At A Glance
Two of the most successful clubs in FA Cup history go head-to-head in the third round at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Seven-time winners Aston Villa journey north to take on Manchester United, whose most recent triumph in 2016 was their 12th overall.
Both head coaches, Steven Gerrard and Ralf Rangnick, will be taking charge of their first FA Cup games, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the game.
Neither man was in the dugout when Villa shocked United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the Premier League back in September, with Kortney Hause the matchwinner that day.
The Red Devils come into the tie on the back of surprise defeat at home to Wolves in the league, losing to Joao Moutinho’s goal.
Meanwhile, Villa are looking to end a run of two defeats following losses against Chelsea and Brentford.
Cup Credentials
Archie Hunter and Dennis Hodgetts scored the goals as Aston Villa won the FA Cup for the first time in 1887, beating West Bromwich Albion 2-0.
By the time Manchester United lifted the cup for the first time in 1909, Villa had four FA Cups in the trophy cabinet, and it wasn’t until 1994 that they surpassed Villa’s total.
The Red Devils now have 12 titles to their name, while Villa’s seventh and last success in the competition is 65 years in the past.
United have also enjoyed the better of the FA Cup meetings between the clubs over the years, winning 10 of the 12 games played.
The Last Meeting
Late, late drama ensured Aston Villa’s last trip to Old Trafford would go down as one to remember for all the right reasons.
After more than matching the Red Devils for 88 minutes, Kortney Hause popped up to power home a header.
The defender then gave away a stoppage-time penalty, watching on as Bruno Fernandes blazed the ball over the crossbar.
That left the jubilant Villa players to celebrate three Premier League points with an ecstatic away end.
Team News
Gerrard will be boosted by the return of Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins after the pair missed the 2-1 loss to Brentford last time out.
Trézéguet and Bertrand Traoré have departed for the Africa Cup of Nations, while Marvelous Nakamba and Leon Bailey are injured.
For United, Eric Bailly and Hannibal are also participating in AFCON 2021, while Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof should be passed fit.
Paul Pogba has been out of action since picking up an injury on international duty last year.
The Boss
“We’ve been given a really tough draw - to go to Old Trafford in the opening round. There were certainly kinder draws out there for us, but you get what you’re given. You have to prepare your team in the best possible way. Any time you go to Old Trafford with the level of player they’ve got, you know you’re going to be in for a really tough game.We’ll go there with the strongest possible team we’ve got available to try and get the best result we can.”
Steven Gerrard
