTON VILLA
DEAN SMITH SPEAKS
We get a day more preparation time for this game, it’s a busy period but these are the games the players want to play in, the games they look forward to.
Manchester United is probably one of the first fixtures all the players look for.
We had a good result there last season and we feel we’re in better place than we were last season.
But we know the talent Manchester United have got.
Quotes via Official site.