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Premier League | Gameweek 17
Jan 1, 2021 at 8pm UK
Old Trafford
AV

Man Utd
2 - 1
Aston Villa

Martial (40'), Fernandes (61' pen.)
Maguire (49'), Bailly (55'), Shaw (89'), Matic (90')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Traore (58')

Dean Smith: 'We can maintain our excellent form'

:Headline: Dean Smith: 'We can maintain our excellent form': ID:428636: from db_amp
Villa are fifth in the Premier League ahead of Friday's trip to Manchester United.

Boss Dean Smith believes Aston Villa can prove their Premier League credentials in 2021.

Villa go to Manchester United fifth on New Year's Day after Monday's 1-1 draw at Chelsea extended their unbeaten run to five games.

They have already won at Leicester and Arsenal this season, having also thumped Liverpool 7-2 in October.

Villa play Tottenham and Everton after Friday's trip to Old Trafford – along with an FA Cup third round tie with Liverpool – and Smith knows the games will be the acid test.

"Well we're hoping so, in these games last year we were still getting to understand the Premier League," he said.

"This season we know where we're at, and we've made a big improvement by going to Arsenal and winning and going to Leicester and winning, Liverpool, and getting a point at Chelsea.

"We think we can go and compete with the best in the league, so we're excited about those opportunities, and we'll be ready for them."

Tyrone Mings is available after suspension while Ross Barkley is also in contention after a hamstring injury and sitting out the trip to parent club Chelsea.

Villa are three points behind fourth-placed Everton with a game in hand as they mount a challenge for Europe having beaten relegation on the final day of last season.

Smith said: "I believe I can trust them fully, because I look at the squad at the moment, one player comes out of the team and another comes in and does well.

"There's no player who's going to want to go out there and be under their level, because that would let the team down, and there's a great team unity at the moment.

"They know if they do that they are not going to get back in the team, so I've got full trust in them.

"We'll prepare for the game like we have all the rest of them. We get a day's more preparation time ahead of this game I think, in theory.

"Manchester United is probably one of the first fixtures all the players look for, but we had a good result up there last season and we feel we're in a better place than we were last season, but we know the talent United have got."

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal28204470244664
2Liverpool28197265263964
3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014
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