Burnley vs Aston Villa – News and Probable Lineups

With Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League confirmed, they have little at stake this Sunday as they prepare to host Europa League finalists Aston Villa at Turf Moor during gameweek 36.

Unlike Burnley, Unai Emery’s squad has significant motivation riding on the outcome of this weekend’s match, as they aim to extend their strong track record against relegated teams while striving to maintain pressure on their fifth-place spot in the Champions League standings.

Match overview

The determination of both teams was evident just eight minutes into Burnley’s journey to Leeds United last week during the opening match of round 35 of the league.

With their return to the Championship now official and managerial changes occurring just before the match, Burnley faced an uphill battle at Elland Road right from the start.

Conceding two additional goals early in the second half made matters worse for Burnley until Loum Tchaouna’s consolation goal in the 71st minute offered a slight sense of respectability to the scoreline.

Now without a win in nine top-flight matches since a dramatic 3-2 victory against Crystal Palace after being 2-0 down, seven of which they have lost, Mike Jackson’s men are aiming to avoid their sixth straight league defeat.

Their performance during this span matches Chelsea’s as the worst, and their results in 2026 — featuring one win, five draws, and ten defeats — are inferior to those of the other 19 teams.

Considering their current predicament, they will need a highly motivated display to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat against the Europa League contenders this weekend.

Villa come into this fixture as the clear favorites due to the significant disparity in quality between the teams, and their recent victory, which concluded a three-match losing streak, substantially improves their prospects for this encounter.

In that match, Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins contributed both with goals and assists, while John McGinn struck twice in the last 15 minutes, securing a remarkable win for Emery’s side that resulted in the heaviest loss inflicted on one English team by another, reversing last week’s 1-0 defeat, and arranging a May 20 final showdown with Freiburg.

The result against Burnley will hinge on Villa’s ability to avoid the typical fatigue that often follows a successful Thursday night. A win would provide them a safety net for ensuring their place in next season’s Champions League, even if they falter in their league campaign.

Currently sitting in fifth place in the standings, Emery’s team is six points ahead of Bournemouth with three matches left, although their goal difference does not grant them a considerable advantage. Relying solely on success in the Europa League would be imprudent, particularly with Bournemouth remaining unbeaten in the league since January, ensuring that Villa stays motivated in their Premier League challenge ahead of their trip to Lancashire.

Aston Villa approaches the match on a streak of three consecutive wins against Burnley in this fixture, having recorded five victories and three draws from nine encounters with teams relegated from the top flight, although that single loss came against this weekend’s hosts in May 2015.

Regardless, they will have confidence heading into a match against an opponent who has achieved just one victory in their last 26 outings in this league.

Team News

Axel Tuanzebe is close to making a return from an Achilles injury. However, Josh Cullen (knee), Connor Roberts (Achilles), and Jordânia Beyer (hamstring) remain unavailable.

Despite Aston Villa’s ongoing struggle away from home with a five-match winless streak, Martin Dubravka, who has accumulated 127 saves this season, is likely to have another hectic Sunday afternoon in Lancashire.

Zian Flemming requires one more goal to reach double figures, matching former Burnley strikers Danny Ings and Chris Wood, with eight of his nine goals scored away from Turf Moor.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, appeared to avoid any new injury concerns on Thursday night; nevertheless, the Europa League finalists will be missing long-term absentees Boubacar Kamara (knee), Amadou Onana (calf), and Alysson.

Buendia has contributed to five goals as a substitute this season, with four goals and one assist. The Argentine could enhance that tally and surpass Marlon Harewood’s record from the 2007-08 season if he starts from the bench following Thursday’s exertion.

While Emery is eager to end the five-match winless streak on the road, he may opt to rest McGinn and Watkins, looking to bring in Jadon Sancho and Tammy Abraham to start, respectively.

Burnley probable starting XI:

Dubravka; Walker, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman; Humphreys, Laurent, Ward-Prowse; Tchaouna, Flemming, Anthony

Aston Villa probable starting XI:

Martinez; Cash, Lindelof, Mings, Maatsen; Bogarde, Tielemans; Sancho, Barkley, Rogers; Abraham

Although Aston Villa’s recent away form provides some hope for Burnley, the hosts’ poor performance and lack of precision in attack make it challenging to back them against a team striving for Champions League qualification.

Should the visitors manage to avoid any impact from a European hangover, they are likely to win on Sunday, putting an end to Bournemouth’s hopes of overtaking them.