After a sluggish start to their Premier League campaign, Aston Villa are finally finding form under Unai Emery. The Birmingham side have now won three matches in a row across all competitions, including a convincing 3-1 victory over Fulham and a 2-0 Europa League win against Feyenoord.
Despite sitting 16th in the table, Villa are showing signs of recovery and will be confident returning to Villa Park, where they’ve beaten Burnley in three of their last four encounters. Emery’s side have also looked sharper in attack, with Emiliano Buendia rediscovering his scoring touch and Ollie Watkins providing consistent movement up front.
However, Villa’s matches have tended to stay relatively tight, and with several injuries — including goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez — Emery is likely to opt for control over chaos on Sunday.
Burnley’s defensive frailties continue
Scott Parker’s Burnley are enduring a difficult spell. The newly promoted side have lost four of their last five games, including a 5-1 thrashing by Manchester City, and boast one of the league’s leakiest defences (13 goals conceded in six matches).
Away from home, the Clarets have looked particularly vulnerable, and their struggles in front of goal have not helped. Despite Jaidon Anthony’s good individual form, Parker’s men have rarely looked capable of matching more established Premier League sides for quality or consistency.
With Burnley winless in five and Villa regaining confidence, it’s difficult to see the visitors leaving Villa Park with anything.
Prediction
Villa should extend their winning run but are unlikely to run riot against a Burnley side desperate to tighten up. Expect a composed home performance with a few goals but not a high-scoring affair.
