Strangely enough, these two teams are inform with both teams winning their last two games, a win for either will mean three consecutive victories for either side. That would be quite a statement for newly promoted side Hull City, whom many believed would get relegated. And Aston Villa seriously struggled last season and are currently without top scorer Benteke and vital winger Agbonlahor. So it’s fair to say, this could turn out to be a very good game. Hull City will look to pick up as many points at home whilst Aston Villa have collected more points away. It’s safe to see that both teams are oozing with confidence and this game has the potential of being a classic.
Hull City most recently beat West Ham at home 1-0 and also beat Newcastle in a very impressive display to win 3-2. Aston Villa on the other hand beat Norwich away 1-0 and most recently got a surprise victory over former Premier League Champions Man. City. If Villa can beat Hull on Saturday, the victory will show a great level of ambition as well as progress. Not only will it show many pundits that Villa can infact play and win games without Benteke, but could also see Aston Villa continue their challenge for a top 10 finish. Hull City on the other hand have impressed and Steve Bruce has set up his team well over the last few games, but they aren’t scoring enough. Hull will be without top scorer Brady and that will obviously make it more difficult for Hull this weekend.
On a side note, Curtis Davies is playing against his former side, the defender made 67 appearances for Villa from 2007-2011. Also Brad Guzan played for Hull City on loan in January to April of 2011.
Team News:
Hull are without top scorer Robbie Brady, meaning either Quinn or George Boyd will replace the Irish midfielder. Paul McShane is fit again and may start in defence. Koren and James Chester are long-term absentee’s.
Aston Villa could welcome Ashley Westwood and Agbonlahor back into the side. Westwood has missed the last 3 games with a thigh injury and Agbonlahor has been out with an ankle injury. Both have resumed training this week.
Match Facts:
Villa have won their last eight meetings against Hull in all competitions, including all four Premier League fixtures. The Villans have kept six successive clean sheets in this fixture.
Hull have made the best Premier League start of the three promoted clubs (W3, D1, L2), and have earned seven points from their three home fixtures.
Steve Bruce’s side have the chance to win back-to-back home matches in the Premier League for the first time in their history.
Villa are striving to register three successive league wins for the first time since April 2010.
Their tally of nine goals is bettered only by Manchester City (14) and Arsenal (13).
Predicted Lineups:
McGregor
Rosenior-Faye-Davies-Figueroa
Elohamdy-Huddlestone-Livermore-Boyd
Aluko-Graham
Agbonlahor-Kozak-Weimann
Delph-Westwood-El Ahmadi
Luna-Clark-Vlaar-Bacuna
Guzan
Match Predictions:
Hull 0-2 Aston Villa
I’ve been getting these predictions pretty wrong lately, but this time I hope I’m right. Aston Villa must beat Hull otherwise the victory against City won’t mean as much. A chance to get 3 wins in a row would be fantastic and Villa need to be winning these games if they want to get a top 10 spot this season, it’s going to be so competitive. Having said that, I think Kozak and Agbonlahor will score. I also think we’ll keep a clean sheet, Brady is a massive miss and as a result, will be less of a threat out wide. And let’s not forget, Aston Villa are very good when playing away.
Bruce has set this Hull team up to attack, he will most likely not change a method which has been working for him well so far this season. This can only work in our favour. We’re good on the road in general and we’re the best counter attacking in the country right now. I never cosidered Bruce to be a tactician so if he does change it up for us and plays a deep line we could find it difficult and might sneak a draw.
This should be a very straight forward win for us, which is why we’ll lose 3-2 or something stupid like that. Oh to be a Villa fan 🙂
I’ll go for 2-1 Villa. UTV
Defending set pieces against them bothers me
Me too mate, always worried when we concede a corner or free-kick near the box but we did well against Citeh considering the numbers they piled in at us.
True but still left their player unmarked for first. We had 6 guys in front of him and not one went out to stop him or mark him pathetic. The second one there should of been someone on the post that’s school boy stuff Ffs. I can see them getting a winner of a corner in last 10 mins tomor
I think we’re made of sterner stuff at the back this season oohah, even Vlaar (don’t ban me mate lol) it’s the midfield worrying me, it’ll be great when everyone on field is on form at the same time, we still haven’t really had that yet.
Fair play vlaar has definitely improved this season but still shaky at times when not under pressure
*team
Yeah, i think you may have the team right. Although, i wouldnt be surprised if Sylla keeps his place and Westwood sits out.
If Gabby isnt fit, be interesting to see who plays and what formation we play.
I don’t think that Sylla played that well against City. I expect Westwood to play simply because Lambert is a massive fan of Westwood.
But I do want Sylla to play more like he did last year. I thought he was terrific. I’d put Sylla in the side, but El Ahmadi is playing really well right now.
If I was the manager, Bacuna in midfield, give Lowton another chance at right-back.
should be a really good game this the more I look at it, 2-2 wouldn’t be at all unlikely.
obviously id love to see us win going into the break with confidence and spirit up that’d be so good for the team, and us!
couple of hull fans ive come across are very upbeat for the game too despite loosing brady although have said he’s a big loss.
the bookies have got hull slight favorites at the moment, suprising really but maybe suggests some of us villains may be a bit over optimistic in seeing a better than good chance of 3pts. food for thought.
on the face of it a point would be decent.
