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Manchester United’s New Years Day game against Aston Villa will be competitive.
Villa has enjoyed a very strong season so far, and instead of fighting relegation like last season, they are fighting at the top end of the table.
Heading into this game, Villa is just four points behind United, with a game in hand.
Nobody will give Villa much of a chance to maintain this form, but that is how they like it. They will head to Old Trafford confident that they can score a point like last season, or better.
United has been rotating the team over the holiday period and this is the game Fred and Scott McTominay are likely to start in.
McFred will return
Fred is a player who rarely rests. But United have sought to conserve their energy until December and use the great team at our disposal.
Scott McTominay was also left out of the Wolves game, only arriving in injury time after the winner, and both he and Fred are in shape and likely to start.
Villa is a team that works hard and is a real test in the midfield. John McGinn is an excellent midfielder who complements Douglas Luiz well. Jack Grealish’s ability is well known at this time.
McTominay and Fred have the right combination of energy and tackling to bring the game to Villa and support the creative abilities of Bruno Fernandes.
In his last home game, McTominay was excellent, scoring two goals against Leeds and also creating three scoring chances. United could use a replay.
Of course, there are other options. Nemanja Matic has improved in form in the last two games, but Jack Grealish is the type of player who could give her trouble.
Paul Pogba has had a good month, the best of this season, but United could rotate him and use him from the bench, with a view to the City semi-final next Wednesday.
The other option is Donny van de Beek, but right now he’s out of favor. Their best chance is if United decide for tactical reasons to play a midfield four.
McTominay and Fred may not be the flashiest combination that instills fear in the opposition, but their record this season and last together has been impressive. The league win away from Everton that they both started in which United won 3-1 was a particularly outstanding performance, as was Leeds’ victory.
In some ways, his selection is a compliment to Villa. Solskjaer has realized that to win certain games, it takes a lot of energy and will to “mix it up”. McTominay and Fred provide exactly that.
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