Apparently Manchester United have a lot of injuries and there has never been a better time to play them. That's a generalisation.
Start to look at it from an Aston Villa supporters perspective and things are not so black and white. The generalisation becomes a clutching a straws hope. But, hell, it's game day and even I have this little bit of optimism that things could go well for us.
And I'm not going to write the same thing about how we have to play or predict what will happen, because we can basically take it anyway we want.
So, we're going to sit back and wait for the match. Because today is a good day to play Manchester United.
Some statistics
- In all competitions, Manchester United have lost just one of the last 33 meetings
- Manchester United's last Premier League defeat at Villa Park came on the opening day of the 1995-96 season. They are unbeaten in 17 subsequent visits (W11, D6)
- Defeat at Fulham last weekend ended a run of five unbeaten games for Villa
- We've also only won 11 of the last 45 Premier League matches at Villa Park, averaging exactly a point per game during that period
- Paul Lambert has won more away league games (eight) as manager of Aston Villa than he has at home (seven)
We've one win in the last 35 league matches against Manchester United came. At Old Trafford in December 2009
Updates and team news
So, on that, we sort of all know what has to happen. And just as long as we beat Stoke, it wont be for nothing. Big afternoon coming up and you know what, right now, I think we can do it.
Updates coming as and when we have them. And look, nothing above about Ashley Young.