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Manchester United supervisor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stopped in need of saying his aspect had been Premier League title contenders after a hard-fought 2-1 residence win over Aston Villa put them degree on factors with champions and leaders Liverpool.
Liverpool go to Southampton and United journey to Burnley earlier than a mouth-watering conflict at Anfield on Jan. 17, albeit in entrance of eerily empty terraces as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
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United look able to mounting their first actual Premier League title problem since 2013, once they received their record-extending twentieth crown in Alex Ferguson’s final season in cost, however his former protege Solskjaer refused to get carried away.
“In fact we’re pleased with what we’re doing,” Solskjaer instructed the BBC. “We’ve proven now we have improved so much in a 12 months. We’re getting fitter and fitter and stronger and stronger.
“These gamers have a terrific age. They’re studying and are hungry to be taught which is essential. They arrive in every single day with a starvation and need to be the most effective on match day. They’ve been targeted.”
However Solskjaer additionally criticised his crew for attempting too many audacious passes as an alternative of straightforward ones in opposition to a cussed Villa aspect who got here near snatching a draw after being subdued by aggressive United strain within the first half.
“It was perhaps a bit of too open and we wasted possibilities. We tried to play the Hollywood cross as an alternative of securing the primary one and utilizing the house that was there,” he stated.
“You’re all the time delighted with three factors. We had save on the finish and Eric Bailly made a unbelievable block in order that in all probability saved two factors for us.”
Aston Villa boss Dean Smith backed referee Michael Oilver’s choice to award United a game-winning penalty transformed by Bruno Fernandes, given after a VAR test as Paul Pogba went down beneath a problem from Douglas Luiz.
“My view was it was a penalty from the place I used to be stood,” stated Smith.
“I assumed Douglas Luiz acquired too tight with Paul Pogba however then I’ve simply gone in and seen it again and I believe he is simply tripped himself up. I believe there’s sufficient doubt there to ship the referee over to the display.
“I wasn’t pleased with the primary half. We had been miles off the degrees the place now we have been. It felt like a testimonial tempo then they deservedly had the lead at half time. I instructed the gamers we wanted to be upping our ranges.”
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