After a relentless run of matches, Aston Villa finally have a midweek to catch their breath, but the respite is brief. The focus now shifts to a formidable weekend challenge: hosting Manchester United at Villa Park, a fixture steeped in historical difficulty for the Claret and Blue.
Festive Fixture Pile-Up Causes Concern
The victory at West Ham United on Sunday marked Villa's ninth consecutive win and their 15th triumph in 17 outings. However, the demanding schedule shows no sign of easing. Following their clash with United, Villa face a daunting London double-header against Chelsea and Arsenal with just 75 hours between the two matches.
There is understood to be some frustration within the club at drawing such a tough hand over the festive period. While half of all Premier League teams will enjoy two home games in matchweeks 18 and 19, Villa must travel to two of the division's most difficult away venues in quick succession.
Conquering a Historic Hoodoo
This makes securing a tenth straight win against Manchester United all the more crucial. The historical statistics make for grim reading for Villa supporters. The club has managed just one victory in their last 26 Premier League home games against the Red Devils, a 3-1 win in Unai Emery's first match in charge in November 2022.
Manchester United have won 41 Premier League matches against Villa in total, with 18 of those victories coming at Villa Park. Only United themselves have a better record against a single opponent. Ruben Amorim's side arrive in decent away form, having won their last two on the road and scored at least twice in each of their last five away fixtures.
Bruno Fernandes poses a particular threat, having assisted in each of his last five away Premier League appearances. Another assist at Villa Park would make him the first player in the competition's history to achieve that feat in six consecutive away games.
United will be without the suspended Casemiro, while Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Emery's Praise for Lindelof's Villa Impact
One player who will be central to Villa's hopes is defender Victor Lindelof, who is set to face his former club for the first time. The Swedish international, who joined on a free transfer after his United contract expired, has impressed in recent wins against FC Basel and West Ham.
At the London Stadium, he provided the assist for Morgan Rogers' winner and completed 62 of his 69 passes with a 90% success rate, also winning all of his aerial duels. Unai Emery was effusive in his praise for the defender's composure and experience, highlighting his vital role in the team's build-up play.
Off the pitch, Villa's anticipated new signing, Brazilian winger Alysson, gave fans a glimpse of his excitement. The 19-year-old, who has agreed a move from Gremio, shared an Instagram story of himself watching Villa's dramatic win over West Ham, simply captioned "Domingo". He is expected to travel to the UK shortly to complete his medical.
With the January transfer window opening in just 16 days and a punishing run of fixtures ahead, Villa's resilience and squad depth will be tested to the limit as they aim to maintain their extraordinary momentum.
