Aston Villa welcome Newcastle to Villa Park on Saturday as both teams look to secure three vital points.
Newcastle are tied on points with Manchester United - occupying third place on the table while the Manchester side sit fourth. The magpies will hope to take the three points home to stay third and comfortably secure qualification for the Champions League.
The home team are currently one point ahead of Brighton as both teams hope to catch up with Tottenham Hotspur for a spot in the Europa League
The team's last meeting saw a difficult defeat for Aston Villa as Newcastle put 4 past Emiliano Martinez at St James' Park.
The Claret and Blue army have had a successful run of games since their 2-0 win against Everton in February. Since then they have won six games and drawn one with Unai Emery making his impact on the team visible - bringing them up to 6th place on the table.
The Magpies have recovered from a rough patch that saw them lose 3 games consecutively against Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool. Eddie Howe's side have now gone 6 games unbeaten with their last win coming against Brentford.
Two of the most in-form teams in the Premier League will be eyeing up those three vital points.
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Team News
Aston Villa
Matty Cash will be unavailable once again due to a calf injury. Leon Bailey looks to be a doubt for the side as well, as a result of a hamstring injury picked up last week in their clash against Nottingham Forest.
Philippe Coutinho and Boubacar Kamara will both be sidelined for the clash. The Brazilian playmaker, formerly of Liverpool and Barcelona, has struggled for injuries all season, which has prevented him from becoming a regular starter in the midlands.
Newcastle United
A hamstring problem will see Allan Saint-Maximin miss out for 4-6 weeks.
Miguel Almiron could make an appearance at Villa Park or very soon, after nursing a thigh injury but he is still ahead of schedule. The player returned to training earlier this week.
Bruno Guimaraes haș been suffering with an issue with his ankles but appears to be available, with the Brazilian currently playing though the problem.
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Likely Lineups
Aston Villa
Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Moreno, McGinn, Luiz, Traore, Buendia, Ramsey, Watkins
Newcastle
Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Willock, Longstaff, Murphy, Isak, Joelinton.
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Key Players
Aston Villa: Ollie Watkins
The 27 year-old has carried the team to success having scored in the past three games for the claret and blue side.
He has been a key asset in their climb to sixth place with his goals. Watkins currently has 29 appearances this season with 12 goals and five assists.
The forward has been once of the most in-form for his side this season - scoring nine goals in his last 11 games. He showed his talent again on Saturday as they faced Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle: Bruno Guimaraes
The Brazilian has been a key part of Eddie Howe's side this season. Having signed last January, he has been a crucial part in their success.
Guimaraes has 23 appearances for the Magpies this season - being a starter for all 23. His passing accuracy and flair, along with his composure, will be key in trying to break down Villa's resilient defence.
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Match Details
Where is the match being played?
The game is being played at Villa Park in Birmingham.
When is the match?
The match will take place on Saturday 15th April 2023 at 12:30PM (BST).
Where to watch?
The match will be streamed on BT Sport 1 with coverage starting at 11:30am (BST).