---
title: "Aston Villa vs United: 3 Things to Look Out For"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2015/08/13/aston-villa-vs-united-3-things-to-look-out-for/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Man Utd Match Previews"
published: "2015-08-13T12:48:14Z"
modified: "2015-08-13T12:48:14Z"
---

# Aston Villa vs United: 3 Things to Look Out For

Both Manchester United and Aston Villa were able to come up trumps in their opening fixtures of the 2015/16 Premier League season. They were both able to net a goal each over the weekend; however they weren’t the\
most convincing of wins. Things change this Friday however as both teams have had a feel of the season to come, and they come head-to-head at Villa Park. What will be the deciding factors of this game?

1\.   **1) It’s Villa first home game**

This fixture will of course be the first for Aston Villa at Villa Park, and with the game being on a Friday, there will be new levels of anticipation taking the atmosphere to new heights, making a tough environment for Manchester United.

According to Villa defender Ciaran Clark a fixture like this “don’t come any better”, for the team and the fans. He also added on [avfc.co.uk](https://www.avfc.co.uk/page/Home/0,,10265,00.html): “It’s Man Utd. It’s the first home game of the season. We’re back at Villa Park. It’s a sell-out under the lights. I’m not sure it can get much better than that.

“You’ve got all the makings of a great game and I’m sure the fans can’t wait for it. “The lads are the same. We love playing at Villa Park. It’s obviously an amazing stadium and there’s something special about matches\
there in the evening. It’s just got that something extra.” “It won’t be easy but there’s a real focus and drive in\
the squad, with some talented new faces, and we want to really go out and\
impress.”

2**.   2) Pace**

With Aston Villa having great pace in their squad, it could be a tough assignment for the new centre-back pairing of Chris Smalling and Daley Blind, given the lack of time they’ve had together out in the middle. Although Blind has come out and stated that he is smart enough to play in the centre back role, he did look at times a little shaky against Tottenham Hotspur and with the pace of Aston Villa it could be his first proper test of the season.

3\.\
**3) Tim Sherwood**

Sherwood, having taken over mid-season last season performed amazingly to dig Aston Villa out of the relegation zone and just back to safety after they looked out of whack under Paul Lambert. This season Tim Sherwood has had a full pre-season with his squad with a few new signings, a training camp in Portugal and a few wins under their belt including their pre-season friendlies and their opening round win over Bournemouth. With a strong off-season, Sherwood would have managed to fully prepare his squad for games like this, and with the home crowd behind them, they could be a reckoning force.