vs
Portsmouth v Aston
Villa
- Fratton Park
Ch 23 - 11:00pm - (Live)
PORTSMOUTH and Aston Villa square up to each other
in a top five contest, having had contrasting results
midweek.
Pompey held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield to rise into
the top three. They've only lost once at home, while Villa have
only been defeated once away. Harry Redknapp has certainly injected
steel into the south coast side. They've never conceded the lead in
this, their most successful Premiership season ever, and will want
to maintain that as Redknapp completes a year in charge since his
return to Fratton Park.
For the second match in succession, David JAMES is set to keep goal
against a former club. JAMES made 85 appearances (67 in the
Premiership) when a Villa player for two seasons from the summer of
1999.
Nwankwo KANU is Portsmouth's leading scorer with eight goals, and
joint leader in the race for the Barclays Golden Boot.
ASTON VILLA were second best to their bogey club,
Manchester City, at Villa Park on Wednesday. They succumbed to only
their second Premiership defeat under Martin O'Neill and travel
south knowing that victory would see them replacing Pompey in
third, providing Bolton do not win at Reading.
Villa remain the Premiership's draw specialists. Eight of their 15
outings this term have finished level, including five of the seven
on the road. Indeed a 0-1 victory at Everton on 11 November is the
Midlanders' only League maximum away from Villa Park so far this
term.
Villa have avoided defeat in five of the six Premiership meetings
with Portsmouth.
Juan Pablo ANGEL and Gareth BARRY are Villa's top scorers, with six
goals each.
BARRY is the club's top Premiership marksman with five.
Portsmouth (from): James; Pamarot, Primus,
Campbell, Stefanovic, O'Neil, Pedro Mendes, Davis, Kranjcar, Kanu,
Lualua, Benjani, Thompson, Taylor, Fernandes, Hughes, Douala,
O'Brien, Koroman, Ashdown.
Aston Villa (from): Sorensen, Taylor, Hughes,
Mellberg, Cahill, Ridgewell, Bouma, Agbonlahor, Davis, McCann,
Petrov, Barry, Osbourne, Whittingham, Agathe, Angel, Sutton,
Baros.
REFEREE
Mike Riley (Leeds, Yorkshire)
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Portsmouth 1-1 Aston Villa
23 August 2005 - Ref: Graham Poll
Portsmouth scorer: LuaLua 42
Villa scorer: Hughes 11 og
Sent Off: Solano (Villa) 11
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
at Portsmouth only
League: Portsmouth 16 wins, Villa 9, Draws 8
Prem: Portsmouth 1 win, Villa 1, Draws 1
