Aston Villa host Sheffield United at Villa Park in a festive Premier Legue encounter, with implications at both ends of the table.
Victory would see Aston Villa go top until Saturday evening with a win, whilst Sheffield Utd can climb up to 18th position with a win.
Team News
Boubacar Kamara is suspended for Aston Villa’s next three matches after he was red carded during their comeback win at Brentford.
Lucas Digne and Douglas Luiz could return following their one-match bans.
Pau Torres is ruled out after he suffered an unspecified injury last weekend in West London.
Robin Olsen, Youri Tielemans (both knock), Tyrone Mings (knee), Bertrand Traore (muscle) and Emiliano Buendia (ACL) remain ruled out.
Sheffield Utd wil welcome Jack Robinson back into the squad after he was suspended for their defeat at Chelsea.
Chris Basham (ankle), John Egan (foot), Rhian Brewster, Rhys Norrington-Davies (both hamstring), Tom Davies (thigh) and Daniel Jebbison (illness) are still sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
Aston Villa host Sheffield Utd at Villa Park in a 8pm GMT kick-off on Friday 22 December, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- Aston Villa have won one of their last six league meetings against Sheffield Utd (W1, D2, L3).
- Sheffield Utd are winless in their last seven league meetings away to Aston Villa (D3, L4).
- In the last two meetings between Villa and Sheffield Utd, the team who played at home won by a 1-0 result.
- Each of Villa’s last 10 yellow cards at home have come after half-time.
- Coming into this matchweek, no goalkeeper has made more saves this season than Sheffield Utd’s Wes Foderingham, with 81 saves in 17 league appearances.
Prediction
Unbeaten in their last 15 league matches at home, Villa certainly will start this clash as favourite especially after their clinicl comeback win at Brentford where they had to be patient, until they were able to take their chances from two well-executed crosses.
Unai Emery however will be eager for his team to show better discipline and especially Emiliano Martinez whose antics was a bit childlish at times, yet the Argentinean is lucky to somehow not be suspended for this game.
Sheffield Utd meanwhile were totally blown apart at Chelsea with a toothless performance aside from Wes Foderingham who single-handedly prevented an embarrasing loss, so I do expect a serious response under Chris Wilder here with a much sharper attack.
Villa however are currently in fearsome form and unless Wilder’s Blades pull off a clinical smash-and-grab performance, I don’t see the Villains losing this game by any stretch especially if want to go top and put pressure on Liverpool and Arsenal who meet on Saturday.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Sheffield United
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