2018-19 Sky Bet Championship: Week 42 – Saturday

Aston Villa welcome Bristol City to Villa Park for a huge Sky Bet Championship clash, which could have major ratifications for the play-off hopes of both teams. 

Both teams are currently occupying the final play-off spots ahead of seventh-placed Middlesbrough, so victory here could very well define their run-ins if this battle goes right down to goal difference. 

 

Team news

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Tyrone Mings is ruled out for Aston Villa as he serves a one match ban after being sent off during Wednesday’s win over Rotherham. 

Mings is joined on the sidelines by former Bournemouth teammate – Tommy Elphick who is struggling with a foot injury. 

Kortney Hause and James Chester are both doubts with respective hip and knee injuries. 

Bristol City could remain unchanged from midweek with Korey Smith on the bench as he slowly returns from a knee injury. 

Callum O’Dowda is also nearing a first-team return from his own knee injury but is unlikely to feature here. 

Goalkeeper, Frank Fielding is set to sit the remainder of this season out as he battles a hand injury suffered in February. 

 

Form

Aston Villa have won their last seven on the bounce and are unbeaten in eight overall, including a draw with Stoke in late February. 

During that run, the Villains have kept just three clean sheets of which two came at home. 

Bristol City are unbeaten in their last five with three wins and two draws, although two of those three wins were 3-2 results against the current third and fourth placed sides – Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion. 

 

Stat Attack

• Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Bristol City (W2, D2). 
• Villa have won four of their last five home meetings with the Robins, keeping a clean sheet during all four wins to give them an overall 10-2 win on aggregate across last five clashes at Villa Park (W4, L1). 
• Birkir Bjarnason has scored for Villa in his last two appearances against Bristol City. 
• Bristol City’s last six goals have all come from different goal scorers. 
• Tammy Abraham has scored in three of Villa’s last four home games. 

 

Prediction

With two in form teams who play attacking football, this should be a cracker right to the full-time whistle. 

I however am going for a Villa win because of the Robins’ struggles at Villa Park which will be their undoing here. 

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Bristol City

Result: Aston Villa 2-1 Bristol City