Timely home return for Bruce’s out of form Villa

Steve Bruce’s side will be hoping to put their away day woes behind them, as they take on Simon Grayson’s Preston North End this weekend.

Fortunately, after firing blanks at both Wolves and Cardiff, we are back home where the team can build on our impressive record at Villa Park. As well as being the only team still unbeaten at home, we are also the only Championship side to have scored in every home match.

However, Preston are proving to be no pushovers in their second season back in the second tier of English football. The Lilywhites are 9th in the table after losing just twice in their last 11 matches, with both of those defeats coming against teams in the playoffs in Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday. They also ended Brighton’s 18-match unbeaten run at the weekend, with an efficient 2-0 victory.

We should also remember that Preston also beat Villa 2-0 in Roberto di Matteo’s final match as Villa manager, which they backed up by drawing at Brighton then beating both Huddersfield and Norwich in their next three matches. After an inconsistent period from mid-November through to the new year, they have found form again by winning their last two matches without conceding.

Villa will be confident after scoring 10 goals to win five of the last six at Villa Park, and should have the firepower to overcome Preston despite the absence of top scorer Jonathan Kodjia.

Yet it would come as no surprise to see Preston on the scoresheet; they have only failed to score in three of their 12 matches away from Deepdale, whilst Villa have conceded exactly one goal in 11 of 15 matches under Bruce.

EnergyBet Match Odds:

Aston Villa 2.05 | Draw 3.20 | Preston 3.70

EnergyBet Expects:

• Both teams to score @ 2.02
• Villa to score over 1.5 goals @ 2.30

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