Turf Moor, Saturday, 1500 GMTBURNLEY:
Here we go again and the omens are certainly good for the Clarets. Sitting nicely in mid-table, six points above the drop zone was more than Burnley supporters could have hoped for at this stage but manager Owen Coyle knows there is a long way to go before he can start thinking the Turf Moor side are safe.
It is about maintaining their form after a fine start and tests such as the Villa game are what survival is all about. Much has been made of their insistence that staying up is about winning games, not being hard to beat, and matches like this are what that philosophy is all about.
Nobody would give it a second thought if the Clarets were beaten but if they pick up points from these 'bonus' games they will stand a great chance of preserving their Premier League status.
Strategy: Could be an interesting one. With Villa favouring a similar 4-3-3 formation, Coyle is faced with an interesting choice but is more than likely to stick with his own variation on that shape. Graham Alexander and Andre Bikey give him the solid base but the key thing for Burnley will be that full backs Tyrone Mears and Stephen Jordan are not stifled by Villa's attacking wide-men and that their own wingers are able to get up and support the lone striker. Getting behind the ball and striking quickly could be the order of the day against a team that is at its best on the break.
Injury update: There are no new concerns for Coyle, with Chris McCann, Martin Paterson and Jay Rodriguez still facing long stints on the sidelines.
ASTON VILLA:
Gabriel Agbonlahor has double ambitions for the season at Aston Villa. On a personal level, the club's leading scorer wants to be on the plane with the England squad to South Africa - and would love to be jetting off with a Champions League place to look forward to after his truncated summer holiday.
Villa are a point better off than they were at the same stage of last season when Martin O'Neill's side embarked on a 13-game undefeated run, suggesting they were genuine contenders for the top four until they fell away dramatically in the second half of the season.
If they are to sustain a challenge better this season, Agbonlahor knows they cannot afford follow the example of Everton and Manchester United, who have already become victims of the Turf Moor trap.
O'Neill chants the need for 100 per cent application against all opponents like a mantra and the message has fully hit home with Agbonlahor. "We have to respect what they have done so far. They are the surprise package.
"Maybe some teams have gone there and taken them lightly, but we will not do that. We know that we are a scalp they would like to take and we are prepared for that."
Prior to the international break, Villa defeated Bolton 5-1. It was the perfect way to head off for international duty for a number of O'Neill's squad. Now the Villa manager is hoping that the two-week interlude to domestic affairs will not disrupt his side.
"It was a perfect way to sign off. Everyone went away on international duty with a smile on their face. We have to get back to doing what we were doing before the internationals," he said.
Strategy: O'Neill insists all managers love selection dilemmas and he has several here. Stiliyan Petrov is available again after a one-match suspension and someone, most likely Nigel Reo-Coker, despite his excellent performance against Bolton, will have to make way for the club captain in midfield. Altering a winning side is something O'Neill is not afraid to do. Carlos Cuellar will shift across to right back from his preferred central defensive position to accommodate James Collins who is available again and ready to resume his formidable partnership with Richard Dunne.
Injury Update: Collins has recovered from a groin injury and Emile Heskey is also responding well to treatment on a back problem, which should enable the England striker to be named among the substitutes. Stewart Downing is finally in full training after seven months out with a metatarsal fracture, but is likely to have to wait until next month for his first team debut. O'Neill's only long-term absentee is Curtis Davies, who is recovering from surgery on a dislocated shoulder and is unlikely to be available until January.
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