Aston Villa face Preston North End over the weekend, and HITC pundits give their predictions on the likely outcome.
Aston Villa 3-1 Preston
Villa are one of the most unpredictable teams in the league, but home advantage should be key here. If they fail to win then it will be another blow to their fading hopes of making the play-offs.
Aston Villa Manager Steve Bruce
Aston Villa 1-2 Preston
Steve Bruce will demand a response after Villa slipped to another timid defeat on Saturday, this time against Wolves, but their soft underbelly could be exposed once again by Preston’s dynamic midfield. Daniel Johnson, returning to his former club, could wreak havoc.
Preston manager Simon Grayson
Aston Villa 1-1 Preston
Both Villa and Preston will want to keep their play-off dreams alive here, and a draw won’t particularly help either side, yet one suspects that might be the outcome. Steve Bruce’s men aren’t playing well and will look to stop the rot with at least a point at home.
Aston Villa 2-2 Preston
Preston are on a roll and they face a Villa side desperate for three points after some recent disappointments. Steve Bruce’s side have home advantage but this has s core-draw written all over it.
Aston Villa fans
Aston Villa 1-1 Preston
Preston should be flying after their impressive win over Brighton, while Villa haven’t won in three. At Villa Park I’d have gone for the home team if they had Jonathan Kodjia to call on – they’re really missing a striker in some form.
Aston Villa 0-1 Preston
Villa are really struggling to score goals without Jonathan Kodjia, a problem which looks unlikely to be solved ahead of Saturday. Preston, meanwhile, are going strong, especially away from home – where they are among the division’s form sides.
Aston Villa’s Jonathan Kodjia
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