Aston Villa will be hoping that they can get their charge for a champions league berth back on track, while Burnley look to find some form under new manager Brian Laws.
As recently as the Christmas period and neutral fans all over the country were admiring Villa’s style, penetration and will to win. A couple of months later and they seem to have fizzled out. No one is underperforming but the likes of James Milner, Ashley Young and Gabi Agbonlahor are no longer setting the world alight, with their performances going from dazzling to mediocre. It’s hard for young players to maintain such form and perhaps it was somewhat inevitable that there may be some burnout this season. Villa’s rise up the premiership is built on solid foundations and it will take time for their plans to come to fruition. Owner Randy Lerner has not looked for the quick fix and has invested as much time as he has money, in the team. Manager Martin O Neill I think will be satisfied with their progress but will hope to avoid a collapse as grandiose as theirs last season.
Burnley have looked a shadow of their former selves since their talismanic manager Owen Coyle left to manage Bolton. brian Laws is a manager with years of experience, but an awful lot of it has been spent in the championship. Burnley really need to turn a corner and very soon, with them languishing close to the foot of the table in 19th position, and Sunday’s game will be no walk in the park. Burnley’s injury list is slight, but all fans will be hoping that Graham Alexander can overcome a lsight niggle to make the starting line up.
Aston Villa may have faded slightly in recent weeks, but I feel that they will still have the firepower and resilience to secure a comfortable victory over Burnley.
Verdict:Aston Villa Home Win
Odds: 2/5
Bookmaker: William Hill
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