Sheffield Wednesday travel to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder David Prutton
David Prutton is backing temperamental former employers Sheffield Wednesday to beat Aston Villa on Saturday.
Despite the Owls’ lofty league position – nine places and 17 points above the Villans – it is the hosts who go into the game in better form, having won three of their last four fixtures.
Wednesday, in contrast, have won only one of theirs, and Prutton is expecting them to ‘just shade’ the Villa Park encounter, 1-0.
“We have seen different sides of Wednesday over the last three games. Losing to Leeds, thrashing Norwich and then drawing against Burton,” the 35-year-old reasoned in his weekly predictions column for Sky Sports.
“Steve Bruce looked to be working wonders when he started at Aston Villa but they haven’t been able to keep that form up and I think Wednesday will just shade it.”
The game sees Villa face Wednesday striker Jordan Rhodes for the first time since admitting defeat in their pursuit of the then Middlesbrough player in January, while Owls midfielder Barry Bannan returns to the club at which he spent the best part of a decade and has admitted to still supporting.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Barry Bannan (left) in action
And the links between the two sides do not end their, with brothers Andy and Paul Smith employed as Villa masseur and Wednesday physio respectively.
Villans pair Gabriel Agbonlahor and Gary Gardner have previously spent time on loan at Hillsborough.
Who do you think will win Saturday’s game between Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday?
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