In a massive game at the bottom of the Premier League table as Aston Villa host Norwich with both teams needing three points.
Villa sit 18th in the table having lost four games in a row, including a hugely damaging 3-1 home loss to Southampton last time out. A run of one win in nine games has seen them slide into the bottom three.
Norwich are also in poor form - winless in their last five Premier League games and only picking up two points in that timeframe. They lost 2-1 at Carrow Road to Wolves in their last league game despite taking the lead.
Simply put, this is a huge game in the context of the Premier League season. 18th against 19th in what is the epitome of a relegation six pointer. Whoever comes out on top will have a massive boost going into 2020.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick-Off? | Thursday 26th December |
| What Time Is Kick-Off? | 15:00 (GMT) |
| Where Is It Being Played? | Villa Park |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | Amazon Prime |
| Referee? | Chris Kavanagh |
Team News
Dean Smith is likely to make changes to the side that lost to Southampton. One will be enforced as midfielder John McGinn will be out for at least three months with a fractured ankle.
The Villans are also without centre back Tyrone Mings, who suffered a hamstring injury in the home loss to Leicester. There could be recalls for Trezeguet and Ezri Konsa who were both left out of the side against Southampton.
Daniel Farke may also decide to make changes to his XI for their trip to Villa. Both Timm Klose and Ben Godfrey will be out until 2020 with knee injuries, while there is hope Josip Drmic might return.
Onel Hernandez and Marco Stiepermann will be pushing for starts after being left out of the starting XI for the Wolves game.
Potential Lineups
| Aston Villa | Heaton; Guilbert, Engels, Konsa, Targett; Douglas Luiz, Nakamba, Hourihane; Trezeguet, Wesley, Grealish. |
| Norwich | Krul; Aarons, Zimmerman, Hanley, Byram; Vrančić, Trybull; Cantwell, Buendia, Hernandez; Pukki. |
Stats Centre
Aston Villa are looking to secure just their second Premier League double over Norwich City, having won 5-1 at Carrow Road in October.
The Canaries have played more Premier League games on Boxing Day without a win than any other side in the competition (six), though they'll be buoyed by the form of Todd Cantwell, the midfielder having scored five and assisted a further two goals this season.
Jack Grealish will likely be key if Villa are to halt a four-match losing streak, with the playmaker having scored three goals in his past five league appearances.
Head to Head Record
Historically, Aston Villa have had the better of this fixture, winning 33 games to Norwich's 22, with another 16 ending in draws.
It has been back and forth between the two teams more recently, however, with both sides winning three of the last six meetings.
Villa humbled Norwich at Carrow Road earlier in the season, recording a massive 5-1 victory. The last game at Villa Park ended in a 2-1 win for the Canaries and resulted in them securing the Championship title.
Recent Form
As mentioned already, Villa's recent form has been shocking. They've lost their last four league games in a row and have won just one of their last six Premier League games.
Their most recent win in all competitions was the 5-0 win over Liverpool's kids side in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Norwich haven't been much better, picking up just two points in their last five games. They did manage an impressive point away at Leicester but followed that up by losing at home to Wolves.
They've won once in 13 since famously beating champions Manchester City at Carrow Road and have conceded a league high 37 goals so far.
Here are both side's last five fixtures...
| Aston Villa | Norwich |
| Aston Villa 1-3 Southampton (21/12) | Norwich 1-2 Wolves (21/12) |
| Aston Villa 5-0 Liverpool (17/12) | Leicester 1-1 Norwich (14/12) |
| Sheffield United 2-0 Aston Villa (14/12) | Norwich 1-2 Sheffield United (8/12) |
| Aston Villa 1-4 Leicester (8/12) | Southampton 2-1 Norwich (4/12) |
| Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa (4/12) | Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (1/12) |
Prediction
Both sides are low on confidence and need boosts to their season if they are to avoid relegation. It's a massive game and could play a part in deciding who goes down come May.
However, expect a nervy affair as losing the game could be catastrophic for their seasons and would plunge one of the two sides closer to the Championship.
It's hard to call. The sides seem likely to cancel each other out and the game could end in a draw - hardly a great result for either club.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Norwich
Source : 90min