Just over two weeks on from the win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League over in the Netherlands, Aston Villa will be aiming to get back to winning ways after a surprise loss over the weekend.
Unai Emery continues to impress at the helm of the Villains and they are both eyeing up a sensational finish in the Premier League and a run in the Europa Conference League. Emery did, however, see his side lose 2-0 over the weekend to Nottingham Forest.
This saw Villa fail to score for the firs time since a 3-0 loss to Liverpool back in September, while they remain the third-best attacking team with 26 goals scored from 11 games. It also keeps the club in fifth with seven. wins and only three losses. The other side to beat them was Newcastle United.
Villa managed to beat Luton Town before this in a 3-1 home victory, as John McGinn and Moussa Diaby got back amongst the goals. This also came after back-to-back 4-1 wins in the Premier League and Europa Conference League, as they smashed West Ham United 4-1 in the league with more goals from Douglas Luiz, Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey. They then went on to defeat AZ Alkmaar 4-1 away in the Netherlands, as Watkins and Bailey got back amongst the goals before Youri Tielemans and McGinn added more goals.
Emery's men did, however, have a four-game run of letting in at least one goal during this period, last keeping a clean sheet against Rajwilk back in October.
As for Alkmaar, they drew 1-1 with Excelsior over the weekend and remain in last place in Group E with eight goals let in and five scored of their own. They have also lost to Legia Warszawa. Back in the Eredivisie, Alkmaar are tailing PSV Eindhoven by seven points because of the latter's stunning run of form, but they have still let in only five goals and remain unbeaten with the chance to close the gap to four with their game in hand.
Villa have also secured 12 wins in a row at home now and will no doubt eye up a 13th, given their run of form and how they smashed Alkmaar last time out.