How to follow United v Aston Villa

The year started on a muted note due to a 1-0 defeat to Wolves on 3 January, but the Cup should offer a welcome distraction to our Premier League itinerary.

 

Third-round weekend is one of the great points in the English football calendar, and this all-Premier League encounter is arguably its choice fixture. So we've brought together everything you need to know about United-Villa and the 2021/22 FA Cup...

 

 

The game at Old Trafford kicks off at 19:55 GMT on Monday 10 January and will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK. MUTV's coverage will begin when Matchday Live goes on air at 18:50 GMT – the show will include pre-match build-up, live match radio commentary and post-match analysis. Alternatively, you can follow the game with live updates via ManUtd.com and our Official App.

 

 

On sale at the ground before every United home match, United Review can also be ordered online from manutd.com/programme.

 

Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof both missed the Wolves game, while Paul Pogba continues to remain absent due to a longstanding thigh complaint. Ralf Rangnick will hope the aforementioned defensive pair will be available for selection once again. 

 

Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw will be unavailable for our next Premier League match (also against Villa), due to reaching five yellow cards, but both are available for FA Cup duties here. Phil Jones returned against Wolves for his first game in almost two years, and will hope to keep his place alongside Raphael Varane in the heart of the defence. Eric Bailly is on international duty with Ivory Coast, while Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet are also missing for the visitors due to their involvement in the Africa Nations Cup.

 

The Villa began Steven Gerrard's tenure strongly, with four wins in the Merseysider's first six games, with the only reverses coming in narrow defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool. However, the Midlands club head into this FA Cup match on the back of two consecutive defeats, to Chelsea and Brentford, respectively. Villa have also failed to progress beyond the third round of the Cup in each of the last five seasons.

 

United also come into this clash looking for an injection of confidence. We were in the midst of a promising eight-game unbeaten run before the setback against Wolves, and interim manager Rangnick will be hoping for a positive result here and the avoidance of any prolonged slump.

 

Steven Gerrard is a figure well known to United fans, as a former Liverpool legend who had countless hostile battles with the Reds during a successful playing career. However, the last time he faced the Reds as a footballer, he was sent off just 38 seconds into a substitute appearance as Liverpool went down 2-1 to United at Anfield. As a manager, Gerrard has been all about calm, steely control, both at Rangers – where he ended Celtic's nine-season hegemony in Scotland – and since he took over at Villa Park. His teams are well-organised, aggressive and committed – just like Gerrard was as an all-action midfielder for both Liverpool and England.

 

 

Villa have a recent success at Old Trafford to inspire them, as Reds will well remember. They claimed their first triumph in M16 for almost 12 years when the sides met for September's Premier League game, which was settled in the final minutes by Kortney Hause's header. United had a chance to equalise in stoppage time, but Bruno Fernandes blazed a penalty high into the Stretford End.

 

But beyond that, the Reds tend to dominate this match-up. Villa haven't beaten us in the FA Cup since the controversial final of 1957, though they did knock us out of the League Cup in 1999. Coincidentally, we've already met four times at this stage of the Cup in the 21st century, with United triumphant on each occasion.

 

We've won more games against Aston Villa than any other opposition club. Last May's 3-1 victory at Villa Park was our 101st victory against the 1982 European Cup winners.

 

This will be the 192nd meeting between the clubs, with United losing just two of the last 44, across all competitions.

 

 

Referee: Michael Oliver

Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt & Simon Bennett

Fourth Official: Andrew Madley

VAR: Darren England

Assistant VAR: Constantine Hatzidakis

 

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UNITED v Aston Villa (19:55 GMT)