Aston Villa did well to pick up a midweek win in the UEFA Europa League, and it will be interesting to see if they can build on that in the game vs Bournemouth at Villa Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Villans have been in impressive form in recent weeks, managing four wins from the last six matches in all competitions. They will certainly fancy their chances of getting all three points at home.
Meanwhile, the Cherries have shown inconsistency in recent weeks. Andoni Iraola’s men have picked up just two wins from their last six matches in all competitions. They are coming into this game on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.
The visitors are fifth in the Premier League table, and they will look to bounce back strongly and put together a winning run. It will be interesting to see if they can get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Youri Tielemans continues to miss out with a calf injury, while Andres Garcia is recovering from a muscular issue. Additionally, Tyrone Mings is struggling with a hamstring injury that will keep him in the treatment room for the foreseeable future.
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 keep things tight at the back. Meanwhile, Ezri Konsa will pair up alongside Pau Torres at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana will add defensive cover and drive in the middle of the park. Morgan Rogers, poised to sign a new deal with Aston Villa soon, will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.
John McGinn and Evann Guessand will start on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring opportunities and add unpredictability in the final third. Finally, Ollie Watkins will lead the line for Aston Villa vs Bournemouth this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Onana; McGinn, Rogers, Guessand; Watkins
Andoni Iraola will be without Enes Unal, who is sidelined with a knee injury, and David Brooks is struggling with a hamstring issue. However, Alex Jimenez and Tyler Adams are fit and available to take on Aston Villa.
Bournemouth will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Bournemouth, with Djordje Petrovic in goal. James Hill and Adrien Truffert will start as the two full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Villa on the counter. Bafode Diakite will start alongside Marcos Senesi in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Alex Scott will start alongside Tyler Adams in the double pivot. They will look to protect the team defensively and keep things compact in the middle. Marcus Tavernier will reprise the no. 10 role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack.
Antoine Semenyo and Ben Doak will start on the flanks, adding goals and creativity from the wide areas. Finally, Eli Junior Kroupi will spearhead the Bournemouth attack vs Aston Villa on Sunday.
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Petrovic, Hill, Diakite, Senesi, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Doak, Tavernier, Semenyo; Kroupi
The Bournemouth attacker is our key player to watch out for. He is in spectacular form right now, and he will look to help his team pick up all three points. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates in the final third and find the back of the net as well.
He has registered nine goal contributions in 10 matches this season, and there is no doubt that he is one of the best attacking players in the league right now. It will be interesting to see if he can find the back of the net here and help his team grind out important points.
Villa will need to keep him quiet if they want to pick up all three points.
Both teams will look to pick up all three points here, and this is likely to be a crunch contest. Neither side will want to drop points here. They are quite evenly matched, and this should be an entertaining affair.
Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, and it will be difficult to separate them. It would not be a surprise if they cancel each other out. A draw seems quite likely, and the two teams will end up sharing the spoils.
