Manchester United made a historic move during their clash against Aston Villa on Sunday, marking a significant moment in Premier League history that went largely unnoticed by many.
In what turned out to be their third consecutive victory, the Red Devils secured a 1-0 win with Scott McTominay emerging as the hero off the bench to score the decisive goal.
The match saw Rasmus Hojlund open the scoring with his 11th goal of the season for Manchester United, only for Douglas Luiz to level the score for Aston Villa.
Despite McTominay’s match-winning contribution, it was Harry Maguire who was awarded the Man of the Match accolade following an impressive defensive performance.
However, what truly made the game stand out was Manchester United’s kit choice. In a move not seen since 1957, United wore their white away strip against Aston Villa.
Typically, this kit comes with white shorts and white socks. Yet, due to a kit clash with Villa, who also wore white shorts, United donned red shorts for the first time in 67 years.
This decision to wear red shorts alongside their white shirts harkened back to a significant moment in the club’s history.
It was in 1957 that Manchester United first wore red shorts, notably during both legs of the European Cup semi-final against Real Madrid. This move was believed to have influenced Liverpool’s decision to adopt an all-red kit.
According to UnitedKits.com, this kit combination was previously tested in a league game against Bolton Wanderers.
However, until this season, Manchester United had never worn red shorts with their white away kit in a league match.
The red shorts made their appearance earlier in the season during a thrilling 3-3 draw against Galatasaray in the Champions League back in November.
Looking ahead, Manchester United will resume action next Sunday with a home fixture against Luton Town at Old Trafford.