Aston Villa vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier League result and final score after Philippe Coutinho equaliser
Follow the reaction as Aston Villa claimed a sensational point against Manchester United
Follow live reaction as Philippe Coutinho scored the equalising goal on his Aston Villa debut to secure a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the Premier League. United looked set to claim their second win over Steven Gerrard’s side in a week but Coutinho’s introduction changed the game as he set one up and scored another to complete a wild comeback at Villa Park.
Just five days on from knocking Villa out of the FA Cup at Old Trafford, United were handed an early lead as goalkeeper Emi Martinez allowed a Fernandes shot from range through his legs. Villa responded well and David de Gea was forced into a couple of important stops at the other end, and it was the hosts who were on top when Fernandes added his second on 67 minutes.
It came just as Villa were preparing to bring on Coutinho, and the Brazilian had a hand in the hosts pulling a goal back as Jacob Ramsey fired a finish past De Gea with 15 minutes left to play. Coutinho then finished Ramsey’s cross from close range to complete the comeback.
Follow all the reaction to Aston Villa vs Manchester United below:
Man City vs Chelsea
Manchester City have won 11 consecutive Premier League matches. Only Preston in 1891-92 and Liverpool in 2013-14 have won 11 or more games in succession and not gone on to win the top-flight title.
Pep Guardiola’s side began last year with a run of 18 straight wins in all competitions, not losing until 7th March.
Man City vs Chelsea: Pep Guardiola hits back at Thomas Tuchel over Covid luck
Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City have not been ‘luckier’ than other Premier League clubs with Covid-19, despite Thomas Tuchel’s belief that it has been a deciding factor in the title race.
Ahead of Chelsea’s visit to the Etihad for Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off, Tuchel said that “the biggest difference” between his side and City is that the defending champions have “dealt better with injuries and the Covid situation”.
Pep Guardiola hits back at Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel over Covid ‘luck’ comments
Guardiola insists City are ‘no exception’ after missing several first team players due to virus
Man City vs Chelsea: Kepa on taking his chance
With Chelsea’s first choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy away at the Africa Cup of Nations, back-up option Kepa Arrizabalaga is looking forward to an extended run in the team.
One in which he hopes to show what he can do and prove that he can be an assest to the Chelsea team. He says that time on the sidelines has refocused his mind and now he is ready to play. Arrizabalaga said:
We have a few of games while Edou [Mendy] is playing in Africa. I wish him all the best and maybe I have an opportunity to play more games in a row, and very big games, important games, against Manchester City, Brighton and Tottenham again.
“Of course every player wants to play as much as he can, but what I learned in the last few months is to be focused on my job, work to be at peace in my mind, and that helps me a lot. Just give all that I can do and take the opportunity when I have an opportunity. I am in this mood and I think now I am doing well, I am helping the team and I am so happy about that.
“I was waiting for that moment to play for a long time, so I think I am ready to take the opportunity. I’ve been ready, that is the important thing. When you are out of the starting XI for a time, you are on the bench and ready to go, you feel the atmosphere and you want to be there on the pitch, so I was ready to go.”
Man City vs Chelsea: De Bruyne on ‘big game’ with Chelsea
Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne says that he is excited to play in a ‘big game’ against Chelsea that could have big implications on the Premier League title race.
De Bruyne - who captains the Premier League leaders today - is expecting a tough test but knows that victory would leave his team 13 points clear at the top of the table. He said:
It is exciting. I think you always want to play in the biggest games. We had so many battles over the years where we have won and they have won a couple of games in the Premier League and Champions League.
“You always want to be on top and that is what we want to do. It is a big game. They have been playing really well lately. I saw the Liverpool game (2-2 Premier League draw) and a little bit of the first Tottenham game (2-0 Carabao Cup win), so they have been in a good rhythm.
“I expect them to give us a big test.”
Man City vs Chelsea: Head-to-head
Today’s game is the 50th Premier League meeting between the two sides. Manchester City only managed three victories in the first 25 encounters but have since won 12 of the last 24 games.
It is just the second time they have met as the top two teams in the Premier League. The other occasion came in January 2015, with second-placed City earning a 1-1 draw at league leaders Chelsea.
Chelsea have been beaten in eight of their last 12 matches at the Etihad Stadium although they won 2-1 here in May last season under Thomas Tuchel.
Man City vs Chelsea: Team changes
Pep Guardiola makes four changes to the Manchester City team that line-up against Arsenal on New Year’s Day. John Stones and Kyle Walker replace Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake in defence with Jack Grealish and Phil Foden coming in for Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus.
Thomas Tuchel makes five changes to the Chelsea team that started against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night. Thiago Silva replaces Andreas Christensen in defence, with Jorginho, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi dropping to the bench in fovaour of N’Golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech and Marcos Alonso. Christian Pulisic starts ahead of Timo Werner up top.
Man City vs Chelsea: Line-ups
Man City XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Laporte, Cancelo, Rodri, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Sterling, Foden, Grealish
Chelsea XI: Kepa, Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Sarr, Azpilicueta, Kante, Kovacic, Alonso, Ziyech, Lukaku, Pulisic
Man City vs Chelsea: How Man City changed the way you win the league
It was on the bus to the 2021 Champions League final that Thomas Tuchel learned of Pep Guardiola’s decision to leave out both Rodri and Fernandinho. The Chelsea manager was stunned. Tuchel felt it was a move so drastic that it was effectively Guardiola taking on all responsibility for the match. So it proved.
While Tuchel has been more successful than most in working out how to beat this Manchester City, he privately admits that final came down to Guardiola’s selection.
It was almost a case of the English champions beating themselves rather than getting beaten. That may be what the rest of football is relying on this season.
How Manchester City changed the way you win the league
Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side have not only set a new standard in the Premier League, they have changed the very complexion of the competition, writes Miguel Delaney
Man City vs Chelsea: Recent results
As has been mentioned, Manchester City are on a seven-game winning run since losing to RB Leipzig in their final group game of the Champions League - when they had already qualified for the next round - and have won 14 of their last 15 fixtures across all competitions. In the Premier League they have scored 21 goals over six games and conceded just four times. It’s an incredibly impressive run from the Premier League Champions who continue striding towards another title.
Looking to halt them in their tracks are second placed Chelsea. The Blues are now 10 points adrift of the league leaders after stumbling through the Christmas period saw them record four draws in their last five Premier League matches. Three consecutive victories in cup competitions has got Chelsea back into winning ways so can they bring that form into today’s top of the table clash with Man City?
Man City vs Chelsea: Guardiola on Covid-19
Pep Guardiola fielded questions in his pre-game press conference about Manchester City’s handling of the coronavirus situation because whilst every team has had to deal with postponements and rising cases City are the ones whose performances on the pitch have not been affected.
They have won 14 of their last 15 games across all competitions and have opened a 10 point lead over Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table. Guardiola said:
I think the COVID is all around the world. It is not that in this part of the world there is no COVID. That is not true. We had a lot of cases and a lot of injuries. We played Aston Villa with 11 first-team players.
“The last four or five games we played with academy players on the bench. We are in the same situation as all other clubs. Injuries may be less because our medical department is incredible. But in terms of COVID, we are the same.
“It is not that we are smarter or wiser or do the protocols better. When the virus comes into the bubble, everyone suffers. There’s no exception.”
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