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Aston Villa vs Southampton: 21/12/2019 – match preview and predicted starting XIs

Aston Villa vs Southampton

Date: 21/12/2019

K/O: 15:00

Venue: Villa Park

Referee: Craig Pawson

Two sides threatened by relegation from the Premier League will face off this weekend as Aston Villa host Southampton.

Aston Villa will be hoping to turn their form around as they face another struggling side in Southampton. The Midlands side have been in the worse form of their season so far, losing their last four games in the league. Despite facing some difficult opposition, the Villans have only picked up four points in their last nine games, something manager Dean Smith will be hoping to set right this weekend.

Villa face a season-defining run of fixtures over the Christmas period, which could determine whether they stay in the Premier League next season. They host Southampton this weekend, before facing off against the other two sides in the relegation zone, Norwich and Watford, in the following week. Anything less than six points could see Villa fall into the relegation zone, and this will be considered a disaster by the Villa faithful.

Brazilian striker Welsey will also be looking to rediscover his form in front of goal, as he has failed to find the back of the net in his last nine games. Wesley looked to be the real deal as Villa’s most expensive signing, scoring four goals in the early weeks of the 19/20 campaign. A goal against Liverpool in the midweek cup tie could potentially improve his confidence heading into this crucial fixture.

Smith faces a dilemma at the back, as his star centre half Tyrone Mings is out until January with a hamstring issue. The England international has been Villa’s top performer in a disappointing backline this season and was sorely missed in the defeats against Leicester and Sheffield United.

Villa’s preferred centre-back partnership is now up in the air. Ezri Konsa and Bjorn Engels partnered each other for the remainder of the Leicester game before Kortney Hause was introduced in place of Konsa against Sheffield Unitd. The return of James Chester in Villa’s midweek victory against Liverpool also puts him into the frame to start this weekend. 

Southampton have also had a disappointing campaign so far. After starting managerial life at Southampton with so much promise, Ralf Hasenhüttl’s reign has gone downhill ever since. The Austrian has struggled to get his side to adapt to life in the Premier League this season, only picking up four wins. Hasenhüttl will be hoping to add some assets in January, to avoid his side slipping into the Championship come May.

The Saints have suffered defeats to the hands of West Ham and Newcastle in their last two and will be looking to rectify that this weekend. However, despite defeats in their last two matches, things have been on the up in recent weeks. After their 9-0 drubbing at the hands of Leicester, the South Coast side have picked up seven points from seven games. Crucial wins against relegation rivals Norwich and Watford have seen Southampton climb the table and draw equal on points with their opponents this weekend. 

Another positive which has come out of Southampton’s season so far is the form of striker Danny Ings. The Englishman has scored nine goals in the league this season, including five in his last six, finally starting to rediscover his form from his time at Burnley. Southampton’s issue has been their lack of goals from elsewhere on the pitch. James Ward-Prowse is the only other man in Southampton’s squad who has scored more than two goals, and as we have all seen before, a lack of goals can be a recipe for disaster in the Premier League.

Team News

Aston Villa

Tyrone Mings will miss out through injury whilst John McGinn is a doubt after it was revealed that he has been playing with a thigh tear, and hasn’t been training ofter the past few weeks. Kortney Hause, James Chester and Ezri Konsa will be competing for a starting place alongside the preferred Bjorn Engels in defence.

Southampton

Hasenhüttl confirmed that Kevin Danso is fit and could feature this weekend. Sofiane Boufal remains out after injuring his toe.

Predicted Starting XIs

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Heaton; Targett, Hause, Engels, Guilbert; Nakamba, Hourihane, Grealish; Trezeguet, El Ghazi, Wesley

Southampton (4-4-2): McCarthy; Soares, Stevens, Bednarek, Bertrand; Djenepo, Ward-Prowse, Højbjerg, Redmond; Long, Ings

Predicted Score: Aston Villa 1-1 Southampton

In what will be a cagey affair between two sides threatened by relegation, neither will want to give the other an inch. 

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