Hull City is poised to make Premier League history on Saturday evening as they prepare to face Aston Villa at the MKM Stadium. The newly promoted side, under the guidance of manager Sergej Jakirovic, has enjoyed a perfect start to the season, winning both of their opening matches. A victory against Aston Villa would not only secure three points but also mark the first time a promoted club has won their first three top-flight games since Bolton Wanderers achieved the feat in the 2001-02 season.
In stark contrast, Aston Villa has struggled significantly at the beginning of the season, failing to register a point, a goal, or even a shot on target in their first two matches. Unai Emery’s team suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Brighton followed by a narrow 1-0 loss at home to reigning champions Arsenal. If they lose again on Saturday, they would become the first team since Manchester United in the 1986-87 season to follow a top-four finish with three consecutive defeats to start the next campaign.
The two clubs have not faced each other since a 2-2 draw in the Championship back in January 2019. Both teams have made significant changes to their rosters over the summer, with Hull City bringing in 18 new players and Aston Villa adding 11, including notable signings like Leon Goretzka from Bayern Munich and Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.
As for team news, Hull City will be without several key players due to injury, including Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano, Elliot Matazo, Darko Gyabi, and Charlie Hughes. Midfielder Matt Crooks is a doubt and will be assessed prior to kick-off. Joe Gelhardt has returned to training following an ankle injury but is unlikely to start. However, new signings Christos Mouzakitis and Tim Iroegbunam are expected to play a role in midfield, with Brooke Norton-Cuffy pushing for a starting spot at right wing-back.
Aston Villa faces its own injury challenges, with Joao Gomes serving a suspension and Amadou Onana out long-term due to an ACL injury. Johan Manzambi and Brian Madjo are also unavailable. Although new signing Leon Goretzka is fit to play, he may start on the bench as he has not yet completed a full pre-season. Nicolas Jackson is anticipated to lead the attack, with fellow new arrivals Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Ibrahim Mbaye also in contention for selection.
Hull City has made an impressive return to the Premier League, having secured a 2-0 victory against Manchester United and a 1-0 win over Coventry City. They enter this match on a seven-match unbeaten streak at home. Jakirovic could join an elite group of managers who have won their first three Premier League matches with clean sheets, a list that includes renowned figures like Jose Mourinho and Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Conversely, Aston Villa's lack of offensive production has been alarming, with no shots on target in their first two games. The absence of key players from last season's successful campaign, particularly Ollie Watkins, has been felt deeply, and Emery is still working to integrate a revamped squad.
The predicted lineups for the match are as follows: Hull City is expected to line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Tzolakis; Ajayi, Egan, Mendy; Coyle, Slater, Iroegbunam, Giles; Belloumi, Stroud; McBurnie. Aston Villa is likely to adopt a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Suzuki; Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Ruggeri; Kamara, Goretzka; McGinn, Buendia, Mbaye; Jackson.
Fans can catch the action live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting ahead of the 5:30 PM BST kick-off.
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