Aston Villa out to add more misery on Blackpool

Aston Villa will be hoping not to become the last name to be shocked by the Premier League surprise package of Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.

The two teams are separated by only one point with Villa in 14th and Blackpool in 15th, but Gerard Houllier's men will be hoping to inflict more misery on Ian Holloway's Seasiders, with a win for Villa priced at 5/4.

Blackpool have achieved some notable results so far this season but they have lost five consecutive matches in the league and now only two points clear of the bottom three as a result.

Their home record is not too great either, as they have won only 11 points at Bloomfield Road, which is the fewest of any Premier League side and as a result they are 12/5 to win on Saturday.

Villa's last two games have seen them draw with Fulham and lose to Manchester United, but before that they have won three successive games and Houllier looked to have turned things around at the Midlands club.

The arrival of Darren Bent (9/2 to be first goal scorer), who scored for England in midweek, seems to have helped revitalise the club and he will again be key for the visitors – who the Premier League statistics show have only lost one of 11 games against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Villa beat Blackpool 3-2 earlier in the season and will have to keep an eye on danger man Charlie Adam (8/1 to score the first goal), who has scored three goals in his last four appearances and is undoubtedly the shining star in Holloway's squad.

Gabriel Agbolahor has stated this week the club have been in a "mess" at time this season and they must continue fighting, as they are still involved in a relegation scrap.

“We have started to get a few results so hopefully we can kick on and get up the league," stated the Villa striker.

”I don’t know where we can finish. We are still in that relegation battle and no-one is out of that yet.

The visitors will be without Luke Young and Fabian Delph through injury, but Nathan Baker returns from suspension and the January additions of Jean Makoun and Michael Bradley could both feature.

Blackpool are definitely without goalkeeper Mathew Gilks and with Paul Rachubka hurting his right knee in training it means Richard Kingson is the only keeper available to Holloway – and he is also nursing an injury problem of his own.

Stephen Crainey is also definitely unavailable for the Seasiders as they look to end their slide down the Premier League and get their season back on track.