In a bid to ascend to the top of the Premier League table, high-flying Aston Villa is set to host basement club Sheffield United at Villa Park on Friday night.
Match Preview:
Aston Villa, currently second in the Premier League, has surprised many with their impressive form. Unai Emery’s men, on a winning streak, are showing signs of a potential title charge.
Villa’s home record is formidable, with 15 consecutive Premier League wins, and they will be eager to continue this streak against Sheffield United.
The Lions, coming off a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Brentford, are confident and have previously defeated reigning champions Man City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal at Villa Park.
Despite Sheffield United’s recent defensive resilience against Villa, the Lions are determined to secure three points and climb to the top of the table.
Sheffield United, currently at the bottom of the league, faces a tough challenge against an in-form Villa. Despite a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, the Blades had a morale-boosting 1-0 victory over Brentford.
However, their away form has been less impressive, having secured just one point in eight matches on the road since their promotion to the Premier League.
Team News:
Aston Villa will miss key players like Tyrone Mings, Emiliano Buendia, Bertrand Traore, and Robin Olsen due to injuries.
Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans are doubtful, and their inclusion will be decided before the kickoff.
Boubacar Kamara is suspended, but Douglas Luiz and Lucas Digne are available after serving one-match bans.
Leon Bailey may return to the starting XI, and Ollie Watkins will aim to break his scoring duck against Sheffield United.
For Sheffield United, Chris Basham, John Egan, Tom Davies, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Rhian Brewster, and Daniel Jebbison are unavailable due to injuries.
Jack Robinson returns from suspension and is expected to start in defense. Andre Brooks, Vinicius Souza, and Gustavo Hamer could feature in midfield, supporting Oli McBurnie in attack.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Aston Villa: (4-4-2)
Martinez;
Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Moreno;
Cash, Luiz, Ramsey, McGinn;
Diaby, Watkins
Sheffield United: (4-5-1)
Foderingham;
Bogle, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Lowe;
McAtee, Souza, Brooks, Hamer, Archer;
McBurnie
Predictions: Aston Villa 3-0 Sheffield United
In our prediction, we anticipate a convincing 3-0 victory for Aston Villa. While Sheffield United has shown improvement defensively, Villa’s unstoppable form at home is likely to secure them all three points and the Premier League summit.
