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BIRMINGHAMPossessionAston Villa 50%Birmingham 50%Attempts on targetAston Villa 0Birmingham 0Attempts off targetAston Villa 0Birmingham 0CornersAston Villa 0Birmingham 0FoulsAston Villa 0Birmingham 0Barclays Premier LeagueVenue: Villa Park Date: Sunday, 25 April 2010 Kick-off: 1200 BSTCoverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio, live on Sky Sports 1 & highlights on Match of the Day 2
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa are likely to be unchanged, with three key players expected to be passed fit.Richard Dunne should play despite a head wound, while Stiliyan Petrov and Stephen Warnock hope to overcome respective groin and ankle problems.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish can select from a near full-strength squad.
Liam Ridgewell and Craig Gardner are poised to start against their former club, while ex-Villa forward Kevin Phillips could also feature.
Aston Villa
Doubtful: Davies (foot), Dunne (head), Petrov (groin), Warnock (ankle)
Injured: Delph (knee), Harewood (foot)
Birmingham City
Injured: Murphy (hamstring), O'Connor (hip)
MATCH PREVIEWOpposing managers Martin O'Neill and Alex McLeish are well-versed in big city rivalry. They met 20 times in Glasgow's Old Firm derby, during which time O'Neill's Celtic enjoyed an unprecedented seven straight wins over McLeish's Rangers.
People will draw all sorts of conclusions from your position in the table. I think the side is much better than it was last year
O'Neill could also establish a historic high on Sunday. His Villa side are pressing for a record sixth successive league win in this fixture, with McLeish in the opposing dugout for the last three of those Birmingham defeats.
Victory would give Villa their biggest points tally since 1993 and maintain their faint hopes of Champions League qualification. The Europa League is a more likely prospect now that the club finishing in seventh place will gain automatic entry.
Birmingham are on course for their best season in the top flight since 1959, which would be a comparable achievement by McLeish to any of the seven major trophies he won in Scotland.
McLeish has challenged his players to become established in the Premier League now that the club's stability in the boardroom looks more assured. Owner Carson Yeung is expected to avert supporters' fears of a takeover by paying £2.2m in unsettled consultancy fees to an investment bank.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• Villa have won the last five meetings between these clubs.
• Martin O'Neill leads Alex McLeish by 12 wins to seven in head-to-head encounters. Only three of their 20 Old Firm meetings between 2002 and 2005 were decided by more than one goal.
Aston Villa
• Villa have taken 10 points from a possible 12 since suffering a 7-1 thrashing at Chelsea.
• They have only lost one of their 15 league games in 2010 (W6, D8, L1).
• However, their solitary home win in the last seven attempts was against Burnley (W1, D5, L1).
• Gabby Agbonlahor scored in each of his three previous starts against Birmingham, including two late winning goals. He scored a career-best 13th league goal of the season in the midweek win at Hull and is poised for his 150th league start on Sunday.
• Emile Heskey remains Birmingham's record signing at £6.25m in 2004.
Birmingham City
• The Blues are winless in their last seven games (D4, L3).
• They have lost six of their last seven away matches, conceding 18 goals.
• Alex McLeish's side have dropped fewer points (seven) from winning positions this season than any other side except Manchester United.
• Birmingham have managed one victory in 17 attempts against top-half opposition this season (W1, D9, L7).
• Liam Ridgewell will make his 100th league appearance for Birmingham. He made 93 appearances for Villa between 2003 and 2007. Craig Gardner played 79 times for the Villans before his January move to St Andrew's.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Aston Villa
Agbonlahor: 16 goals (13 league);Carew: 16 goals (9 league)
Birmingham City
Jerome: 10 goals (10 league); Bowyer: 6 goals (5 league)
MATCH OFFICIALSReferee: Chris Foy
Assistant referees: John Flynn & Jake Collin
Fourth official: Mark Clattenburg
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPSAston Villa (W2-0 v Hull, a): Friedel; Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Downing, Milner, Petrov (Sidwell 84), A Young, Agbonlahor, Carew (Heskey 90). Subs not used: Guzan, L Young, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker, Beye.
