Aston Villa will be hosting Preston North End for their EFL Championship fixture at Villa Park on Tuesday night. The Villans are coming off a 2-0 defeat to Fulham on the weekend and the onus to get back to winning ways is high in this matchup.
Steve Bruce’s biggest issue this season has been to maintain on-pitch consistency and the problem got compounded with some of his key squad members – Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah sidelined with an injury. Bruce himself has undergone mental trauma over the loss of his father, Joe last week and his mother, Sheenagh, being taken ill at the beginning of the month.
After putting together a win-streak of 7 games, the Claret and Blues got outdone by the sheer brilliance of a charged Fulham side.
It was a cagey affair with neither side able to create anything of note in the first half. However, they were silenced seven minutes after the break when Ryan Fredericks raced to the byline and pulled the ball back for Sessegnon to sweep low into the bottom corner – his 12th goal of the season.
A dreadful clearance from goalkeeper Sam Johnstone fell straight to Ayite who controlled it and then chipped into the empty net from 45 yards. Game over and Steve Bruce’s men dropped out of the automatic playoff spots.
Preston, on the other hand, were successful in holding off the league leaders to a 1-1 draw and stretching their winless run to six games in the Championship. They are still 3 points behind Bristol City and the playoff spots and it would take more wins rather than draws to slide into the top 6 within the next 16 games.
The visitors can take some positives from their away record of 25 points in 16 games – 4th in the league. Bruce will have to find a way to get the better of the Deepdale-side if he wants to escape the gruelling playoff battle to earn promotion next season.
Here is how Aston Villa might lineup on gameday.
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Defence
Sam Johnstone is expected to start in between the sticks.
The 24-year-old might get shielded by the centre-half pairing of John Terry and James Chester. Alan Hutton should get the nod for the right-back position with Jordan Amavi on the left.
Midfield
Mile Jedinak and Birkir Bjarnason might start in the holding midfield role with Robert Snodgrass and Ahmed Elmohamady featuring on the flanks.
Attack
Gabriel Agbonlahor and Scott Hogan have predicted starters in the striker and shadow striker roles.
