Two of the Premier League’s most in-form teams will clash on Saturday as Aston Villa host Newcastle United.
Villa are up to sixth in the standings and are right in the fight for Europa League qualification, having gone unbeaten over their last seven Premier League games, although this fixture is the start of what looks to be a tricky run of fixtures that will ultimately decide Villa’s fate.
Three positions higher in the table are Newcastle, who are leading candidates to book a spot in next season’s Champions League, although defeat here would lead to a nervous ending to the season.
Here’s all you need to know about this one.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle H2H Results (Last Five Games)
Current Form (Last Five Games)
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Country |
Television Channel/Live Stream |
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United Kingdom |
BT Sport 1 / BTSport.com |
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United States |
USA Network/ UNIVERSO |
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Canada |
fuboTV Canada |
Aston Villa team news
Unai Emery has a few fitness concerns to deal with. Leon Bailey picked up a hamstring problem during the recent win over Nottingham Forest, with the boss later admitting he has no idea how long the winger could be out for.
Boubacar Kamara has missed the past two games after seemingly being rushed back from an ankle injury too soon. The midfielder will face a fitness test alongside Philippe Coutinho and Matty Cash.
Aston Villa predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno; McGinn, Luiz; Traore, Buendia, Ramsey; Watkins.
Newcastle team news
Newcastle avoided any injury issues during their victory over Brentford, with the sight of midfielder Joe Willock completing nearly the full 90 minutes suggesting he is over his thigh problem.
Miguel Almiron was back in training on Wednesday but will not start just yet and can only hope for a spot on the bench, although Eddie Howe may keep him away from the action for a little while longer to ensure he is over his thigh injury.
Over on the left wing, there’ll be no Allan Saint-Maximin as the Frenchman continues to recover from his own injury.
Newcastle predicted lineup (4-3-3): Pope; Trippier, Botman, Schar, Burn; Guimaraes, Willock, Longstaff; Murphy, Isak, Joelinton.
This could be a fun one.
These two sides have become increasingly impressive at both ends of the field, meaning this could end up turning into a real tactical battle. Unai Emery may have the edge on that front, but Newcastle’s superior squad may balance that out.
There might not be many goals, but the quality of football could be a joy to watch.
Prediction: Aston Villa 0-1 Newcastle
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