Aston Villa will be eager to return to winning ways and get the title chase back on track when they host Burnley at Villa Park on Saturday.
The games are coming thick and fast in the Premier League, with the latest round of fixtures starting less than 48 hours after the previous matchday ended. Gameweek 20 will get underway with the game between Luton Town and Chelsea at Kenilworth Road before it continues with four simultaneous fixtures, one of them being Aston Villa vs Burnley at Villa Park.
Aston Villa’s performance levels have dropped this past week, with Unai Emery’s men managing only one point in two games. The most recent clash was a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, with the Villans squandering a two-goal lead and the chance to go to the top of the Premier League table.
On the other hand, Burnley suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Boxing Day, with the result leaving them five points behind 17th-placed Everton. The Clarets have won only one of their last five Premier League games, with their prospects for survival being low.
The most recent Premier League clash between Arsenal and Burnley at Villa Park ended in a 1-1 draw, with Emiliano Buendia and Ashley Barnes finding the back of the net. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Burnley on Saturday, the Aston Villa manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players.
Lucas Digne is the latest absentee, with the Frenchman sustaining a hamstring injury in the Boxing Day clash with Manchester United. Digne has joined Robin Olsen (knock), Tyrone Mings (knee), Youri Tielemans (calf), Emiliano Buendia (knee), and Bertrand Traore (muscle injury) in the treatment room.
Meanwhile, Boubacar Kamara is still serving a suspension after seeing red against Brentford. But there is some good news, as Matty Cash is available after his one-match ban earlier this week. The Polish international should return to the starting eleven on Saturday.
Aston Villa will line up in the usual 4-4-2 formation against Burnley, with Emiliano Martinez taking his spot between the sticks. Ezri Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres, and Alex Moreno should form the defensive quartet. Such a setup will allow Moreno the freedom to express himself in the final third.
Cash will feature in an advanced role as part of the midfield quartet. The Polish international will likely join Douglas Luiz, Leander Dendoncker, and John McGinn in the middle of the park. The four players will form a fluid partnership, with McGinn often taking up central positions. Finally, Moussa Diaby and Ollie Watkins should be the two strikers.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Moreno; Cash, Luiz, Dendoncker, McGinn; Diaby, Watkins
Burnley
Unlike his counterpart in the Aston Villa dugout, Vincent Kompany does not have many issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Villa Park. The Burnley manager will be without two first-team players on Saturday.
Jack Cork (calf) and Luca Koleosho (knee) are the only absentees for the away side. Otherwise, Kompany has a full-strength squad to take to Villa Park this weekend. Meanwhile, like Aston Villa, Burnley will line up in a 4-4-2 formation. But the system will be vastly different from the home side’s, with defensive resolve taking priority.
James Trafford will take his spot between the sticks, with Vitinho, Dara O’Shea, Jordan Beyer, and Charlie Taylor forming a defensive-minded backline. But Taylor will often appear in crossing positions in the final third when the opportunities present themselves.
As for the midfield unit, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Wilson Odobert should man the flanks. Sander Berge and Josh Brownhill will pair up in the central areas, looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Finally, Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster should be the two strikers this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Trafford; Vitinho, O’Shea, Beyer, Taylor; Gudmundsson, Berge, Brownhill, Odobert; Amdouni, Foster
Key Stats
- Aston Villa won the reverse fixture 3-1 in August and are vying to complete the league double over Burnley for the first time since 1925/26. The Clarets are unbeaten on their last four visits to Villa Park, with each of the most recent three ending in a draw.
- Aston Villa are winless in nine year-ending matches at home since beating Fulham 20 years ago (D4 L5).
- Burnley are the only team in the Premier League yet to earn a point from a losing position this season.
- Unai Emery has won all four of his Premier League fixtures against Burnley.
- Ollie Watkins has scored 21 top-flight goals in 2023. No Aston Villa player has been more prolific in a calendar year since Andy Gray netted 23 times in 1976.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
2023 was a memorable year for Aston Villa as he finally started fulfilling the immense potential he possesses. The English international has found the back of the net 21 times in the top flight this year, a Premier League record for an Aston Villa player.
But he has gone off the boil in recent weeks, even though he has troubled the scorers every now and then. So, he will be eager to rediscover his form and wake Aston Villa up from the mini slumber of the last seven days. A vulnerable Burnley defence will give the 27-year-old the opportunity to stamp his authority again in a Premier League game.
Prediction
Aston Villa 2-0 Burnley
Burnley’s recent performances provide a cause for optimism. But beating Aston Villa at Villa Park in 2023 takes some doing, considering the Villans’ exploits against the best teams in the Premier League. So, while the Clarets will take the game to their hosts, they will fall short this weekend.
Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey should deliver the goods for the home side, guiding them back to winning ways after the defeat to Manchester United earlier this week. The Hard Tackle predicts Unai Emery and his charges to clinch a 2-0 win on Saturday.
