Premier League: Aston Villa vs Stoke City match preview

A look ahead to this weekend’s fixture at Villa Park

Tim Sherwood is looking forward to the challenge of delivering some excitement to Aston Villa’s fans (Reuters)

All eyes will be on Tim Sherwood ahead of this game, as Villa’s new manager steps into the Villa Park dugout for the very first time.

Buoyed by the prospect of an FA Cup quarter-final showdown with local rivals West Brom, Sherwood’s men will look to gain momentum in their fight for Premier League survival.

Stoke make the journey to Birmingham looking to firmly cement their place in the top half of the table with their tenth win of the season.

Kick-Off: Saturday 3pm.

Past Three Meetings...

Stoke 0 Aston Villa 1 (Weimann), Premier League, August 2014

Aston Villa 1 (Benteke) Stoke 4 (Odemwingie, Crouch, N’Zonzi, Cameron), Premier League, March 2014

Stoke 2 (Adam, Crouch) Aston Villa 1 (Kozac), Premier League, December 2013.

Stats...

Villa without a league win since beating Leicester 2-1 on 7th December.

Villa have scored a mere two goals in the league in 2015.

Stoke have committed 302 fouls this season, but have not received a single red card in the league.

Jonathan Walters is Stoke’s top scorer with seven goals.

Odds...

Aston Villa to win: 2.8

Stoke to win: 2.88

Draw: 3.25

Classic Moment...

April 2013, Matthew Lowton’s stunning late volley helped to move Villa out of the relegation zone in happier times under Paul Lambert. Gabby Agbonlahor and Christian Benteke weighed in with a goal each for a vital 3-1 win at the Britannia Stadium.

TV: Highlights on BBC1 at 10.25pm.