Aston Villa vs Burnley; Premier League
Aston Villa vs Burnley. Premier League.
Villa ParkAttendance41,546.
Aston Villa 2
- A El Ghazi (33rd minute)
- J McGinn (79th minute)
Burnley 2
- J Rodriguez (68th minute)
- C Wood (81st minute)
Aston Villa vs Burnley preview
Watch match highlights at 5.15pm on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app
Friday 27 September 2019 17:53, UK
Team news, key stats and predictions ahead of Aston Villa vs Burnley in the Premier League.
Team news
Aston Villa will still be without Henri Lansbury (ankle), James Chester (hamstring), and Jonathan Kodjia at the weekend.
Smith revealed forward Kodjia, who fractured a cheekbone when accidentally clashing with team-mate Marvelous Nakamba during training earlier this month, had a mask fitted on Wednesday and could return to contention next weekend.
Goalkeeper Tom Heaton will face his former side for the first time since his summer move to Villa Park, with Sean Dyche and James Tarkowski both looking forward to a reunion.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson could be recalled by Burnley after a calf problem while Dwight McNeil is expected to recover from a dead leg.
How to watch
Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be publishedat 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
Opta stats
- Aston Villa have won one of their four Premier League meetings with Burnley (W1 D2 L1), winning 5-2 under Martin O'Neill in February 2010.
- Burnley have lost only one of their last eight top-flight meetings with Aston Villa (W3 D4 L1), winning 1-0 in the most recent meeting on the final day of the 2014-15 campaign.
- All 12 Premier League goals in games between Aston Villa and Burnley have been scored by British players - it is the only fixture to have been played this century to see as many as 12 goals exclusively by British players.
- Aston Villa have dropped a league-high six points from winning positions in the Premier League this season. Indeed, the Villans have lost three of their last four games in the competition in which they've scored the first goal.
- Burnley have won each of their last five Premier League games against promoted sides, more than they had in their first 20 such games in the competition (W4 D9 L7).
- Aston Villa are looking to record three consecutive home Premier League clean sheets for the first time since December 2012. They've recorded a shutout in three of their last four top-flight games at Villa Park, as many as they had in their previous 19 such games.
Charlie's prediction
This is a great game but tough to call. Aston Villa should have got something from the Emirates but are too vulnerable at the back. When they go in front, they have Jack Grealish and John McGinn further forward. McGinn is great for his drive and energy - everything is done at such pace - but when it's not working, he should play a bit deeper for 15 minutes or so and let Grealish stay further forward.
Dean Smith still wants to play the game, even when his side are in front, which I admire. There is a difference at this level, and sometimes it is just small changes which are needed. They don't need to change the personnel, they just need to change a position around five to 10 yards. If Grealish plays further forward, McGinn and Marvelous Nakamba can sit in there. Chris Wood delivered last week and could be a handful for Aston Villa's backline. It might be more of a back-to-front job for Tyrone Mings and Bjorn Engels. This could be quite a physical game and one that is high in bookings.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)
Fantasy Football tip
Frederic Guilbert is the cheapest player in Fantasy Football at just £4.5m. Will you be adding him into your side as he searches for a third consecutive home clean sheet?
