Manchester United chose not to splash out in the transfer window but perhaps they always knew Wayne Rooney could give them a mid-season boost. The striker looked a completely new player against Aston Villa, showing his sharpness in the opening minute and going on to treble his number of club goals from open play for the season. With Antonio Valencia also on his way back and Park Ji-sung due to…
Gerard Houllier’s rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson resumes as Aston Villa make the trip to Manchester United on Tuesday. Frenchman Houllier has overseen Premier League victories over the Red Devils manager on five occasions, all of which came during his tenure as Liverpool boss from 1998 to 2004. It is a record bettered only by Houllier’s compatriot Arsene Wenger, who has led Arsenal to nine league wins against Ferguson’s side,…
Chelsea will look to string consecutive wins together when they host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The Blues scored a desperately needed win over Bolton on Wednesday but it will count for nothing if the home side does not take all three points against Gerard Houllier’s men. The match will be no breeze for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, with Villa desperate for points given they are languishing in 15th…
Gérard Houllier admitted Aston Villa are suffering a crisis of confidence after Liverpool ruined his return to Anfield with a commanding victory that left his team languishing two points above the relegation zone. Villa slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions and have won one of their last 10 league games under Houllier, as a Liverpool team minus Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher eased to eighth…
The United revival stuttered during the ultra-defensive Manchester derby as a six-game winning run was brought to an end by an organised City side that set out to stifle rather than create, but Sir Alex Ferguson will be confident of returning to winning ways at Villa Park. Villa have performed adequately this season, having dealt both with the shock resignation of Martin O’Neill and an injury crisis that has deprived…