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2020-21 English Premier League
Matchday 17 of 38
Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Old Trafford
Manchester, England
Friday, 01 January 2021
Kick-off is at 23:00
Manchester United and Aston Villa will be aiming to start the year on the right note when they meet in a
2020-21 English Premier League match on Friday evening.
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The Red Devils head into back-to-back home games against Wolves and Villa following a 2-2 draw away to title rivals Leicester City.
Bruno Fernandes has been United's best player since moving to Old Trafford from Sporting club de Portugal in January 2020 and Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reserved special praise for the Portuguese midfielder, after he assisted his club's first and scored their second at King Power Stadium.
"He creates chances, scores goals, takes risks - which any United player should be allowed to do and be brave enough to do," Solskjaer told reporters.
"He's definitely a brave boy. He sees the pass.
"Sometimes I might tear my hair out and say that there's an easier pass ... but you can't take that away from Bruno. You want him to be the X-factor who has players ahead of him making runs so I'm pleased with his influence this season and this year.
"He's always there supporting his teammates ... He does have players ahead of him making runs and giving him opportunities to play those passes... We all have a role to play, he's playing his role to the best of his ability," the Norwegian concluded.
Villa have been a completely different team to the one that battled relegation last season and head into the new year contesting at the right end of the standings. Villa will test their credentials with successive away games at Chelsea and United following 3-0 wins over West Brom and Crystal Palace respectively.
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United took four points off Villa last season. The corresponding fixture last season ended in a 2-2 draw before a 3-0 win for the Red Devils at Villa Park in a match in which Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba found the back of the net.
Manchester United vs Aston Villa head-to-head statistics:
Matches played: 164
Manchester United wins: 86
Aston Villa wins: 39
Draws: 39
English Premier League fixtures, matchday 17:
Friday, 01 January
20:30 -
Everton vs West Ham United
23:00 -
Manchester United vs Aston Villa
Saturday, 02 January
15:30 - Tottenham Hotspur vs Leeds United
18:00 -
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United
20:30 - Brighton & Hove Albion vs Wolves
23:00 -
West Brom vs Arsenal
Sunday, 03 January
15:00 - Burnley vs Fulham
17:15 -
Newcastle United vs Leicester City
19:30 - Chelsea vs Manchester City
Monday, 04 January
23:00 -
Southampton vs Liverpool
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