Premier League Preview: Stoke City – Aston Villa

Villans planning Britannia raid to fulfil Champions League ambitions ...

12 Mar 2010 21:29:00

By David Middleton

More On :  Aston Villa, Stoke City, Martin O'Neill, John Alieu Carew, Tony Pulis, Thomas Sorensen, Stoke City vs Aston Villa
EPL: John Carew, Everton - Aston Villa (Getty Images)
Saturday, March 13, Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Britannia Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent

On the back of recent domestic cup encounters, Aston Villa finally have a chance to reignite their quest for fourth spot in the Premier League if they can out-muscle Stoke City.

Don't Miss
Having being cruelly beaten by Manchester United in the League Cup final at the end of February,  a dressing-room hair-drier moment from Martin O'Neill made sure his side suffered no hangover against Reading in the FA Cup last weekend.

Trailing 2-0 to the Championship strugglers, Villa booked their Wembley return after a sublime second-half performance which saw them run out 4-2 winners. Transferring that domestic cup form into the bread and butter of the league though will be a welcome sight for O'Neill, who will be aiming to overcome a personal hoodoo.

The Villa boss has not won a league game in March since taking over the West Midlands outfit in 2006 - going 12-matches without victory. In fact, the wily Ulsterman last tasted a top-flight win during this particular month a decade ago, when his Leicester City side beat Leeds United 2-1.

However, Villa are the only side unbeaten in the Premier League during 2010, on a six-match unbeaten run, and will be aiming to maintain their winning momentum against the Potters after trouncing Burnley 5-2 recently and drawing with Arsenal and Manchester United.

They boast the best defensive record in the top-flight, conceding just 21 goals all season, and have only waved the white flag on three of their away excursions.

Conceding just 11 times in 12 away matches is an impressive statistic and their sweeping counter-attacking style, epitomised by a glut of England hopefuls including James Milner, Stuart Downing and Ashley Young, has seen them snatch maximum spoils at Anfield and Old Trafford.

Yet Tony Pulis & Co. have built a fortress at the Britannia Stadium, as seemingly impenetrable as anything the division's top-four behemoths can shout about. Stoke have surrendered just four times on home turf all season, conceding 17, but were recently undone by the Gunners and held by Manchester City.

Many footballing purists have slated Stoke's physical approach and long-ball strategy, but with 6ft plus players across the board, Pulis has achieved a fantastic second season in the Premier League. Their top-flight survival looks already assured and the club can now focus on bettering their 2008-09 points tally.

Only four clubs, Derby County in 1998, Fulham in 2003, Birmingham City a year later and Blackburn Rovers, have got promoted and then fared better in the following semester.

Stoke are comfortably on course to emulate such an achievement and can take heart that they've already yielded six-points more than they had at this stage last term.

However, the Potters have struggled against the division's elite, with eight of their nine defeats coming against clubs placed in the top-half of the table. They've also dropped 19-points from winning positions - more than any other team - and have not kept a clean sheet in their last nine outings.

FORM GUIDE

Stoke City

10 Mar (Premier League) v Burnley (A) DREW 1-1
07 Mar (FA Cup) v Chelsea (A) LOST 2-0
27 Feb (Premier League) v Arsenal (H) LOST 3-1
24 Feb (FA Cup) v Manchester City (H) WON 3-1
20 Feb (Premier League) v Portsmouth (A) WON 2-1

Aston Villa

07 Mar (FA Cup) v Reading (A) WON 4-2
28 Feb (League Cup) v Manchester United (n/a) LOST 2-1
24 Feb (FA Cup) v Crystal Palace (H) WON 3-1
21 Feb (Premier League) v Burnley (H) WON 5-2
14 Feb (FA Cup) v Crystal Palace (A) DREW 2-2

TEAM NEWS

Stoke City

Tony Pulis has hinted he will make wholesale changes for the game against Villa with Ryan Shawcross, James Beattie and Salif Diao certain to miss out.

Strapping centre-back Shawcross, who was recently called up for England duty, is serving a one-match ban for his sending off against Arsenal, while Diao has a calf problem and Beattie is nursing a knee injury.

It's not all doom and gloom for Pulis though, who should have powerful striker Ricardo Fuller back in action after he missed the midweek draw at Burnley with a jarred back. Glenn Whelan, who has a hamstring strain, will also face a late fitness test, as will Danny Higginbotham and Matthew Etherington.

Last starting XI (v Burnley): Sorensen; Huth, Collins, Faye, Wilkinson; Lawrence (Pugh), Whitehead, Sanli (Moult), Delap, Etherington; Sidibe (Kitson).

Aston Villa

Aston Villa scored four last weekend past Reading without their leading goalscorer Gabby Agbonlahor. The fleet-footed frontman though has overcome the virus that ruled him out of the FA Cup clash and could partner hat-trick hero John Carew in attack.

Villa have used a slim-line core of players this season and should stick with their same selection, especially as striker Marlon Harewood has a foot injury and Nigel Reo-Coker is ruled out with an ankle problem.

Last starting XI (v Reading): Friedel; Dunne, Cuellar, Warnock, Collins; Downing (Sidwell), Young, Milner, Petrov; Carew, Heskey.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Stoke City – Thomas Sorensen

An athletic shot-stopper Sorensen has shown his calibre this season with some out-standing performances for Stoke and eight clean sheets in all competitions. A Denmark international, the former Sunderland glove-man played 139 times between Villa's sticks following five-years at the Stadium of Light.

However, after falling out of favour in Birmingham, and failing to make a single appearance during the 2007-08 campaign, he joined Stoke on a free transfer and has rediscovered his vintage best.

A model of consistency, he'll be desperate to get one over his former employers and get back to keeping blank slates after failing to keep one in his last eight run-outs.

Aston Villa – John Carew

The giant target-man must be in line for a starting place ahead of Emile Heskey and Gabby Agbonlahor in Villa's offensive line after a delightful hat-trick against Reading last weekend. The 6ft 4ins striker booked Villa's Wembley return with an FA Cup treble and will be aiming to show Martin O'Neill he can produce the goods in the Premier League.

A Norwegian international, with 21 goals from 71 caps, the former Lyon goal-getter contributed 15  times for Villa's cause last term and is just four off equalling that feat this time around, with five goals in his last three fixtures.

His aerial prowess and power in the penalty area could be utilised to great effect against Stoke's heavy-hitters, and after bagging the winning goal against the Potters earlier this season, he'll be desperate to be involved.

PREDICTION

Although Aston Villa succeeded where Stoke failed last weekend in reaching an FA Cup semi-final, having only beaten the tenacious Potters once in their last five attempts they have every reason to be wary of visiting the formidable Britannia Stadium.

Both sides have enviable 2010 records and it will be a clash of footballing philosophies when Pulis' blood and thunder approach meets O'Neill's fleet-footed young England charges. If Villa's youngsters can score early and silence Stoke's amorous support, they could steal maximum spoils and close-in on a much-coveted fourth place spot.

Stoke City 1-2 Aston Villa

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