Aston Villa vs Burnley Predictions

• Burnley have won just one of their last five fixtures
• Aston Villa have conceded only six goals at home in the Premier League this term
• Burnley have drawn blanks in three of their last five matches
• Ollie Watkins has bagged nine Premier League goals this season

Villa remain in hunt for Champions League

Two claret clubs at opposite ends of the Premier League table lock horns at Villa Park on Saturday and Aston Villa should justify favouritism against Burnley.

It has been an extraordinary season for Unai Emery’s side, who are prime contenders for a Champions League berth at the halfway point.

Aston Villa have won 12 of their opening 19 matches in the top flight and they have been especially dangerous on their own patch, winning eight of their nine Premier League fixtures at Villa Park this season.

Their enterprising brand of football has been a joy to watch, although the hectic festive schedule has caught up with them and they have taken just a point from their last two matches.

Busy schedule catches up with Unai Emery’s men

They firstly drew 1-1 with Sheffield United, who became the first club to leave Villa Park with a point in the league this season, before they relinquished a 2-0 advantage to lose 3-2 to Manchester United on Boxing Day.

That was a suckerpunch defeat but neither of those games were disasters – against the Blades, Villa actually rescued a point thanks to Nicolo Zaniolo’s 97th-minute equaliser.

And it should not take much for Villa to pick themselves up and dust themselves down for the visit of struggling Burnley.

Vincent Kompany’s side stormed to the Championship title last season but have looked feeble in the top flight, picking up only 11 points from 19 matches.

Only Sheffield United are below them in the standings and they face an uphill battle to stave off relegation this season.

Do not expect much from toothless Burnley

At the start of the month, Burnley showed signs of promise with a 5-0 battering of Sheffield United but their five subsequent matches have produced three defeats, one draw and one win.

Most recently they lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool on Boxing Day and, although that was not a match they were expected to win, the performance was particularly toothless.

The Clarets failed to direct a single shot on target in the match and – for the third time in five matches – they failed to get on the scoresheet.

With that in mind, a win to nil for Aston Villa looks like the best bet, while a 2-0 win for the hosts could be the way to go in the correct score market.

Ollie Watkins has not scored in either of Villa’s last two matches but he has bagged nine Premier League goals this season, scoring every 185 minutes in the top flight, and is overdue a goal, so back him to get on the scoresheet.