FORM GUIDE
United have won five of our last six Premier League fixtures, with the 0-0 draw at Leeds last time out the only blip in that time. The Reds are unbeaten in 24 away games in the top-flight, a club record run which includes last season’s comprehensive 3-0 success at Villa Park. Only Arsenal, with a 27-match sequence between 2003 and 2004, can better our current run and a draw or a win at Villa Park will leave us just one game away from an entire league campaign without defeat on the road, something which has only been achieved three times previously, by the Gunners twice (2001/02 and 2003/04) and Preston, way back in the 19th century.
The home side’s early-season form saw them rank as one of the contenders for a Champions League place at the turn of the year, with Liverpool, Leicester and Arsenal all falling to defeat against Dean Smith’s men. Their recent record has been a little patchy, however. As mentioned, Villa beat Everton last time out, but haven’t managed consecutive wins since December. The Midlanders have won three, drawn two and lost four of their nine home league games this year.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
The Reds famously have a great record at Villa Park, and we are unbeaten at the Birmingham venue since 1999 – an incredible run stretching back 23 games. Even that loss came as Sir Alex Ferguson rotated his side in the League Cup and you’d have to rewind to August 1995 for the last United league reverse at the ground, with Villa prevailing 3-1 on the opening day of that particular season. We have won on five of our last six visits, including last July’s three-goal victory, achieved thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba. Fernandes hit the winner from the spot in this season’s meeting, on New Year’s Day, which ended 2-1 to the Reds at Old Trafford.