Birmingham City (D0-0 v Hull, h): Hart; Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey (Larsson 63), Jerome, McFadden (Phillips 60). Subs not used: Taylor, Benitez, Michel, Parnaby, Vignal.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Aston Villa scorer: Agbonlahor 85This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa are likely to be unchanged, with three key players expected to be passed fit.Richard Dunne should play despite a head wound, while Stiliyan Petrov and Stephen Warnock hope to overcome respective groin and ankle problems.
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish can select from a near full-strength squad.
Liam Ridgewell and Craig Gardner are poised to start against their former club, while ex-Villa forward Kevin Phillips could also feature.
Aston Villa
Doubtful: Davies (foot), Dunne (head), Petrov (groin), Warnock (ankle)
Injured: Delph (knee), Harewood (foot)
Birmingham City
Injured: Murphy (hamstring), O'Connor (hip)
MATCH PREVIEWOpposing managers Martin O'Neill and Alex McLeish are well-versed in big city rivalry. They met 20 times in Glasgow's Old Firm derby, during which time O'Neill's Celtic enjoyed an unprecedented seven straight wins over McLeish's Rangers.
People will draw all sorts of conclusions from your position in the table. I think the side is much better than it was last year
O'Neill could also establish a historic high on Sunday. His Villa side are pressing for a record sixth successive league win in this fixture, with McLeish in the opposing dugout for the last three of those Birmingham defeats.
Victory would give Villa their biggest points tally since 1993 and maintain their faint hopes of Champions League qualification. The Europa League is a more likely prospect now that the club finishing in seventh place will gain automatic entry.
Birmingham are on course for their best season in the top flight since 1959, which would be a comparable achievement by McLeish to any of the seven major trophies he won in Scotland.
McLeish has challenged his players to become established in the Premier League now that the club's stability in the boardroom looks more assured. Owner Carson Yeung is expected to avert supporters' fears of a takeover by paying £2.2m in unsettled consultancy fees to an investment bank.
MATCH FACTSHead-to-head
• Villa have won the last five meetings between these clubs.
• Martin O'Neill leads Alex McLeish by 12 wins to seven in head-to-head encounters. Only three of their 20 Old Firm meetings between 2002 and 2005 were decided by more than one goal.
Aston Villa
• Villa have taken 10 points from a possible 12 since suffering a 7-1 thrashing at Chelsea.
• They have only lost one of their 15 league games in 2010 (W6, D8, L1).
• However, their solitary home win in the last seven attempts was against Burnley (W1, D5, L1).
• Gabby Agbonlahor scored in each of his three previous starts against Birmingham, including two late winning goals. He scored a career-best 13th league goal of the season in the midweek win at Hull and is poised for his 150th league start on Sunday.
• Emile Heskey remains Birmingham's record signing at £6.25m in 2004.
Birmingham City
• The Blues are winless in their last seven games (D4, L3).
• They have lost six of their last seven away matches, conceding 18 goals.
• Alex McLeish's side have dropped fewer points (seven) from winning positions this season than any other side except Manchester United.
• Birmingham have managed one victory in 17 attempts against top-half opposition this season (W1, D9, L7).
• Liam Ridgewell will make his 100th league appearance for Birmingham. He made 93 appearances for Villa between 2003 and 2007. Craig Gardner played 79 times for the Villans before his January move to St Andrew's.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Aston VillaAgbonlahor: 16 goals (13 league);Carew: 16 goals (9 league)
Birmingham CityJerome: 10 goals (10 league); Bowyer: 6 goals (5 league)
MATCH OFFICIALSReferee: Chris Foy
Assistant referees: John Flynn & Jake Collin
Fourth official: Mark Clattenburg
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPSAston Villa (W2-0 v Hull, a): Friedel; Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock, Downing, Milner, Petrov (Sidwell 84), A Young, Agbonlahor, Carew (Heskey 90). Subs not used: Guzan, L Young, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker, Beye.
Birmingham City (D0-0 v Hull, h): Hart; Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey (Larsson 63), Jerome, McFadden (Phillips 60). Subs not used: Taylor, Benitez, Michel, Parnaby, Vignal.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Aston Villa scorer: Agbonlahor 85This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.