Barclays Premier League

Aston Villa v Burnley

Villa Park 21/02/10

Kick-off: 2pm

OVERVIEW

Burnley boss Brian Laws is working hard to improve the worst away record in the top flight and steer the Clarets out of the bottom three.

Villa Park is the next port of call in the Clarets' quest for a first success of the campaign away from Turf Moor.

Laws has been hammering home the message of staying positive and if Burnley can break their duck there is every chance they will be out of the relegation zone on Sunday night.

To do that they need to get back on the goal trail after a barren run on the road against an Aston Villa side which has conceded just seven goals at Villa Park all season.

But Martin O'Neil's side has not been firing on all cylinders themselves with only one win in their last seven league games and no home win since before Christmas.

That has seen the Villans slip off the pace in the race for a Champions League spot, although they are still just three points off fourth place in seventh spot.

And they also have the Carling Cup final to look forward to on Sunday-week which, although unlikely, would provide a welcome distraction from a Burnley point of view.

Gabriel Agbonlahor

ONE TO WATCH

England international Gabriel Agbonlahor is Villa's leading scorer this season with 12 goals, although he has bagged just two in the league since mid-December.

The 23-year-old local lad is adept at using his pace to get in behind defences and playing off a big striker in Emile Heskey or John Carew.

STAT OF THE DAY

Aston Villa have the meanest defence in the Premier League, having kept eight clean sheets in their last 11 league matches.

LAST MEETING

21/10/09 Burnley 1 (Caldwell 9) Aston Villa 1 (Heskey 86)

Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Caldwell, Jordan, Alexander, Bikey, Eagles (McDonald 69), Elliott, Blake (Gudjonsson 81), Fletcher (Nugent 74). Substitutes: Penny, Duff, Thompson, Guerrero.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Young (Heskey 80), Sidwell (Downing 70), Dunne, Young, Milner, Carew, Agbonlahor, Petrov, Cuellar, Warnock. Substitutes: Delph, Heskey, Reo-Coker, Shorey, Guzan, Beye.

Referee: H Webb

Attendance: 21,179

FORM GUIDE (last ten league games)

Burnley: DDLDLLLLWL

Aston Villa: WWWLLDDWDD

Leon Cort is fit for duty

TEAM NEWS

Burnley: Leon Cort is fit to resume in the centre of defence following a groin injury but Graham Alexander and Chris McCann are unlikely to figure as they close in on a return to full fitness.

Captain Steven Caldwell remains on the long-term injured list.

Aston Villa: Villa hope to welcome back leading scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor after he missed their FA Cup draw with Crystal Palace last weekend.

Emile Heskey should also be fit after being taken off at Selhurst Park but Nigel Reo-Coker is still out with an ankle problem.

Referee: Stuart Attwell

LAST TIME OUT

Fulham 3, Burnley 0

Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Carlisle, Cort (Eagles 32), Edgar, Elliott (Cork 56), Bikey, McDonald, Fletcher, Nugent (Paterson 76) Fox. Substitutes: Duff, Blake, Thompson.

Crystal Palace 2, Aston Villa 2 (Collins 35, Petrov 87)

Aston Villa: Friedel, L Young, Dunne, Warnock, Collins, Downing, A Young, Milner, Delph (Delfouneso 75), Petrov, Heskey (Carew 46). Substitutes: Guzan, Davies, Beye, Cuellar, Sidwell.

Steven Caldwell celebrates his goal against Villa

THEY SAID

Brian Laws: "We're going to treat every game like it's the very last game of the season and the result depends on our Premier League status."

Martin O'Neil: "I think we saw enough in the game up at Turf Moor to realise it will not be easy."

Premier League fixtures (kick-off 3pm unless stated)

Saturday

Arsenal v Sunderland

Everton v Man Utd (12.45)

Portsmouth v Stoke (5.30)

West Ham v Hull

Wolves v Chelsea

Sunday

Aston Villa v Burnley (2.00)

Blackburn v Bolton (12.00)

Fulham v Birmingham

Man City v Liverpool

Wigan v Tottenham (4.15)

Barclays Premier League