Yep without benteke they are favourites like iv said last weeks result is just papering over the cracks of how awful we really are
I actually think Villa are favourites. Most people think that Villa will win. This isn’t a good thing. I think we tend to play worse when we’re favourites. Or is it just me
Is it just me or is anyone else pissed of about boring international football postponing prem matches for 2 weeks
It’s not just you mate. I’ve been saying it for ages. I’ve lost all interest in international football and this latest thing with the winter world cup has further put me off. We don’t seem to get a run of more than 3 league games before it stops again.
I love the World Cup, that is good to watch. It’s just the qualifiers which are very boring.
Good thing they always schedule F1 GP’s on those weekends. Otherwise I’d be completely bored out of my mind.
Hate f1 so boring its untrue
I totally agree! I think it’s really boring, especially if you’re from a country that has already qualified. But even during the qualifying stage’s it’s really boring to watch!
I’d like Qualifiers to be played mid-week. Might be difficult with Cup and Europe scheduling but I think it’s do-able.
At the same time, there shouldn’t be any Premier League games mid-week only on the weekends.
I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if there was no midweek footy!
Absolutely right though, international breaks are very unwelcome and very very boring. I think the main problem is the travelling and subsequent player form when they get back to the PL, plus the fact injuries are common place on the international breaks. Bad system all round.
international football is even worse with this total bullshit world cup going to be in Qatar, disgraceful corrupt fifa.
I do enjoy the international tornaments so I suppose they gotta get em in somehow although I equally view with distane the amount of English players who sick note friendlies and low impact games but want to be in the main competitive matches, man utd have been doing it for years and sturridge has started now, mysteriously playing great right up until the last England games then goes injured and surprise surprise is fine to play the following week for Liverpool.
NO TO QATAR!
Agree its a joke the players play when it suits them Ffs. Hope all these big time Charlie’s get crocked for next year then we can have players like gabby who would be happy to play
Agree. We all no teams like eng Germany etc will qualify anyway so may as well just give them a bye
Hull have got off to a decent start, but I thought West Ham were unlucky from what I saw.
I know it’s early days and funny things do happen, but this is one you’d normally have down as a banker. I certainly would have a few seasons back.
These days?
A draw is fave for me (0-0, if I have to predict the score), but hoping for a win.
Evening everyone UTV.I think we will be up for this one and will “GO AGAIN”lol.AVFC away win 3-1…..UTV
Won’t be an easy game. Could go either way.
hull did get very jammy vs west ham, it was never a pen.
agreed mate
Just as jammy as our first goal which was offside!
Are you still harping on about last week Ooah?
Dear me, mate, that’s gone!
Not for me it hasn’t lol
but not as jammy as man city’s 2 pens at the ethiad last season making the game 3-0 instead of 1-0. what goes around…
But they still would of beat us 3.0 instead if 5 big deal
id have to disagree there mate, at one nil we were still in it, making it 3-0 meant we had to go all out to try n get anything and they hit us twice after that which was not suprising.
But 1.0 would of been Enuf for them. Just watching hull game in pub bored to tears got 0.0 all over it. Both teams got nothing up front
My gut feeling says we should do Hull and I think we will.We travel well,are on form,can score without Benteke and our players have confidence….Away win to the Villa….UTV
The stats in the Independent stood up 100% against Newcastle and running with those it should be a a Villa win.It’s prettily evenly matched (statistically) but we are simply more clinical in front of goal than them so 0-1 to the mighty Villians,
Really wish i could say we will win but see this as a draw 2-2, both teams goin for 3 in a row and both without their best players and we beat man c so that’s all our luck used up for the season.
My prediction: 2:1 for Villa. We will get the 3 pts.
Come on you Lions!!!
Decent, but too narrow, imo.
Christ! think we need to get westwood off before he gets himself sent off!
lot of possession but nothing to be excited. We control the game but can´t create anything. Weimann is not in there, bad touches and crosses. Have the feeling we could raise the tempo and take a little bit more risk when attacking.. Delph best player so far.
Playing some decent passing football but don’t really look like scoring. Definitely miss Benteke in games like this.
Both fullbacks are playing well so far, Luna has so much energy!
Still think we need that player who can pick out a killer pass. Think Lambert made a big mistake by not picking up that type of player in the summer.
Going to be a set piece goal either way. Both teams are shite. Can see Davies from a last min corner getting it
scrappy 1st half kind of to be expected, both teams good for effort but lacking in that special quality.
wiemann and kozack need to step up a gear, especially wiemann.
think Hull will come out for the 3pts 2nd half which means we could hit em on the break, we’ve been probing their right side with gabby and luna all game.
ive got to go to bloody work now so will miss the 2nd half 🙁
COME ON VILLA! UTV! 🙂
Problem is I don’t think we have anyone on the bench capable of changing the game. Although last week I said we were terrible from set pieces, so maybe Tonev will come on and score the winner!
What a fuckin bore draw. Anyone notice bent came of bench to get Fulham winner Ffs. Thanks lamberk for getting rid of him and signing that useless twat kozac. Fuck me he is like a stutue. Only positive today was we kept a clean sheet we were never going to score in a million years.
It really looks like Lazio had our pants down for 6m for Kojak.
9m for Tonev and Kojak…why didn’t we just go and spend that on Kiyotake or another decent midfielder.
On a bright note, another clean sheet and Bacuna/Delph were both outstanding.