How to follow United Women v Aston Villa
Manchester United Women are seeking a third win on the bounce as the crammed pre-Christmas schedule wraps up and 2021’s fixture list comes to its conclusion.
Marc Skinner’s side have won twice this week already, moving up the Women’s Super League table with a confident defeat of Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday and qualifying for the Continental Cup’s knockout rounds with another comfortable triumph over Everton on Wednesday.
The Reds have set a target of finishing the year with three wins from three, and we are en route to achieving that objective.
Read on for all the latest team news, form guides, information on how to buy tickets and how to watch and follow from home…
Skinner reacts to win at Everton
Marc Skinner was delighted with the ‘professional and dominant’ performance at Walton Hall Park on Wednesday…
HOW TO FOLLOW
Tickets are still available here for Sunday’s 12:00 GMT kick-off at Leigh Sports Village, with adults priced at £6, seniors and under-16s at £3. For supporters wanting to catch the game on the go or at home, you can watch the match on MUTV. Live coverage begins at 11:45 GMT.
We will also have the team news, as well as updates at half-time and full-time for you in the Official App.
TEAM NEWS
Millie Turner played 90 minutes against Brighton last weekend on her return from injury and also featured in midweek. She started both games in central defence alongside Aoife Mannion, who is yet to miss a minute for United this campaign.
Marc Skinner confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that the team has no new COVID-19 cases this week but that Jackie Groenen, Martha Harris and Carrie Jones are all unavailable until 2022.
Aston Villa started with Emily Gielnik up front last Sunday, the Australian having been missing for the previous couple of weeks. She's expected to continue in the team.
Highlights: Everton 0 United Women 2
See how Marc Skinner’s Reds booked a place in the last eight of this season’s Continental Cup…
FORM GUIDE
United secured qualification to the Conti Cup quarter-finals with victory over Everton in midweek, Martha Thomas sealing the win after the Toffees’ Danielle Turner had put into her own net to give United the lead.
Prior to that, the Reds returned to winning ways in the WSL, after a difficult spell, with a commanding and assertive performance at Brighton. Three points, thanks to goals from Hayley Ladd and Vilde Boe Risa, saw Skinner’s side climb to fifth, just two points behind Tottenham in third.
It’s been two consecutive clean sheets for United, something the boss is pleased with.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, have won two and lost four of their most recent six games. Their midweek match in the Conti Cup was a 1-0 defeat to Blackburn, a result which left them bottom of Group A, while their last WSL game was a 2-1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
United have won all four previous competitive meetings and are yet to concede in any of those, scoring 22 goals.
WSL STATE OF PLAY
United currently sit fifth in the Women’s Super League, level on points with fourth-placed Brighton. Aston Villa are 10th, nine clear of their rivals Birmingham one place below and just one point behind ninth-placed Everton.
RIVALS WATCH
Sunday 19 December
UNITED v Aston Villa (12:00)
Chelsea v West Ham (12:15)
Tottenham v Everton (14:00)
Leicester v Birmingham (14:00)
Man City P-P Reading
Arsenal v Brighton (18:45)
All kick-off times in GMT.