Aston Villa are absolutely feeling their stride right now. The Ws keep coming in the continental competition, as we saw another triumph in the UEFA Champions League this midweek. Can the Villans keep the positive momentum going in the domestic competition this weekend? AFC Bournemouth are coming up from the south coast for a Saturday mid-afternoon feature.
Aston Villa at AFC Bournemouth
Kickoff: 3pm, Sat Oct. 26, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Result Probability: AFC Bournemouth 25% Aston Villa 51% Draw 24%
PL Standing, Form: AFC Bournemouth 8th, 11 pts LLWLW Aston Villa 4th, 17 pts, WWDDW
Jhon Duran needs a regular first team place in this team! The young Colombian striker just seems like he can’t do any wrong right now. But where would that place be?
He’s not usurping Ollie Watkins up top in a central forward role, so where do place him in the attack? I’m sure Unai Emery knows the answer to these questions, much more than I do.
Aston Villa Starting XI Prediction vs AFC Bournemouth
Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne; Youri Tielemans, John McGinn; Leon Bailey, Morgan Rogers, Jacob Ramsey; Ollie Watkins
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.