
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 TOTALSat Portsmouth only
League: Portsmouth 16 wins, Villa 9, Draws 8
Prem: Portsmouth 1 win, Villa 1, Draws 1