Hull City vs Aston Villa: surprise league leaders host a struggling giant
Newly promoted Hull City host Aston Villa on Saturday in round three of the Premier League, with Villa still pointless and goalless after two defeats.
Context
On Saturday, 5 September, Hull City and Aston Villa meet in the third round of the Premier League. Sources give slightly different kick-off times — Sky Sports lists 5.30pm UK time, while OneFootball states 4.30pm UK time. The match takes place at Hull's MKM Stadium, with Michael Oliver as referee.
Contrasting form
Newly promoted Hull City have made a surprisingly strong start, winning both of their opening league games — 2-0 at home against Manchester United and 1-0 away at Coventry — without conceding a single league goal. Sources disagree on Hull's exact league position: OneFootball places them third, while Olhar Digital reports them fifth. Before the season, Hull drew 0-0 with Nice and lost 0-2 to Eintracht Frankfurt in pre-season, and also faced Stoke City in the League Cup — sources differ on that result too, with one reporting a 2-1 Hull win and another describing it as a draw.
Aston Villa, last season's UEFA Europa League winners, have endured a difficult start: two defeats, no goals scored and five conceded, including a 4-0 loss away at Brighton and a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal. They currently sit 19th. According to Olhar Digital, Villa's problems are compounded by midfielder João Gomes's three-match suspension, the departure of striker Ollie Watkins and a possible exit for goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, despite new arrivals Leon Goretzka and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. OneFootball, however, reports that both squads are fully fit and available for this fixture, with no injuries or suspensions — the two sources are inconsistent on this point.
Head-to-head
In their last eight meetings, Aston Villa have won three times, Hull City once, with four draws. Their last Premier League encounter dates back to the 2014/15 season. According to OneFootball's Brazilian edition, their most recent meeting overall, in 2019 in the lower divisions, ended 2-2.
Predictions and lineups
Despite Hull's better form, bookmakers list Aston Villa as favourites, with odds of 1.89 on a Villa win compared to 3.93 for a Hull win and 3.62 for a draw. Some analysts, including OneFootball, instead predict a Hull City win, citing the hosts' form and clean defensive record. Hull's probable lineup: Tzolakis; Coyle, Egan, Ajayi, Giles; Slater, Mendy, Morita, Stroud; Belloumi, McBurnie. Aston Villa's probable lineup: Suzuki; Maatsen, Cash, Torres, Lindelöf; Kamara, Buendía, Hemmings, McGinn, Barkley; Jackson.
