Having won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions, Aston Villa travel to face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday. 

Aston Villa claimed a 3-0 home win over The Cherries in the sides' most recent meeting in March to break Bournemouth's four-game winning streak against them. 

Bournemouth have won their last two home matches against Aston Villa and will hope to make it three in a row at the Vitality Stadium. 

The Cherries picked up where they left off before the international break. Bournemouth made it back-to-back league wins by seeing off a struggling Sheffield United side 3-1 at Bramall Lane last weekend.

Taking more of the pressure off his own shoulders while leaving Paul Heckingbottom's job in even more jeopardy, Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola masterminded his side's second successive top-flight win. 

Thus, Bournemouth sit 16^th in the league table, five points above the bottom three (following Everton's 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday). 

The Cherries have won 8 out of their 12 points at home so far this season, winning two out of seven home games - the last two, including a 2-0 victory over Newcastle prior to last month's break. 

Marcus Tavernier scored his first goals of the season as he netted a brace to inspire Bournemouth's win at Sheffield United last time out. 

A host of long-term absentees will remain out of contention for The Cherries this weekend, as the likes of Ryan Fredericks (calf), Max Aarons (thigh), Alex Scott (knee), Tyler Adams (thigh), and Emiliano Marcondes (foot) continue their recoveries, while backup goalkeeper Darren Randolph is out with an illness.

In-demand defender Lloyd Kelly - who is reportedly attracting interest from bigger clubs ahead of the January transfer window - was taken off at the break of the victory against Sheffield United too, so Iraola will also be without his service here.

While rotations are possible in attacking midfield, Dominic Solanke should keep his starting spot up front. The 26-year-old striker scored six goals in 13 league appearances for the Cherries this term and he will represent the biggest threat to Villa's defense. 

Villa have secured a 2-1 home win over Polish side Legia Warsaw in midweek - their fourth consecutive victory in the UEFA Europa Conference League - as they top Group E of the competition.  

With qualification secured and top-spot in the group just a point away, Aston Villa can fully focus on their domestic campaign. The Lions travel to the south coast on the back of a massive 2-1 comeback victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend. 

Fourth-placed Villa are just two points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle United following The Magpies' 1-0 win over Manchester United at St. James' Park on Saturday night. 

Unai Emery's men have sneaked inside the Premier League top-four for the first time this term and are set for back-to-back home matches with Manchester City and Arsenal in the Premier League next week. 

First of all, Villa must stay grounded when they head to Dorset this weekend. Unlike their perfect home form, Villa's away form hasn't been really consistent as Emery's men are now aiming to win back-to-back away games in the Premier League for the first time since early-April. 

The English side dominated throughout the match against Legia Warsaw on Thursday night and Alex Moreno capped his first appearance of the season with the winning volley. 

Moreno overcame a hamstring injury and had to work on his fitness earlier this autumn so Unai Emery will be pleased to reintegrate the experienced Spanish left-back ahead of a congested festive schedule.

Emery opted against risking Ollie Watkins for the midweek game against Legia Warsaw due to a "small pain" that the England forward experienced in training, and he remains touch-and-go for the weekend. If Watkins is not fully fit to start, Jhon Duran is on standby as the Colombian forward already scored against Everton and Crystal Palace earlier this season.

Meanwhile, Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia remain the long-term absentees for Aston Villa, joined by Bertrand Traore, while influential midfielder Boubacar Kamara was booked for the fifth time in the Premier League this season and will serve a one-match ban as a result.

With Kamara suspended, either of Youri Tielemans or Leander Dendoncker will start alongside Douglas Luiz in the middle of the park. 

We don't want to underestimate a resurgent Bournemouth side but Aston Villa's progress has been quite remarkable and we are backing them to extend their fine form. 

It has been over five years since The Cherries last enjoyed a three-game winning streak in the Premier League, claiming four in a row between May 2018 and August 2018. 

By conceding 28 goals in 13 games, Bournemouth have the third worst defensive record in the league (and the worst defensive record outside of the relegation zone) and will need to do much better if they are to stop Aston Villa on Sunday. 

In stark contrast with their perfect home record, Unai Emery’s side have won just three of their seven Premier League games away from Villa Park so far this season. However, we clearly observe an improvement of their away form over the past couple of weeks. 

All in all, The Villans have conceded in all but one of their last 12 Premier League away games and they have the ability to outscore Bournemouth.