Bournemouth are unbeaten in the last five Premier League matches, and they will look to grind out a positive result in front of their fans in the game vs Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium. On the other hand, Aston Villa are still chasing European qualification, and they will be desperate to pick up all three points.
The Villans have picked up five wins from their last six matches in the Premier League, and they will fancy their chances of getting a good result here. Both teams will look to grind out a positive result, and this is likely to be a cracking contest.
It will be interesting to see who comes out on top here. The two teams played out a draw in October, and they will be hard to separate this time as well. Aston Villa have a better team on paper, but they will need to work hard to get a victory here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
The Cherries will be without Ryan Christie and Luis Sinisterra due to knocks. Meanwhile, Enes Unal is out with a knee injury, and Dango Ouattara has a groin problem.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Aston Villa, with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal. Lewis Cook and Milos Kerkez will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and hit Aston Villa on the break. Illia Zabarnyi will start alongside Dean Huijsen at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Alex Scott will start alongside Tyler Adams in the double pivot, and they will look to add control and defensive cover to the side. David Brooks will reprise the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Evanilson will lead the line for Bournemouth vs Aston Villa at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; Cook, Zabarrnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Adams, Scott; Semenyo, Brooks, Kluivert; Evanilson
Unai Emery will be without Marcus Rashford (hamstring) and Youri Tielemans (muscle). The Belgian international has been ruled out for the season. Aston Villa will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Bournemouth, with Emiliano Martinez in goal.
Matty Cash and Lucas Digne will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Ezri Konsa will form the central defensive partnership alongside Axel Disasi.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana will look to add defensive cover to the side from the deep. They will look to protect the side defensively and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers will add pace, flair and creativity from the wide areas. Meanwhile, John McGinn will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Finally, Ollie Watkins will spearhead the Aston Villa attack vs Bournemouth on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Disasi, Digne; Onana, Kamara; Bailey, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins
The Aston Villa striker has been in impressive form this season, and he will need to step up and produce a strong performance to get a victory here. Bournemouth are in impressive form, and Aston Villa could find it difficult to open them up. Interestingly, the Englishman is level with Gabriel Agbonlahor as Villa’s 74-goal record Premier League scorer.
Watkins can make a huge difference for them in the final third with his creativity, link-up play and finishing ability. The England International has had an impressive season, and he will look to add to his goal tally for the campaign here. He will need to produce a strong performance for his team to come away with all three points.
Both teams are in impressive form right now, and this will be a close contest. It will be difficult to separate the two side, and they will look to cancel each other out. However, Aston will have more quality in the attack, and they have been outstanding in recent weeks.
Matches between these two teams are often packed with goals, and this one is unlikely to be any different. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but Aston Villa have the quality to edge this one. A narrow away win is on the cards for the West Midlands club. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Unai Emery and his charges.
